Funding
Mini-Grants
The NDSGC offers recurring educator mini-grants. Mini grants are open to North Dakota formal and informal educators who are teaching, hosting, or participating in research or education initiatives related to STEM and/or NASA. Mini grants may be applied to, but not limited to: STEM-relevant field trips, materials and resources that enhance the STEM classroom, and participation in NASA-relevant or STEM challenges at local, regional, and national levels. Educator mini-grants are competitively awarded, as the NDSGC reviews all applications using a rubric to evaluate scientific/technical merit, budget reasonableness, NASA-relevance, North Dakota-relevance, student involvement, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Awards of up to $2,500 will be available to educators. Stipends (personal or for students) are unallowable. Preference will be given to educators who have not received a mini-grant award in the last 12 months. If you are awarded a mini-grant, a final report must be completed to be eligible for future awards. For additional information, please contact the NDSGC team.
Deadlines
- Spring: December 15th
- Summer: April 15th
- Fall: September 15th
The application form will open one month prior to each deadline; application guidance is available.
Pre-College Competition Teams
The North Dakota Space Grant Consortium offers funding for pre-college teams involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) or STEM Education challenges with NASA-relevance. Funding could help support materials for the challenge and travel; stipends are not allowed.
Application windows opens on October 1st and close at midnight, November 15th each year.
First-year teams are eligible for awards of up to $4,000. Returning teams who have satisfied all past NDSGC deliverables may be eligible for awards of up to $12,000. Awards may vary each year, contingent on the budget and the NDSGC's discretion.
Please reference the application guidance for more details and a list of potential STEM programs.
FIRST Robotics
The North Dakota Space Grant Consortium sponsors 5-7 North Dakota teams to participate in FIRST Robotics. The NDSGC will support these teams' partial or full registration funding for a FIRST regional tournament. If a team qualifies for a national tournament they may apply for additional funding (budget-dependent).
FIRST Robotics is a wonderful program that gives students hands-on experience with computer science, engineering, technology, outreach, and teamwork. It is very time-consuming, but rewarding for the students, faculty, their families, and communities. Our hardworking teams from North Dakota have been very successful in the competitions because they have the support of not only the NDSGC and their respective schools but of their entire communities as well.
Learn more about the competition on the FIRST Robotics website. If your school is interested in getting involved, please contact the NDSGC team with any questions.
Plant the Moon
The Plant the Moon Challenge is a global science experiment for elementary, middle, and high school students to examine how vegetable crops grow in lunar or Martian soil. This Challenge supports NASA's new lunar exploration program, Artemis, and gives students the chance to help astronauts learn to grow their own food on the moon!
The North Dakota Space Grant Consortium will fully fund one kit for each North Dakota
team selected. Funding for Plant the Moon is facilitated through the Institute of
Competition Sciences. Apply for funding on the
Plant the Moon website. Sign up for our newsletter to receive up-to-date information on Plant the Moon.