Welcome to the CaSGC Website

California Space Grant Consortium (CaSGC)

In 1988, Congress passed the National Space Grant Act to establish a National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. NASA accepted the Congressional mandate to manage this higher education program, designed to provide activities that increase the understanding, assessment, development, and utilization of aerospace resources and to expand the educational, scientific, and research base of all aerospace-related fields. The CaSGC is one of 52 consortia (representing every state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia) http://calspace.ucsd.edu/spacegrant/ that administer programs in three areas of university and NASA concern: research, education & workforce development, and public outreach. The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is the lead institution for the CaSGC. The CaSGC is part of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) department at UCSD and provides the administrative leadership for the CaSGC.

News & Events

ESMD Summer Internship Application Now Available!

November 14th, 2008

The application process for the 2009 ESMD Summer Internships has begun. Interested students must first go to http://education.ksc.nasa.gov/esmdspacegrant/ to find ESMD Internship opportunities and the password to access the ESMD Intern Application. You can then link to the ESMD Intern Application at https://secureworkgroups.grc.nasa.gov/esmd-spswg.

The application is open November 17, 2008 - January 12, 2009. Applications must be complete, including transcripts and letters of recommendation. Every student is required to complete an online application. The transcripts and letters of recommendation may be electronically attached to the application or mailed in hard copy. Hard copies must be postmarked no later than January 12, 2009.

Students must meet the minimum requirements to be eligible for an ESMD internship. These requirements include the following:

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen to participate. Proof of citizenship will be required if selected.
  • Age 18 or older
  • Community college, undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply
  • Minimum of 30 credit hours/45 quarter hours completed
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0
  • Enrolled full-time in an accredited U.S. university, college, or community college.

For a copy of the ESMD Student Information Handbook, please click here.

NASA Academy Photos

October 29th, 2008
NASA Academy Group

NASA Academy Group

Click the image to see more photos.

2009 NASA ESMD Internship Program Accepting Applications

September 29th, 2008

The application process for the 2009 ESMD Spring interns is beginning and the application will be open on PBMA. Students interested in a NASA ESMD Internship this Spring must first go here to find ESMD Internship opportunities and the password to access the ESMD Intern Application. Then they can link to the ESMD Intern Application on PBMA here.

The application will be open September 22 – October 24. For more information click here.

California Space Grant Director Heads Panel at NASA Future Forum

May 14th, 2008

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California Space Grant Consortium Director Dr. Michael Wiskerchen moderated the Inspiration Panel at the NASA Future Forum in San Jose, CA on May 14, 2008. Panelists (from left to right): Mr. Peter Levy, Director of Strategic Development for Curriki; Ms. Diane Demée-Benoit, Director of the Innovation in Education Project, Commonwealth Club of California; Dr. Steven Beckwith, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, University of California; and Dr. Joyce Winterton, Assistant Administrator, Office of Education, NASA Headquarters. The discussion centered on how to enhance interest and performance in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and related careers.

For more pictures of this event, please click here.

Interested in Year-Round Internships?

April 15th, 2008

NASA’s Education Associates program offers college and university students and faculty the opportunity to experience science and technology in the unique environment of NASA. Participants will gain hands-on experience at NASA Ames Research Center in Santa Clara, California working with NASA scientists, engineers and program managers on a NASA project. For more information and to apply, please click here.

California Space Grant Visits Washington

April 7th, 2008

In February 2008, California Space Grant Consortium staff visited the offices of several California representatives, including Representative Susan Davis. Pictured here from left to right are: Kamala Lyon (University of California), Dr. Mike Wiskerchen (Director, CaSGC), Representative Susan Davis, Tehseen Lazzouni (Program Coordinator, CaSGC), and Dr. John Kosmatka (Principal Investigator, CaSGC).

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Lewis Educational And Research Collaborative Internship Program (LERCIP)

December 18th, 2007

This is an internship for college students interested in NASA and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Internships will be offered at the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio the summer of 2008.

There will be three 10-week summer sessions:

Session I: May 19 to July 25

Session II: June 2 to August 8

Session III: June 9 to August 15

To apply, please download the mail-in application here.

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, a full-time student in the fall of 2008, at least 16 years of age, and pursuing a baccalaureate or higher degree. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale).

Deadline: Applications must be received by mail by January 31, 2008.

PISCES Second Annual Design Competition: The Development of Lunar Outposts

December 6th, 2007

PISCES (The Pacific International Science Center for Exploration Systems) is pleased to announce its second annual competition for designs related to the development of lunar outposts. The first competition was a roaring success, with support provided to three university teams (University of Colorado, Boulder; Colorado School of Mines; Honolulu Community College) to present their design work at the PISCES Annual Conference in Hilo, Hawaii, November 7-8, 2007.

NASA is providing additional support for the competition this year, which will allow up to 6 teams to be supported for a presentation in Hawaii, November 10-11, 2008. Details on the program can be found on the PISCES web site http://pisces.uhh.hawaii.edu/. Full details of this year’s competition should be posted by December 14, but the gist of the idea can be seen by looking at the announcement for last year. The program continues to look for design projects dealing with lunar outposts and their subsystems, and particularly in the area of lunar resource utilization, where NASA has requested design studies that address the possibilities for extracting water from permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles. In addition, business students can submit business plans aimed at developing commercial opportunities for a lunar outpost or for a simulated outpost on Earth.

For further information, please contact Mike Duke at mikeduke@earthlink.net.

Space Grant Graduate Fellowship Program at UCSD

December 3rd, 2007

The California Space Grant Consortium is proud to announce the 2007-2008 Space Grant Graduate Fellowship Program at UCSD. Fellowships ranging from $6,000 to $8,000 will be awarded in the research theme area of:

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and their associated science payload sensors and technology.

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Application Period: November 19, 2007 - December 21, 2007

Who can apply? UCSD graduate students who are U.S. citizens.

For the full announcement and how to apply, please click here.

JPL Space Grant Internship Program Accepting Applications

December 3rd, 2007

The Summer 2008 JPL Space Grant Internship Program is now accepting applications. The program dates are June 18 - August 22, 2008. Engineering and science undergraduate students (rising juniors and seniors) and graduate students are encouraged to apply.

California students interested in the program should submit their applications by 1/15/08 to:

California Space Grant Consortium
University of California, San Diego
ATTN: Tehseen Lazzouni
9500 Gilman Drive #0411
La Jolla, CA 92093-0411

Alternatively, you may email your applications to tlazzouni@ucsd.edu.

There is NO APPLICATION FORM for you to fill out. Rather, your application must consist of: 1. Your resume, 2. Your current transcript, 3. A brief personal statement that describes which of the JPL internship positions you’re interested in, what experience can apply to this internship (hands-on, group, leadership experience, etc.), and any other facts that will help recommend you to this position. For a list of internship positions at JPL, please click here.

Students who are not attending California schools should contact the Space Grant in their state. For a list of Space Grant websites, please click here.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA, no exceptions.

Students will be housed on the Caltech campus. Bus transportation from Caltech to JPL will be provided. In addition to technical tasks, students will be able to take part in seminars, social events, and other enrichment opportunities offered by JPL and Caltech.

For inquiries, please contact Tehseen Lazzouni at (858) 822-1597 or tlazzouni@ucsd.edu.

Contact Information

California Space Grant Consortium
California Space Grant Consortium
9500 Gilman Drive, Dept. 0411
La Jolla, CA, 92093-0411 USA
Tel: 858.822.1597
Fax: 858.534.7840

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