National Endowment for the Arts
New Research Explores How HBCUs Can Boost Arts Career Development
A new research report released by the National Endowment for the Arts examines the current state of arts and cultural assets at HBCUs and how these assets prepare students for careers. Hidden in Plain Sight: Activating the Arts and Creative Workforce Development at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offers findings and recommendations for HBCUs and funders to enhance their support of the arts and better support students in pursuing arts and cultural careers.
The report also presents information on high-growth arts and cultural industries and occupations in the areas where HBCUs are located. It further explores how HBCUs are preparing students to meet these regional workforce needs. Three accompanying case studies about the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Jackson State University, and Texas Southern University detail the arts and cultural assets at these HBCUs and their connections to surrounding communities.
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NASA Opportunities
Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science Funding Open
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (NASA Science) released its annual omnibus solicitation for basic and applied research, ROSES-2025 (Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science). ROSES is a solicitation with many individual program elements that each have their own due dates and topics covering a wide range of basic and applied research and supporting technology topics in areas supported by NASA Science. ROSES is written to allow program elements to issue awards to non-governmental organizations as grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts depending on the nature of the work proposed. However, at the time of release, all active program elements of ROSES specifically exclude contracts, because contracts would not be appropriate for the nature of the work solicited. Thus, unless otherwise specified by the program element, awards to non-governmental organizations deriving from ROSES will be federal assistance (grants or cooperative agreements). Awards to government labs, including funded Co-Investigators on proposals for non-governmental organizations, will be inter- or intra-agency transfers, as appropriate. For more information, review Table 2 and Table 3 or visit the ROSES Blog.
Earth Venture: TROPICS and PREFIRE Science and Applications Teams
NASA’s Earth Science program is accepting proposals for the Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) and NASA Polar Radiant Energy in the Far InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) missions. PREFIRE aims to reduce uncertainties in polar energy fluxes and the processes driving them, providing essential data to improve projections of polar climate change and its impacts on polar communities and beyond. The TROPICS mission is a constellation of state-of-the-science observing platforms that measures temperature and humidity soundings and precipitation with spatial resolution comparable to current operational passive microwave sounders but with unprecedented temporal resolution. For more information, visit the NSPIRES website.
Award: About five to seven, up to $1M/year | Deadline: Sept. 18 (notice of intent), Nov. 13 (proposal)
Citizen Science Seed Funding Opportunity
The Citizen Science Seed Funding Program (CSSFP) of NASA Science aims to support scientists and other experts to develop citizen science projects and expand the pool of professional scientists who use citizen science techniques in their science investigations. Four Divisions of NASA Science are participating in the CSSFP: the Astrophysics Division, the Biological and Physical Sciences Division, the Heliophysics Division, and the Planetary Science Division. The appropriated budget is up to $480,000 for astrophysics and planetary science, up to $200,000 in heliophysics, and up to $50,000 in biological and physical sciences. For more information, visit the NSPIRES website.
Deadline: Oct. 1 (notice of intent), Nov. 19 (proposal)
Planetary Science Early Career Award Opportunity
The Planetary Science Early Career Award (ECA) program is intended to help promising early career scientists play an increased and meaningful role in the planetary science community and pursue professional development in areas relevant to the Planetary Science Division (PSD). Proposed projects may entirely focus on addressing specific scientific questions and/or address pressing needs in the planetary science community. For more information, visit the NSPIRES website.
Award: About five, $200K | Deadline: Dec. 4
National GEM Consortium is Accepting Fellowship Applications
Each year, NASA Fellowships partners with The National GEM Consortium to award research grants using Minority University Research Education Project (MUREP) funds. These fellowships are designed to foster faculty, and undergraduate and graduate students in disciplines needed to help advance NASA’s missions and directly contribute to advancements in space exploration. GEM offers MS and Ph.D. level students an outstanding opportunity and access to dozens of the top engineering and science firms and universities in the nation. GEM Fellowship was designed to focus on promoting opportunities for individuals to enter the STEM industry at the graduate level in areas such as research and development, product development, and other high-level technical careers. | Deadline: Nov. 14.
NASA Offers Resources for New Principal Investigators
Scientists and engineers who plan to propose to a NASA Research Opportunity or an announcement of opportunity for a flight mission or mission of opportunity from NASA Science should check out NASA’s New Principal Investigator Resources. The site provides prospective mission principal investigators with resources that may be useful as they develop their mission concepts, as well as information on developmental opportunities to prepare future mission leaders.
NASA Mentor-Protégé Program Helps Enhance MSI’s Capabilities
The NASA Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) serves as a cornerstone for fostering the growth of small businesses by encouraging NASA prime contractors to mentor and assist eligible protégés. The goal is to enhance the protégés’ capabilities, enabling them to perform effectively on NASA contracts and subcontracts. With this structured mentorship, the MPP seeks to establish and nurture long-term business relationships between protégés and NASA prime contractors, ultimately increasing the number of small businesses that secure NASA contracts and subcontracts. Email: hq-cal-nasaosbpenterprise@mail.nasa.gov
NASA Technology Funding Opportunities
Learn about NASA’s portfolio of more than 18,000 active and completed technology projects at TechPort, which is an Agency web-based tool that showcases investments from across NASA to facilitate opportunities for collaboration and partnerships. The average annual NASA investment in these technologies is over $1.3 billion. For more information, view funding opportunities and the space technology Strategy and Prioritized Shortfalls.
Create Your NSPIRES Profile
To get a jumpstart on applying for future funding opportunities, visit the NSPIRES website and create an account. Be sure to register for their newsletter to get announcements on new funding opportunities and calls for reviewers where you can share your subject matter expertise. Email: nspires-help@nasaprs.com.
NASA Postdoctoral Program Extends Deadline
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers a unique and inspiring environment for fellows to conduct world-class research with leading scientists across the U.S. The diverse scientific and technological fellowships offered at NASA are one-of-a-kind educational experiences that prepare future leaders for positions at NASA or within the academic community. The NPP consists of two components: the NASA Postdoctoral Research Program and the NASA Postdoctoral Management Program. Flyer: NPP PDF | Email: npp@orau.org | Deadline: 6 p.m. EDT Nov. 1
Submit your Capability Statement to the MSI Exchange
With the new academic year underway, now is an opportune time to review and ensure the accuracy of your institution’s capability statement on the MSI Exchange. The MSI Exchange is a robust resource that identifies institutions whose research aligns with NASA and workforce priorities. Having an updated capability statement allows institutions to highlight strengths and capabilities to federal agencies, industry partners, and academic collaborators. An example template can be found on the MSI Exchange Resources page. Email your updated statement to NASA-MSIExchange@mail.nasa.gov.
