What Is INSGC?

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Indiana Space Grant Consortium is one of the 52 Consortia part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. In the state of Indiana, INSGC is a source of NASA-related information, awards and programs.

The consortium works to carry out education, research, and public outreach activities in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM) related to space, aeronautics, aviation, and Earth system science, all while advocating increased financial and government support for Space Grant Consortia.

Consisting of 26 different affiliates including colleges, universities, businesses, and other private and public sector institutions, INSGC promotes aerospace education and career training by

    1. Supporting STEM students through various scholarship, internship and fellowship opportunities
    2. Assisting faculty and students in their development of skills in STEM related fields
    3. Offering experiential training aligned with NASA Strategic Enterprises, and
    4. Inspiring public interest in aerospace-related disciplines and lifelong learning through partnerships with educators at all levels...

Here's why the Space Grant is important!

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GRANT TO FUND TRINE RESEARCH INTO SPACEWALK IMPACTS ON ASTRONAUTS

September 21st, 2021

A $15,000 grant from the Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC) will fund an undergraduate research project at Trine University that seeks to help understand the impact of spacewalks on astronauts.

Trine University biomedical engineering seniors Madison Howard of Pleasant Lake, Michigan, and Ashley Spirrison of Fishers, Indiana, will lead the project, titled “Developing Microfluidic Technology to Model the Vascular Health of Astronauts.” Max Gong, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Bock Department of Biomedical Engineering, will serve as advisor.

The project seeks to help address concerns NASA has regarding the safety of its astronauts while completing missions outside of Earth’s atmosphere, Gong said.

During missions, astronauts execute Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), commonly referred to as spacewalks, to repair and complete quality checks of spacecraft, and for research and exploration purposes. Prior to an EVA, astronauts must be exposed to 100% hyperoxia (a state of excess supply of oxygen in tissues and organs) for approximately five to eight hours, with repeats of the protocol two to three times each week.

This increase in blood oxygenation has been linked to DNA damage to lung tissue, overproduction of nitric oxide, cell damage from lipid peroxidation, and increased pulmonary fibrosis, Gong said.

Hyperoxia also causes blood vessels to narrow and abnormalities in the architecture of organs, limiting blood flow or fluid transfer through organs.

The Trine students will develop microfluidic vasculature-on-a-chip models, engineered models that mimic living tissues, of blood and lymphatic vessels to investigate the relationship between hyperoxia and its negative health effects. Such models have been used to better understand vascular health in diseases, such as atherosclerosis, Gong said, and can be applied to studying and improving the health of astronauts.

The Indiana Space Grant Consortium was created in 1991 under NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The Space Grant national network includes organizations working to expand opportunities for Americans to learn about and participate in NASA’s aeronautics and space projects by supporting and enhancing science and engineering education, research and public outreach efforts.

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ANNOUNCEMENT!

NASA Summer Internships 2025

Applications currently being accepted till Feb 2025

 

The NASA Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC) supports Internships to the
NASA Space Centers across the U.S. NASA centers select students from the applications submission through the NASA STEM Gateway portal. You must be a senior in HS, or a FT college student to apply.

Eligibility: Students must be attending one of INSGC affiliate Universities; (see www.insgc.org for a list), a US Citizenship; enrolled in STEM discipline major, with at least a 2.5 GPA

See below attachment and NASA website for more details: https://stemgateway.nasa.gov/s/

 

Introducing NASA's Luna Recycle Challenge

Our newest competition, NASA’s Luna Recycle Challenge!

This $3 million competition focuses on the design and development of recycling solutions that can reduce solid, inorganic waste and improve the sustainability of longer-term lunar missions. We're looking for innovative thinkers, engineers, students, scientists, hobbyists, and enthusiasts to revolutionize how we manage resources in space and inspire better approaches for terrestrial recycling here on Earth. The competition spans two phases over about three years, and teams can participate in either (or both!) competition tracks: prototype build or digital twin.

We will host three informational webinars throughout the course of Phase 1, with the next one taking place in mid-November (details will be posted on social media and at lunarecyclechallenge.ua.edu).

Don’t hesitate to check our website FAQ or reach out to lunarecycle@ua.edu if you have any questions. To follow along with the challenge on social media, follow @NASAPrize on FacebookX, and Instagram. Keep up with LunaRecycle through joining our email list.

Click download below for flyer

RockOn 2025 applications

RockOn will again be conducted by NASA Wallops Flight Facility from June 20 to 25, 2025 with the launch expected on June 26, 2025

Applications Due: February 14, 2025

Rock On

NASA TechRise Challenge Overview:

The 2024-25 challenge invites student teams in sixth-12th grade to submit experiment ideas to fly on a high-altitude balloon flight. It Includes teacher professional development opportunities and free educational resources to foster STEM in the classroom. Sixty winning teams will also receive $1500 to build their experiment, a spot to test it on a NASA-sponsored flight, and weekly technical support from our NASA TechRise advisors. Additionally, all challenge entrants will be invited to participate in a live coding show.  

