ASGC Fellowships and Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Alabama Space Grant Consortium

Purpose
The Undergraduate Scholarship program aims to motivate students to prepare for careers in professional aerospace-related fields and to involve the next generation of the STEM workforce in basic and/or applied research tied to NASA activities.

Program Summary
The Alabama Space Grant Consortium (ASGC), a member of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, funds competitive undergraduate scholarships for students pursuing STEM degrees that align with NASA’s Mission Directorates. The program supports hands-on, NASA-relevant research (including projects with commercial space partners or work related to the ISS U.S. National Lab) that is supervised by a faculty mentor.

Research Commitment
Scholarship recipients must be engaged in a clearly defined, active STEM research project with applications to a NASA Mission Directorate, commercial space, or the ISS U.S. National Lab. Research may take place virtually, on the student’s home campus (in accordance with university policies), or at an industrial or government facility, and must be supervised by a faculty member. The research period is expected to span one academic year. Any unused funds must be returned to AL Space Grant on a pro-rata basis. If a student graduates or leaves their institution for any reason, the award will be terminated. Start dates for new awards should generally align with standard academic term start dates.

Duration and Renewability
Initial awards cover one academic year and may be renewed once after a competitive review, allowing a maximum individual award length of 24 months (two academic years). Students may apply for the scholarship as early as the final term of their sophomore year.

Award Amount and Frequency
Scholarship stipends are awarded annually and are merit-based. The maximum award is $1,500 per academic year (or $750 for a single semester). All awards are subject to availability of NASA funding and the overall quality of submitted proposals.

Renewal Process
Renewals are competitive and not guaranteed. Renewal applications follow the same submission format as new applications and must include:
- A brief statement summarizing academic progress and accomplishments during the prior award year
- Documentation of any changes to the original academic or career goals
- Academic grades from the previous year
A satisfactory student report from the prior year must be on file with the AL Space Grant Program Office at the time of renewal application.

Eligibility
Applicants must meet all of the following:
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline relevant to NASA, commercial space, or the ISS.
- Be enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university in the State of Alabama for the 2026–2027 academic year and be classified as a junior or senior. Students in accredited Dual Engineering Degree programs are eligible.
- Be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Have a specific, faculty-supervised research project tied to a NASA Mission Directorate, commercial space, and/or the ISS U.S. National Lab.

Key Dates and Notifications
- Student applications due: midnight, Monday, March 2, 2026
- Faculty letter of recommendation due: midnight, Monday, March 9, 2026
Awards will be announced in late April/early May 2026, contingent upon NASA funding.

How to Apply
Begin an application online at: https://www.uah.edu/asgc/applications/scholarship
Click the “new user registration” button to start. Complete the online application fully—applications missing required information, including the faculty letter of recommendation, will not be reviewed. Read all program guidelines (Eligibility and Awardee Requirements) before preparing materials. Awards are made on the basis of merit and adherence to instructions, and are dependent on federal funding availability.

Application Components
Applicants must provide the following through the online system:

- Student Resume: A concise resume outlining education, training, and relevant accomplishments (academic and extracurricular).

- University Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended and the current institution showing most recent grades, submitted as PDF files. Submit one transcript for each institution where you have earned 10 or more credit hours. The application contains links to free online PDF converters if needed. Official transcripts may be requested later for verification.

- Faculty Recommendation Letter: A faculty mentor should submit a letter addressing the student’s qualifications to complete the proposed research or describing a mentoring plan to guide the student’s STEM interests and research. Applicants must supply the research mentor’s name and contact information; the online system will email the reference with a link to upload the letter. The letter must be received by Monday, March 9, 2026. AL Space Grant recommends informing your reference in advance that they will receive an email from [email protected] requesting the recommendation.

- STEM Outreach Statement (500 words or less): Describe past educational and research experiences in STEM, including leadership roles. Explain how your leadership skills could be applied to K–12 outreach activities.

- Goals Statement (500 words or less): Describe your short- and long-term career objectives and plans for further education and/or career development.

Awardee Obligations
Recipients must comply with the following requirements:
- Provide a headshot photo and signed acceptance form upon selection.
- Submit a final survey to AL Space Grant by May 2027.
- Attend AL Space Grant Awards Day in Fall 2026.
- Coordinate and execute a defined K–12 outreach activity in collaboration with the AL Space Grant Outreach Coordinator, and report outreach outcomes.
- Acknowledge AL Space Grant sponsorship on all printed materials and media for the outreach activity (include the AL Space Grant logo on posters, and credit/tag on social media).
- Notify the Consortium of any changes of address.
- Participate in academic and employment follow-up surveys required by AL Space Grant and NASA.
- Create a student profile in the NASA Gateway system: https://stemgateway.nasa.gov/public/s/login/SelfRegister?eoId=a0Bt000000AUwD6EAL

Additional Notes
All awards are contingent on receipt of NASA funding and successful proposal review. Unused award funds must be returned on a pro-rated basis. Graduation or departure from the university ends the award.