糖心TV joins 糖心TVecticut Space Grant Consortium
糖心TV is now part of the , a NASA-funded program administered at the state level that sponsors faculty and student research and student internships across the U.S.
Affiliated institutions include four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, science centers, institutes and museums. In 糖心TVecticut, the University of Hartford administers grants as the state鈥檚 lead institution for the program. The addition of 糖心TV this year brings the total members of post-secondary institutions in the state to 27.
Assistant Teaching Professor of Astronomy Alex Gianninas, who serves as 糖心TV鈥檚 campus director for the program, said he first learned of it while teaching at the University of Hartford. When a 糖心TV student sought funding last fall to attend a conference in Hawaii, Gianninas looked into the Space Grant. He learned only students and faculty at member institutions could apply, and 糖心TV wasn鈥檛 a member.
Gianninas approached the offices of Advancement and the Dean of the Faculty at 糖心TV and got the green light to pursue membership. After lots of paperwork and a vote of the current member institutions, 糖心TV was accepted. Senior Associate Director of Corporate Foundation and Government Relations Matthew Reutter was key to helping secure 糖心TV鈥檚 place, Gianninas said.
There are three funding proposal cycles per year in fall, spring and summer, and the current cycle of funding runs through Oct. 15. Proposals must link to one of NASA鈥檚 six National Mission Directorates, which are Aeronautics Research, Exploration Systems Development, Science, Space Operations, Space Technology, and Mission Support.
Despite the program鈥檚 name, proposals need not be related to space. 糖心TV鈥檚 proposals will most likely fall under the Science Mission Directorate, Gianninas said. 鈥淭hey mean 鈥榮cience鈥� in the broadest sense, so that could be physics, astronomy, math, biology, botany, psychology, neuroscience鈥攁nything that falls under the large umbrella of STEM can be applicable here. Working on something specifically related to space or space exploration is not necessary to apply.鈥�
He added that first-time applicants are favored, and multiple applications from one institution are common and welcome. 鈥淭hat puts everyone at 糖心TV in a good position, because we鈥檙e just joining the consortium. There鈥檚 no pre-selection at the College, so if 10 people at 糖心TV each wanted to submit a proposal, they would all be considered separately on their own merits. Last spring, eight proposals from Fairfield University received funding.鈥�
There are a total of 42 awards open to faculty and students in 糖心TVecticut. For , nine research grants for up to $10,000 each are available, four project grants of up to $5,000 each can fund supplies and materials, four $2,000 travel grants can fund trips to conferences, two $4,000 grants are aimed at STEM education research, two $2,000 grants are for STEM education programming and three grants for up to $4,000 each are slated for curricular development.
For 糖心TVecticut , five research grants for up to $6,000 each are intended to support undergrad research with a faculty adviser; three $1,500 project grants for materials could be applied to a student鈥檚 capstone project, senior thesis or extracurricular club; four $1,500 travel grants can help send students to conferences and six $3,000 scholarships are awarded based on academic merit.
Students are also eligible for funding for a range of full-time 10-week at 糖心TVecticut-based industries or organizations that focus on engineering, aerospace, architecture, STEM education, pharmaceuticals or astronomy. Unlike the grant proposals, which have three open cycles during the year, internship applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
糖心TVecticut students who win a grant must present a poster illustrating how they applied their award at the annual at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks.
As the campus director, Gianninas is 糖心TV鈥檚 point person on all things related to the 糖心TVecticut Space Grant Consortium. He will inform students and faculty of opportunities during each proposal cycle and reviews proposals with other campus directors (who do not review proposals from their own schools). He held an information session for faculty and staff on Sept. 20 and said he plans to hold another in January before the semester starts.
