Here are selected highlights from the latest NASA Newsletter on opportunities for the Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) community from NASA’s MSI Engagement Team, including upcoming events, funding opportunities, and other opportunities for faculty and students.

Upcoming Events  

1. REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: NASA MUREP’s HBCU/MSI Technology Infusion Road Tour hybrid event at Texas Southern University in Houston! Is your Minority Serving Institution interested in applying for NASA funding or partnering with large and small businesses on NASA contracts? Then join us in person or online at our next Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) HBCU/MSI Technology Infusion Road Tour hybrid event September 13-15, 2022! Register now to hold your spot!Email NASA-MSIExchange@mail.nasa.gov for more information.   

Funding Opportunities 

2. Now Open: Applications for NASA Innovation Corps™ Pilot. In an exciting, expanded partnership with the National Science Foundation, NASA’s Science and Space Technology Mission Directorates offer a new pathway to participate in Innovation Corps (I-Corps)™. The NASA I-Corps™ Pilot is aimed to accelerate the transition of promising ideas from the lab to the marketplace, while encouraging collaboration between academia and industry. The NASA I-Corps™ Pilot will support teams with access to training in innovation and entrepreneurship skills through a grant, for up to $10,000, and the opportunity to apply for additional funding, up to $40,000. Read the full NASA announcement. Eligible teams must include at least three members from higher education (two- to four-year institutions) or non-profit institutions with a NASA-relevant research focus. Proposing teams need not have received a previous NASA award to apply. Read the full solicitation and submit a proposal on NSPIRES. The recording from the June 29th webinar is here and the slides are posted under “Other Documents” on the NSPIRES page. Applications will be reviewed throughout the year with the following deadlines and targeted award start dates:   

• Due September 16th for award start date December 2022 
• Due November 17th for award start date February 2023 
• Due January 20th for award start date April 2023 

3. NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Funding Opportunity! Team II is now accepting proposals for the new Community Anchor Awards for TEAM II (ANCHR), designed to support institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), in strengthening themselves as a local NASA STEM informal education community resource. Proposals due October 18, 2022. Full information here.
4. Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2022 Released! ROSES is an omnibus solicitation with many individual program elements, each with its own due dates and topics.
5. From the NSPIRES website, you can view the list of opportunities in Table 2 (organized by due date) or Table 3 (organized by subject matter) including hyperlinks to element descriptions in the Appendices. You can also view the list of open program elements here.
6. Get ready to apply for future funding opportunities! Start by visiting the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) website and creating an account.

Faculty Opportunities 

7. Sign up to be a proposal reviewer! A great way to learn the NASA solicitation proposal process, contribute to your professional development, and support the mission of NASA is to sign up to be a proposal reviewer through NSPIRES. Create an NSPIRES account and sign up to be a reviewer as opportunities arise! 
8. NASA Opens Second Phase of $3.5 Million Lunar Excavation Competition. NASA launched the second phase of its Break the Ice Lunar Challenge to advance technology that is – quite literally – groundbreaking. Phase 2 contains three levels, will last for 23 months, and offers a total prize purse of $3 million. Phase 1 teams, as well as new competitors, are encouraged to register for Phase 2 on the challenge site by 11:59 p.m. CT on September 30, 2022. For more information about the challenge, visit https://breaktheicechallenge.com/ 
9. Apply to DEVELOP for cultivation of the next generation of leaders and Earth observation users! DEVELOP provides 10-week research opportunities for participants to address environmental and policy concerns through the practical application of NASA Earth science information and geospatial data. Working in interdisciplinary teams and with the support of science advisors and mentors, DEVELOP participants build research and science communication skills that help them succeed in the workforce. The Spring 2023 Deadline is October 7, 2022. Click here for full project details and application information.