No experience is needed to participate, and we encourage teams of all skill levels to apply. Challenge resources (including videos, slide decks, and educator pacing guides) can all be found on the challenge website HERE. Additionally, you can view a teacher testimonial video HERE from a few educators who participated in last year's TechRise Challenge. 

Share this exciting opportunity with your community:  

1. Share the Challenge:  

-  The NASA TechRise Student Challenge Website can be viewed HERE and Challenge Flyer HERE. TEACHERS can go here and REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE.

- Use the challenge one-pager HERE to access email, newsletter, and social media resources to help you share this opportunity.

2. Share/Sign Up to Participate in PD:

NASA TechRise professional development workshop booking link HERE and  sign up to participate.  These interactive workshops will provide instructors with everything they need to know to utilize the free NASA TechRise instructional resources and get their students involved with the challenge.

3. Let Us Know How We Can Help: Email us at support@futureengineers.org to request additional information.

PGS Fellowship's Class of 2025

What:  Applications are now open for the PGS Fellowship's Class of 2025 (applications due October 1st).

For Whom:  All Black and African-American undergraduates who are US Persons -- citizens, nationals, permanent residents, or lawfully admitted refugees or asylum seekers -- are eligible.

The PGS Fellowship serves students interested in working in any facet of aerospace: air or space; engineering, science, business, policy, or communications; commercial or government; et cetera. Admission is very competitive but is not based on strict GPA thresholds. In addition to fellowship placement, students receive a $2500 scholarship.

Thus far, 141 Black undergraduates from 68 universities around the USA have received a Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. The program has paid out more than $390K in scholarships and helped place each of these Fellows in a challenging, paid internship that helps them begin their aerospace career journey.

Learn More:  All undergraduates and those who teach and advise them are invited to an information session to learn about the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship (pgsfellowship.org), a non-profit program that provides scholarships, mentorship, internship opportunities, and more to Black and African-American undergraduates who aim to start a career in aerospace.

This information session will provide an overview of the program, its history, and the Fellow experience. Some alumni of the Fellowship will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice.

 INSGC Provides Funding

By: Derek Thach

With the funding provided by INSGC, I wanted to experience more in person events at NASA since my entire internship was virtual. I utilized this money to book a flight to Florida and experience a few days working in the office with the rest of the PX-A team while being escorted by Felix. This experience was stunning as they took me around to various parts of the KSC campus including the Visitor Complex and executive offices. The team treated me extremely well and it was exciting to be able to present parts of my assignment to the team in the conference room. Another experience I got when traveling to the KSC office was watching my first rocket launch.

The Delta IV rocket that launched on April 9th, 2024 was fascinating to watch in person and I grinned as I felt the room around me rumble and shake to the rocket lifting off the ground. Being surrounded by people at NASA that were so passionate about their work was inspiring to me. I haven’t experienced a lot of working environments that provide spaces for employees to explore their passions and NASA was able to provide that at KSC. I was extremely proud to say that I got to see my team in person and experienced this past semester becoming closer as a team and as a little family away from home.

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Derek at Kennedy

Internship Opportunity Axiom Space

Axiom is calling all college students who are passionate about innovation and eager to contribute to BuildingForBeyond! Axiom Space is excited to announce that applications for our Fall 2024 Internship Program are now open. 🎉

Click below to learn more about the opportunity and visit our website to check out all the available positions.

Axiom

2024 IndianaView Student Scholarship Announcement

The IndianaView Student Scholarship Program provides an opportunity for participants at our member institutions to support the goals and objectives of IndianaView and AmericaView. IndianaView will award up to six $750 scholarships to six different students. The purpose of the scholarship program is to promote student development in remote sensing and other geospatial technologies.

Who Can Apply?

Undergraduate or graduate students using remote sensing and/or other geospatial technologies in their research at any of the IndianaView educational institutions (see http://www.indianaview.org/partners.html for a list). Scholarship applicants must be endorsed by a faculty member from one of these educational institutions.

What activities does the scholarship support?

IndianaView wishes to see a significant portion of the award used to support fieldwork that complements a student’s research, travel to a professional meeting, data purchase, software purchase, minor equipment purchase, professional society membership, journal subscription, publication cost, and/or book purchase. The scholarship cannot support international travel.
Please include the following in your application (send via email):

Resume – Your CV/Resume must include: a) your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address; b) educational background; c) work experience (if applicable); d) personal involvement with remote sensing and other geospatial technologies (through coursework, projects, work experience, or any other activity).

