NASA research experiences open to Virginia community college students

Virginia community college sophomores can once again apply for paid NASA research experiences through the Virginia Space Grant Consortium’s STEM Takes Flight Build-Fly-Learn NASA Research Experiences for Virginia’s Community College Students program.

The VSGC and the Virginia Community College System in partnership with NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore anticipate offering at least 23, ten-week, paid, summer research experiences for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors. The research experience takes place during the summer of 2017. This is the program’s third year.

Students selected to participate in Stem Takes Flight NASA Research Experiences will work directly with NASA research advisors on diverse projects for NASA Langley Research Center’s Research and Engineering Directorates and NASA Wallops Flight Facility.  Students will be selected for projects such as wind tunnel experiments/data analysis, small satellite hardware development, unmanned aerial systems, and environmental and water quality projects and more.

The STEM Takes Flight NASA Research Experience provides students with real-world, hands-on learning experiences while exposing them to the wide range of STEM career options at NASA. Past participants have expressed how much this opportunity has broadened their skills and encouraged them to take career paths they had not considered.

Qualified applicants are undergraduate STEM majors, including those pursuing technician degrees, who are at least a rising sophomore and not graduating prior to May or June of 2017. They must be a US Citizen, at least 18 years of age, and a full or part-time student taking a minimum of 6-9 credit hours. Selected students will receive a $5,000 stipend. Assistance in locating safe affordable housing is provided upon request.

The application deadline is February 10, 2017.  Learn more and apply online at http://www.vsgc.odu.edu/STEMtakesFlight.