Undergraduate Research Fellowships

Past Wyoming Space Grant Undergraduate Fellowship Recipients
Download Timesheet: Word / PDF
Final Report Instructions: HTML / Word / PDF

Presentation from the Fellowship/Grant information sessions (Jan 30, 2008)

Application Deadline: February 15, 2008, 5:00 PM

Each year the Wyoming Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) awards fellowships to undergraduate students attending the University of Wyoming or one of Wyoming's community colleges to provide the student with the opportunity to do "real" research. The program is not restricted to science or engineering majors - undergraduates who are interested in space science and engineering careers gain valuable experience participating in research projects, while non-science majors broaden their educations with a research experience. The principle objective of the program is to provide students with a positive rewarding research experience. Research projects can be conducted during the academic year or during the summer (or both). Women and students from other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

PROPOSAL TECHNICAL GUIDELINES

General information and proposal guidelines for Wyoming Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) Undergraduate Fellowships are available to be downloaded on-line (Word, PDF), or in hardcopy from the WSGC Office - be sure to read this document before beginning your proposal. Women and students from other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Project Proposal and Student Data

Completed applications must be submitted by e-mail attachment to: wsgc(at)uwyo.edu by 5:00pm on the date given above (please use the subject: "Undergraduate Fellowship Application"). Paper applications will not be accepted! Attach the following two files to your e-mail:

1. Completed Undergraduate Summary Data Form: PDF E-mail Format (951KB)**
2. Proposal Document*** (see the proposal guidelines for details of content: Word [168KB], PDF [128KB])

**Please note: you must have Adobe Reader (or Adobe Acrobat) v7.0 or later in order to be able to use this file (get Adobe Reader). Anyone with the freely available Adobe Reader (v7.0 or later) will be able to fill out this form, save changes to it, and submit it by e-mail. Please let us know if you encounter any problems while using this form (766-2862, wsgc(at)uwyo.edu).

***The submitted proposal document can be formatted in PDF (preferred!), MS Word, or plain text -- however, any files submitted as MS Word or plain text will be converted by us to PDF before being distributed electronically to the reviewers. It is strongly recommended that you convert your own file to PDF before submission so you can insure that the file looks as you intended it to (we are not responsible if something gets messed up in your file when we convert it to PDF for you) - suggestions for converting your file to PDF. Also, there is a size limit to the proposal document that can be submitted; the size of the proposal document is restricted to less than 2MB - suggestions for decreasing your file size.

Letter of Support from Faculty Research Advisor

The faculty advisor will need to e-mail an electronic copy of this letter directly to wsgc@uwyo.edu before the application deadline. This letter should be formatted as an Adobe PDF (preferred) or Microsoft Word file for an attachment, or included as plain text in the e-mail body (please use the subject "Undergraduate Fellowship Letter" for the e-mail). For advisors with more than one student submitting proposals: please rank or compare your students in these letter so if the committee has to choose between them, then they can refer to your ranking in making their decisions.

Please note: Any files submitted as MS Word or plain text will be converted by us to PDF before being distributed electronically to the reviewers. It is strongly recommended that you convert your own file to PDF before submission so you can insure that the file looks as you intended it to (we are not responsible if something gets messed up in your file when we convert it to PDF for you) - suggestions for converting your file to PDF.

ELIGIBILITY

• Student should be enrolled and in good standing at the University of Wyoming or one of Wyoming's community colleges.
• Faculty supervisor must have active status and/or plan to be on-site and readily available to the student.
• Students must be U.S. Citizens.
• The faculty advisor may apply on behalf of a student (student must meet the above eligibility criteria).

SELECTION CRITERIA

• scientific merit of the proposed project
• the pedagogical benefits to the student as a result of the overall research experience
• quality of proposal and recommendations

AWARD

• Student hourly wages ($8.75/hr) up to $5,000 while working on the research project - the maximum award is $5,000.
• Awards are intended to be used for undergraduate salary support only (some additional expenses may be considered if the total requested salary is less than $5,000).
• Expenditures not normally supported include: travel, page charges, equipment, and supplies.
• Applicants are encouraged to seek matching funds to cover necessary expenditures in these categories.

EXPECTATIONS

• Fellowships may commence:
  1. As soon as funding is available (typically May)
  2. During Summer 2008
  3. During Fall 2008
• Fellowships must be completed before May 2009.
• Fellowship recipients are expected to keep WSGC informed of their progress.
• Submit a final report in a timely manner.
• Participate in publication of research results.
• Present a colloquium or other presentation on their research (can be arranged by WSGC, given within their department, or during the University of Wyoming undergraduate research day held in the spring - April 26, 2008).
• Participate in a minimum of 5 hours of public science outreach activities during the fellowship year (May-April). (For an idea of acceptable activities read this article on Science Outreach.)

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Proposal goals should be in line with NASA National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program objectives, and can be related to the strategic mission(s) of one or more of NASA's Mission Directorates. Info on these can be found using the following web links:
  • 2002-2006 National Space Grant Strategic Plan
  • NASA's Direction for 2005 and Beyond (pdf)
  • The Vision for Space Exploration
  • Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate - Enable a safer, more secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly air transportation system.
  • Science Mission Directorate Strategic Plan, and Roadmaps - Exploring the Earth-Sun system, our own solar system, and the universe beyond.
    Science Program for NASA's Astronomy and Physics Division 2006 (pdf - 670KB)
    Summary of the Science Plan for NASA's Science Mission Directorate 2007-2016 (pdf - 1.3MB)
  • Explorations Systems Mission Directorate - Direct the identification, development, and validation of exploration systems and technologies.
  • Space Operations Mission Directorate - Extend the duration and boundaries of human space flight to create new opportunities for exploration and discovery.
• Proposals that include matching by non-federal funds, which can be documented, are given priority.
• Proposals must be well written and include the following elements:
  1. strong scientific justification;
  2. a clear set of goals;
  3. an evaluation mechanism which determines successful completion of the goals;
  4. a detailed time-line for achieving the goals outlined;
  5. expected duties/responsibilities of the student; and
  6. an outlined budget for the project.
• Be sure to download and read the detailed proposal instructions: Word Format, PDF Format

Fellowship and Grant FAQ

WYOMING SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM
Office: Physical Science RM 210 and 208,
University of Wyoming
Phone: (307)766-2862
email: wsgc@uwyo.edu

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