Essay – Please include a 1-page essay (double-spaced) that addresses your personal interest in remote sensing and/or other geospatial technologies and your plan (including time frame) for using the scholarship funds to promote your personal development in the field. Letter of Recommendation –The faculty member who is endorsing you should send a letter of recommendation in a separate email. Submit the application documents via email to: gilmanjl@purdue.edu with the subject “IndianaView Scholarship Application”.

Meet our NASA Indiana Space Grant 2024 Spring Interns

It is with great pleasure and excitement that we extend our heartfelt congratulations to each student for securing an internship opportunity with Indiana Space Grant for 16 weeks. Your achievement is a reflection of your outstanding abilities, dedication, and passion.

As interns at Indiana Space Grant, you are embarking on a journey that promotes hands-on learning, collaboration with experts, and an immersive experience in the fascinating world of aerospace. We are confident that your time with us will be both rewarding and enriching, contributing not only to your personal growth but also to INSGC.

 

Jason Packard

Purdue University

NASA Internship at Langley Research Center.

Fun Fact-Loves to run marathons.

Spring Intern 1

Aaron Fernandez

Purdue University NASA

Internship at Godard Space Flight Center.

Fun Fact: I spent a summer working at a naval shipyard and got to try out the cozy sleeping quarters!

Spring Intern 2

Lauren Harris

IUPUI

NASA Spring 2024 Internship at Goddard Space Flight Center.

Fun Fact: I like to crochet and I am working in my first sweater.

Spring Intern 3

Pruthvi Patel

Purdue University

NASA 2024 at Ames Research Center.

Fun Fact: I enjoy hiking, skiing, soccer, basketball, tennis, and more!

Spring Intern 4

Derek Tran Thach

Indiana University

NASA Internship Spring 2024 at Kennedy Space Center.

Fun Fact: I swam to Alcatraz with my dad when I was 14 for a Father's Day event!

Spring Intern 5

VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE
SCHEDULE – Winter/Spring 2024

The Department of Physics & Astronomy, Valparaiso University continues its series of public astronomy programs for Winter/Spring 2024. In addition to our regular Observatory Open House program, we will host a public demonstration of our remote use of the SARA Telescope in Chile, as listed below. Each Open House program will include telescope viewing at the VU Observatory (clear nights) or a constellation and slide show program at the VU Planetarium (cloudy nights). These are free and the public is invited.

NASA L'SPACE Program

The NASA L'SPACE Program is a free, online, interactive experience open to undergraduate STEM students interested in pursuing a career with NASA or other space organizations.

L'SPACE consists of two Academies - the Mission Concept Academy, and the NASA Proposal Writing and Evaluation Experience Academy. Students may participate in one Academy per semester. Each 12-week Academy is designed to provide unique, hands-on learning and insight into the dynamic world of the space industry. Students can expect to learn NASA mission procedures and protocols from industry professionals as they collaborate with fellow team members to complete mission-related team-projects.

Requirements for participation: Students must be enrolled in a US college or University as an undergrad (graduate students may apply to NPWEE); have access to a computer with internet, webcam, and headset capabilities; and have time to devote an additional 6-10 hours per week, beyond the online session requirements, towards team projects.

2023-24 NASA-INSGC Fellowship Awardees!

Each year, NASA-Indiana Space Grant Consortium selects outstanding students across the state to be awarded Fellowship funds for the academic year. The following students were selected from an application/recommendation process and we are proud of their accomplishments thus far.

Please help us congratulate these outstanding students!

  • Moshamma Mijjum-not pictured
  • Lexi Gault -IU
  • Charles D’Onofrio -PUWL
  • Ivana Daniels -IU
  • Bode Hoover- IU
  • Hunter Vannier-PU
  • David McFarland-BSU
  • Michaela Loveless -IU
  • Brooke Kimsey Miller-IU
  • Jared Newton-PU
  • Moshamma Mijjum-PU

Grant funding Trine research to help make space travel safer

Grant

As efforts intensify to increase the number of manned missions into space, Trine University undergraduate students will once again conduct research to help make such missions safer.

The Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC) has awarded nearly $15,000 to the university to fund an undergraduate research project that will design a model to investigate the impact of the harsh environment of space on lymphatic vessels in the immune system.

Using a similar grant last year, Trine students engineered models that mimic blood tissue to assess the impact on those tissues of the increased oxygen required prior to a spacewalk.

Max Gong, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Bock Department of Biomedical Engineering, will oversee a research team of eight students representing multiple engineering disciplines.

Team members are: Amy Apgar, a biomedical engineering major from Wickliffe, Ohio; Isabella Didonna, a biomedical engineering major from Knox, Indiana; CJ Elston, a chemical engineering major from Plainfield, Indiana; Destany Garcia Ortiz, a design engineering technology major from Indianapolis; Upasana Shrestha, a biomedical engineering major from Nepal; Lilly Speier, a biomedical engineering major from Hartland, Michigan; Aaron Streit, a biomedical engineering major from New Paris, Indiana; and Aiden Theobald, a biomedical engineering major from Waveland, Missouri.

