NASA SPACE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS - FALL 2016 | NSTRF16

Opportunity Information: Apply for NSTRF16

NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships (NSTRF) - Fall 2016 is a competitive graduate fellowship opportunity released by NASA Headquarters on September 10, 2015, under solicitation number NSTRF16 in the NSPIRES system (NASA Research Opportunities). The program sits within NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and is designed to build a strong pipeline of researchers who can help create and mature innovative space technologies that support the nation's science priorities, human and robotic exploration goals, and broader economic competitiveness. In practical terms, the fellowship targets high-potential graduate students whose research plans align with space technology disciplines and whose work could contribute to new or improved capabilities relevant to NASA missions.

Eligibility focuses on individuals who are U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents and who are pursuing, or planning to pursue, full-time graduate study at an accredited U.S. university beginning in the Fall 2016 term. Applicants may be working toward either a master's degree (such as an M.S.) or a doctoral degree (such as a Ph.D.), as long as the field is considered a relevant space technology discipline under the solicitation. While students apply as individuals, the actual award is structured as a training grant made to the university where the student will be enrolled, reflecting the fellowship's emphasis on research training and academic mentorship.

A key feature of NSTRF is the research model it promotes. Fellows conduct their primary research at their home institutions, guided by a faculty advisor, while also engaging with NASA through work conducted at NASA Centers. Beyond the standard faculty-student relationship, the program adds a second layer of technical engagement by matching each selected student with a NASA-affiliated researcher who serves as a research collaborator. This pairing is intended to make the student's work more connected to real mission and technology needs, expand access to facilities and expertise, and help the student better understand end-use applications, dissemination pathways within NASA, and the broader research process from concept through impact.

The application and award process is explicitly two-phased. Phase A is the student-led application submission through NSPIRES. Only students selected in Phase A move forward. For those selected, Phase B requires the accredited U.S. university where the fellow will be enrolled full-time in Fall 2016 to submit a separate, complete Phase B proposal following the instructions in the NSTRF16 solicitation. Submission of an acceptable Phase B proposal is what triggers the training grant award. This structure means that the student is evaluated first on merit and fit, and then the institution completes the administrative and proposal components needed for the grant award to be issued.

Program funding and oversight come from STMD, and the fellowships are described as part of the Space Technology Research Grants Program. Awards were planned to align with the start of the 2016 academic year, with the standard government caveat that final awards depend on the availability of appropriated funds. The solicitation noted that it covered new fellowship applications only, and that renewals would be handled through a separate process rather than through this call.

For logistics, all Phase A applications had to be submitted electronically via NSPIRES by 6:00 PM Eastern Time on November 5, 2015. The posting emphasizes that applicants should register and familiarize themselves with NSPIRES well ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute issues and to ensure all required information is entered correctly. Detailed submission instructions were provided on the NSPIRES page under "Other Documents" associated with the NSTRF16 solicitation.

Questions and comments were directed to the Space Technology Research Grants Program Executive, Claudia Meyer, via email at hq-nstrf-call@mail.nasa.gov. NASA indicated that responses would be provided by email and could also be incorporated into an FAQ document on the NSPIRES solicitation page, with anonymity preserved for individuals or institutions submitting questions. Overall, the opportunity is a structured, research-intensive fellowship meant to connect promising graduate researchers to NASA-relevant technology development through a combination of university-based work, NASA Center engagement, and formal collaboration with a NASA researcher.

• The NASA Headquarters in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NASA SPACE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS - FALL 2016" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.012.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-09-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2015-11-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NSTRF16

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