NASA SD Space Grant Consortium ‘Project Innovation Grant’

Project Innovation Grant solicitation

To identify and stimulate new educational capabilities in the state, the SD Space Grant Consortium (SDSGC) is soliciting proposals for its Project Innovation Grant (PIG) program.

Objective of PIGs is to provide seed funding for meritorious projects that:

1. Focus on one or more of the following program areas:
   • Higher Education (Research included)
   • Precollege Education
   • Informal Education
2. Align with NASA Mission Directorate research priorities and/or NASA Center Areas of Interest — see Appendices A.1 – A.5
3. Show potential to develop into long-term, sustainable programs.

Preference will be given to proposals that:

1. Align with one or more of NASA’s current priority education areas:
   • Effective K-12 STEM teacher education (especially middle-school level)
   • Undergraduate STEM education (especially retention and engagement in hands-on, NASA-related activities)
   • Serving groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields, such as Native Americans and women
2. Include one or more of the following:
   • Mission-driven authentic STEM experiences
   • Evidence-based practices
   • Diversity and inclusion
   • Scalability through partnerships and networks
3. Include components associated with the following SDSGC interests:
   • NASA competitive student teams/challenges such as high-altitude ballooning (specifically those associated with the National Space Grant program’s collaborative Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project https://eclipse.montana.edu/), CubeSats, etc.
   • Projects involving work with or at USGS EROS and/or SURF
   • Artemis mission projects
   • NASA Citizen Science programs

View list of successful PIG proposal titles, amounts, and organizations from 2006-20.

Project Timeframe: These funds may be used to fund one-year PIG projects during the period of Feb. 23, 2023, through Feb. 22, 2024.

Funding Information

• Up to $128,000 available to fund PIG projects from SDSGC’s FY2023 budget
• One-year projects may request between $1,000 – $40,000
• Matching (non-federal cost-sharing) is required at a rate of 1:1 (NASA:Match)
• All FY2023 awards are contingent upon U.S. Congressional approval of the 2023 federal budget and the availability and receipt of FY2023 Space Grant funding from NASA.

Eligibility

• All 24 affiliate organizations within the SDSGC are eligible to submit proposals. View a list of the Consortium’s membership.
• Pursuant to NASA Space Grant requirements, any student(s) receiving direct NASA Space Grant funding support under a PIG project must be of U.S. citizenship, although the PI or co-I submitting the proposal need not be of U.S. citizenship provided they are not receiving a NASA Internship or Fellowship under the Space Grant Program.

Due Date

• Proposals must be received by November 17, 2022. Award notifications are anticipated to be made by January 18, 2023.

View full details in the Proposal Guidelines.

Proposal Submission

PIG Proposals must be submitted to SDSGC Deputy Director Tom Durkin via email at Thomas.Durkin@sdsmt.edu as a single-file attachment in either PDF or Word format and received by November 17, 2022. Late proposals will not be accepted.

Questions?

Thomas V. Durkin
Deputy Director
South Dakota Space Grant Consortium
SD School of Mines & Technology
501 E. Saint Joseph Street
Rapid City, SD 57701

(605) 394-1975
sd.spacegrant.org