Where no one has gone before

Gong said studies have been conducted investigating the effects of oxidative stress caused by space environmental factors — the imbalance between reactive chemicals formed from oxygen and the body’s ability to cope with them that occurs when oxygen is increased or decreased — on organ systems and immune cells. However, there is minimal research into its impacts on structural components of the immune system such as lymphatic vessels.

“To advance our understanding in this area, engineering students at Trine University propose to develop models to investigate the effect of induced oxidative stress on the lymphatic system, and consequently, on the immune system,” he said.

The team’s goal will be to develop models of lymphatic vessels that better represent actual human vessels. The group will generate its models using human lymphatic endothelial cells (HLECs) acquired from commercial research distributors.

The team will expose models to low- and high-oxygen environments simulating changes in environmental pressure an astronaut may experience during spacewalks and gather data on cell viability and growth as well as secretion of cytokines, substances typically secreted by immune cells. The group also will record data for cultures that include its models along immune cells in the same environment.

Members will compile data to be shared at academic conferences and in research journals.

The Indiana Space Grant Consortium was created in 1991 under NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The Space Grant national network includes organizations working to expand opportunities for Americans to learn about and participate in NASA’s aeronautics and space projects by supporting and enhancing science and engineering education, research and public outreach efforts.

Photo: Max Gong, Ph.D., left, assistant professor in the Bock Department of Biomedical Engineering at Trine University, will oversee a team of eight students designing a model to investigate the impact of the harsh environment of space on lymphatic vessels in the immune system. From front to back are Amy Apgar, Destany Garcia Ortiz, Upasana Shrestha, CJ Elston, Isabella Didonna, Lilly Speier, Aaron Streit and Aiden Theobald. (Photo by Dean Orewiler)

INSGC Photo Of The Day

December 7, 2024

Rocket Engine Fireplace

Explanation: You might not think a close-up view of rocket engines producing 8.8 million pounds of thrust would be relaxing, but here it can be. In fact, you can get a warm and cozy feeling just spending a few moments watching NASA's holiday rocket engine fireplace. The video features a loop of the Space Launch System rocket's RS-25 main engines throttled up and running flanked by solid rocket boosters and framed by a stone fireplace. The accompanying audio track mixes the drastically muted sounds of the rocket engines firing with the more familiar sounds of a burning, crackling wood fire. AI elements are included in the composed video along with an image and logo from the Artemis I mission. The Artemis I uncrewed mission to the Moon and back again launched in November 2022 on a Space Launch System rocket.

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Funding

Funding source for INSGC Fellowships, Internships; Research and Outreach Project funding for Higher Education, K-12, and Informal Education through INSGC affiliates.

Academic

Research funding available for undergraduates, graduates and faculty.

Industry

Collaboration opportunities with industries for internships and skill set training.

Outreach

Funding for projects that create public awareness of INSGC and NASA.

Need Funding?

Browse through the opportunities we offer and apply today!

K-12

Indiana Space Grant Consortium supports K-12 education by offering space based resources to excite children about STEM and NASA education. You can find these resources below.

Educational Resources

Teacher Resources

Educational Programs

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Higher Education

INSGC higher education affiliates throughout Indiana with eligible students, must be a US citizen, enrolled full-time as a collegiate student, be involved in STEM related research or STEM education project, are eligible to apply for scholarship/fellowship.

Undergraduate

Beginning in 2020, INSGC no longer offers UG Scholarships. Instead INSGC offers Undergraduate Research Internships.

Students will not directly apply for this funding from INSGC. Faculty members (PI) who are supervising a research activity will apply for the award for the number of students planning to participate in the project. UG students will be paid an hourly rate for research.

 

Graduate

Fellowships, Masters/Ph.D are available for graduate students pursuing research projects with any INSGC affiliate. New for 2020, applicants must specify a NASA Center and/or a Mission Directorate alignment.

Faculty

Research awarded to be conducted by faculty who submit project proposals that help NASA achieve national research objectives

New for 2020. All proposals must specify a NASA Center and/or Mission Directorate with which it is aligned.

Informal Education

Information, resources, and funding for Professional Development for informal educators relating to science, technology, engineering, and math.

Outreach

INSGC outreach affiliates may apply for grant funding that engages K-12 students in STEM curriculum and hands-on learning.

New for 2020. All proposals must specify a NASA Center and/or Mission Directorate with which it is aligned.

View our Academic pages for more information.

Looking For Career Opportunities?

INSGC currently has a career page with information 

and a few valuable resources!

The INSGC twitter page is linked above. There will also be a link to our INSGC Facebook page shortly.

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