Description

North Carolina Space Grant supports university teams of undergraduate and graduate students participating in national competitions sponsored or sanctioned by NASA or another STEM-related organization or industry. The program funds hands-on experiences that complement students’ academic studies and connect their work to NASA’s Research and Technology, Human Spaceflight, Science, or Mission Support directorates. Examples include NASA Student Launch Initiative, NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge, and NASA Lunabotics.

Projects center on competition goals, significant tasks, milestones, and student learning objectives. Teams should be interdisciplinary, drawing on different majors, departments, and skills, including fundraising, marketing, communications, social media, education, and outreach. Local community engagement is required through in-person outreach or online tools such as demonstrations and shared open-source materials. Engagement with industry partners is strongly encouraged.