News Warner Logo

News Warner

NASA Invests in Future STEM Workforce Through Space Grant Awards

NASA Invests in Future STEM Workforce Through Space Grant Awards

  • NASA has awarded up to $870,000 annually to 52 institutions across the US, DC, and Puerto Rico over four years to support STEM education and workforce development.
  • The Space Grant College and Fellowship Program aims to create a highly skilled workforce prepared to advance NASA’s mission and bolster the nation’s aerospace sector.
  • The program, established in 1989, is administered through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) and has a mission to produce a new generation of STEM leaders.
  • The awardees include top universities such as MIT, Stanford, and Purdue University, as well as institutions from across the US, DC, and Puerto Rico.
  • The program operates through state-based consortia that promote collaboration with NASA and aerospace-related industries nationwide, expanding opportunities for students and researchers.
3 Min Read

NASA Invests in Future STEM Workforce Through Space Grant Awards 

NASA is awarding up to $870,000 annually to 52 institutions across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico over the next four years. The investments aim to create opportunities for the next generation of innovators by supporting workforce development, science, technology, engineering and math education, and aerospace collaboration nationwide. 

The Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant), established by Congress in 1989, is a workforce development initiative administered through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM). The program’s mission is to produce a highly skilled workforce prepared to advance NASA’s mission and bolster the nation’s aerospace sector. 

“The Space Grant program exemplifies NASA’s commitment to cultivating a new generation of STEM leaders,” said Torry Johnson, deputy associate administrator of the STEM Engagement Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By partnering with institutions across the country, we ensure that students have the resources, mentorship, and experiences needed to thrive in the aerospace workforce.” 

The following is a complete list of awardees: 

  • University of Alaska, Fairbanks 
  • University of Alabama, Huntsville 
  • University of Arkansas, Little Rock 
  • University of Arizona 
  • University of California, San Diego 
  • University of Colorado, Boulder 
  • University of Hartford, Connecticut 
  • American University, Washington, DC 
  • University of Delaware 
  • University of Central Florida 
  • Georgia Institute of Technology 
  • University of Hawaii, Honolulu 
  • Iowa State University, Ames 
  • University of Idaho, Moscow 
  • University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 
  • Purdue University, Indiana 
  • Wichita State University, Kansas 
  • University of Kentucky, Lexington 
  • Louisiana State University and A&M College 
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
  • Johns Hopkins University, Maryland 
  • Maine Space Grant Consortium 
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 
  • University of Minnesota 
  • Missouri University of Science and Technology 
  • University of Mississippi 
  • Montana State University, Bozeman 
  • North Carolina State University 
  • University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 
  • University of Nebraska, Omaha 
  • University of New Hampshire, Durham 
  • Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 
  • New Mexico State University 
  • Nevada System of Higher Education 
  • Cornell University, New York 
  • Ohio Aerospace Institute 
  • University of Oklahoma 
  • Oregon State University 
  • Pennsylvania State University 
  • University of Puerto Rico 
  • Brown University, Rhode Island 
  • College of Charleston, South Carolina 
  • South Dakota School of Mines & Technology 
  • Vanderbilt University, Tennessee 
  • University of Texas, Austin 
  • University of Utah, Salt Lake City 
  • Old Dominion University Research Foundation, Virginia 
  • University of Vermont, Burlington 
  • University of Washington, Seattle 
  • Carthage College, Wisconsin 
  • West Virginia University 
  • University of Wyoming 

Space Grant operates through state-based consortia, which include universities, university systems, associations, government agencies, industries, and informal education organizations engaged in aerospace activities. Each consortium’s lead institution coordinates efforts within its state, expanding opportunities for students and researchers while promoting collaboration with NASA and aerospace-related industries nationwide. 

To learn more about NASA’s missions, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/ 

link

Q. What is NASA’s Space Grant College and Fellowship Program?
A. The Space Grant program is a workforce development initiative administered through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM), established by Congress in 1989.

Q. What is the mission of the Space Grant program?
A. The program’s mission is to produce a highly skilled workforce prepared to advance NASA’s mission and bolster the nation’s aerospace sector.

Q. How much funding will NASA award annually to institutions through the Space Grant program?
A. NASA will award up to $870,000 annually to 52 institutions across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico over the next four years.

Q. What areas does the Space Grant program focus on?
A. The program focuses on workforce development, science, technology, engineering and math education, and aerospace collaboration nationwide.

Q. Who is responsible for administering the Space Grant program?
A. The program is administered through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM).

Q. How many institutions will receive funding from the Space Grant program?
A. 52 institutions across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico will receive funding.

Q. What is the purpose of state-based consortia in the Space Grant program?
A. Each consortium’s lead institution coordinates efforts within its state, expanding opportunities for students and researchers while promoting collaboration with NASA and aerospace-related industries nationwide.

Q. When was the Space Grant program established?
A. The Space Grant program was established by Congress in 1989.

Q. What is the goal of the Space Grant program in terms of workforce development?
A. The program aims to create opportunities for the next generation of innovators by supporting workforce development, science, technology, engineering and math education, and aerospace collaboration nationwide.

Q. Who commented on the importance of the Space Grant program?
A. Torry Johnson, deputy associate administrator of the STEM Engagement Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, stated that “The Space Grant program exemplifies NASA’s commitment to cultivating a new generation of STEM leaders.”