Maine Aerospace Workforce Development Program

The Maine Aerospace Workforce Development Program has been a tremendous success.  Several students who participated in this program are now working for NASA as full time permanent employees. 

Every fall the Maine Space Grant Consortium releases a solicitation for the program to motivate outstanding undergraduates in Maine to seriously consider career opportunities related to NASA as employees of NASA, contractors to NASA or as principal investigators. Each award provides a $6,500 stipend and travel allowance for a 10-week research experience at a NASA research center.

Our objectives are two-fold.  First, we select undergraduate students attending Maine colleges and universities who are interested in NASA related fields and career opportunities.  Second, we match students with appropriate NASA mentors to work in a hands-on environment in viable research projects conducted at a NASA field center.  We ensure that students become intellectual partners in the projects on which they work.  Each student takes ownership of a portion of the ongoing work in their mentor’s laboratory and the mentor’s role is to ensure that these goals are met.

At the completion of his/her research experience, students are required to submit an extended abstract to MSGC staff, to be compiled and posted to our website.  Upon return to Maine, each student is required to present to Maine high schools and one MSGC meeting.  Each student is encouraged (but not required) to submit his/her extended abstract to present at the annual NCUR Conference.  Students are also encouraged to conduct various media interviews to inform the public about his/her accomplishments, Maine’s connection to NASA and to promote the program. 

2010 program information and application materials:

Application materials

Program flyer

Below are some comments from students and NASA mentors:

“I can’t encourage my peers enough to consider this program.  It’s a huge jump ahead for the progression in one’s education.” - Andrew Byron

“I had a great experience working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory this summer, and I feel that the time I spent there will help greatly in future research programs that I may participate in” - Jesse Nelson

“It was an amazing experience with lifelong impact and benefits.” - Parker Eason

“The MSGC is an excellent program to encourage and train college students to gain understanding and experiences….  NASA’s funding alone is not sufficient to onboard many interested students. The program like the MSGC is a good sign and effort to encourage students to pay their attentions to R&D in science and engineering…” - Dr. Sang H. Choi, Langley Research Center

“This is an excellent program and the students are talented and conscientious.  Both the student and NASA benefit.  I would be happy to have Ethan back next summer, and I hope to continue to mentor Space Grant students in the future.” - Charles Meegan, Marshall Space Flight Center.

Click here to read abstracts from past awardees.

Summer 2007 - Year 5

Summer 2006 - Year 4

Summer 2005 - Year 3

Summer 2004 - Year 2

Summer 2003 - Year 1