Student Research Fellowship Spring 2027

Upload/Additional Requirements for this Application:

-Resume (2 pages or less)

-Unofficial transcript

-Email address of professor/mentor who will be providing the letter of recommendation

-AI disclosure (if applicable)

-Continuation of research statement (if applicable, how this project differs from research previously funded by the NDSGC)

-Research Proposal (see instructions below. 5 page maximum, not including title page or reference page)

Your research proposal will be evaluated based on how well it addresses the following:

• Merit of proposed research - Are the goals of the research attainable?  Are the proposed methods feasible?
• Research timeline - Is it feasible to complete the research within the fellowship award period (1 semester) timeline? Are tasks and milestones clearly articulated?
• Alignment  - Is the proposed research aligned with NASA Mission Directorates?

Your research proposal must include the following sections in this order:

1. Title Page (date of submission, title of project, student name, advisor name, semester of proposed research, abstract briefly describing the proposed research) - Title Page not included in 5 page maximum.
2. Introduction (overview of scope of work, brief description of NASA-relevance, overarching goal)
3. Background (description of the current field of research and how this proposal addresses gaps in the field of knowledge and is innovative)
4. Goals & Objectives (Clear overarching goal, and SMART objectives that directly align with achieving overarching goal - SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, & Time-Bound)
5. NASA Relevance (Identification of current and future applications/relevance to NASA, specific current and future NASA missions - robotic or crewed, citation to alignment with one specific NASA Mission Directorate)

• Aeronautics
• Exploration Systems
• Science
• Space Operations
• Space Technology

6. Methods & Timeline (clear task description, expected deliverables and checkpoints, milestones aligned with overarching goal and SMART objectives, broken down in weeks over the course of the semester)

7. Expected Outcomes (overall research outcomes expected, potential follow-on research needed, conferences to attend and present, publication plans)

8. References (ensure up to date citations, including NASA mission directorates) - References section not included in 5 page maximum.

The research proposal must not exceed 5 pages (excluding title page and references)

Any research proposals with missing elements will not be reviewed.