Proposals have a rolling deadline - submit any time. Allow one month for review. 

Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF via the Faculty Fellowship submission form (powered by Submittable)

Montana Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) calls for proposals for Faculty Fellowships. The purpose of Faculty Fellowships is to foster increased NASA-related research capabilities and activity on Montana campuses. We are particularly interested in increasing the number of Montana faculty mentors who take on undergraduate student researchers. In this case, we mean ‘NASA-related’ broadly - encompassing most Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. Examples of supported fields beyond traditionally-thought-of NASA fields include geospatial technology, information technology, biochemistry, earth science, ecology, etc.

Fellowships are intended to give Montana faculty members time to participate in training, professional development, and/or research that furthers their careers in fields of interest to NASA. Faculty members interested in carrying out more complex NASA-related research should consider proposing for a Montana Space Grant Consortium Research Activation or Montana NASA EPSCoR Research Initiation grant. MSGC will not support fellows in medical areas (see Montana medical-related opportunities with Montana INBRE: http://www.inbre.montana.edu/).

Funding details:

  • Fellowships can be carried out any time of year but cannot be added compensation. Therefore, we anticipate that most fellowships will take place in the summer months.
  • Fellowship funds can be for stipend or travel. Funds are not intended for purchasing supplies. No foreign travel is allowed.
  • Fellowship amounts can range between $1,500 and $7,500 and are offered at a flat rate of $1,500 per full-time week.
  • Fellowship award amounts must be matched 1:1 with a personal time commitment. A form will be provided to report this match.
  • We anticipate funding 3-5 fellowships each year. The exact number depends on the availability of funding.

Eligibility:

  • Recipients must be faculty members, college instructors, or research professionals in a STEM field at a MSGC member institution.
  • Must be a US citizen.

Priority is given to faculty who:

  • Will concurrently mentor MSGC Apprentices or academic year ARES students. See MSGC websites for more information about Apprenticeship and ARES opportunities.
  • Work at smaller Montana campuses, meaning any campus other than MSU and UM.
  • Will undergo training or conduct a project directly related to current NASA research.
  • Have no other support mechanisms for taking training and/or conducting research with undergraduate students.
  • Are junior faculty members.

Faculty fellowship timeline:

  • Fellowship stipend checks are paid in one or two installments during the chosen course of the fellowship. Recipients will receive a 1099 from Montana State University.
  • Upon conclusion of the chosen fellowship period, faculty must submit a cost matching form.
  • Upon conclusion of the chosen fellowship period, faculty must submit a 2-4 page report summarizing their accomplishments with respect to the stated goals and objectives. The report must also include a list of any talks or publications directly related to the Fellowship.

Proposal format (collected into a single PDF file):

  • Project description. Four-page maximum, one inch margins, 12-point font. Include measurable goals and objectives.
  • Training/professional development description. One-page maximum. Describe how the proposed project acts as training and/or professional development.
  • Description of student involvement including brief description of lab/work environment. One-page maximum.
  • Timeline, including the proposed fellowship length. One-page maximum.
  • One-page CV.
  • Letter of support from current department head or equivalent.

Proposal submission:

 

Questions? Contact Chris Flynn, MSGC Program Manager, via email: christina.flynn1 [at] montana.edu.