Funding
K-12 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 are not limited to, STEM-relevant field trips, materials and resources that enhance the STEM classroom, and participation in NASA-relevant or STEM challenges. Educator mini-grants are competitively awarded; 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. All funds must be spent within the semester they are awarded.
Funding
- Up to $2,500
Eligibility
The mentor/educator:
- must teach or work at a public North Dakota K-12 school, museum, non-profit, or club
- must be a U.S. Citizen if receiving direct funding (contact the NDSGC team with questions)
See NDSGC homepage for general eligibility and funding details.
Deadlines
Applications open one month prior to deadline:
- Spring: November 1st
- Summer: March 1st
- Fall: May 1st
How to Apply
Review Forms & Spending to learn more about spending down funds and award expectations. Please reference the application preview, application guidance, and informational video for more details. Contact the NDSGC team with questions.
Pre-College Competition Teams
The North Dakota Space Grant Consortium proudly provides funding to student teams participating in NASA and STEM relevant competitions at local, regional, national, and international levels. Mentors may apply for funding to cover materials and travel related to competitions.
Funding
- First-year NDSGC-funded teams: up to $4,000
- Returning NDSGC-funded teams that have met all deliverables: up to $12,000
Eligibility
The mentor/educator:
- must teach or work at a public North Dakota K-12 school, museum, non-profit, or club
- must be a U.S. Citizen if receiving direct funding (contact the NDSGC team with questions)
See NDSGC homepage for general eligibility and funding details.
Deadline
Applications open one month prior to deadline:
- November 1st
How to Apply
Review Forms & Spending to learn more about spending down funds and award expectations. Please reference the application preview, application guidance, and informational video for more details. Contact the NDSGC team with questions.
Past Funding Recipients
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!
Funding
- NDSGC pays the Institute of Competition Sciences to send requested kits
Eligibility
The mentor/educator:
- must teach or work at a public North Dakota K-12 school, museum, non-profit, or club
- must be a U.S. Citizen if receiving direct funding (contact the NDSGC team with questions)
See NDSGC homepage for general eligibility and funding details.
Deadlines
- Fall and spring deadlines vary
How to Apply
Review the Institute of Competition Science's Plant the Moon website and complete the application. Contact the NDSGC team with questions.
Past Funding Recipients
The NDSGC has sponsored over 100 Plant the Moon teams in North Dakota since 2022.