Undergraduate Research Scholarship

Undergraduate Research Scholarship Announcement of Opportunity

$5,000 Spring 2026*
$5,000 Summer 2026*
$5,000 Academic Year 2026-2027*
* Subject to funding availability

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) provides Undergraduate Research Scholarships to support qualified students in designing and conducting independent, student-led small research projects in STEM fields aligned with NASA Mission Directorates.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

• Academic Preparation
• Letters of Recommendation

RESEARCH PROMISE

• Strength of Proposal
• Significance or Value of Proposed Research
• Research Methods, Budget and Timeline, Including Independence in the Research Project
• Interest in STEM-related Studies Supporting NASA Mission Directorates
• Effectiveness of the Student Research and Mentoring Arrangements
• Student Interest and Background of the Topic

*NOTE: Students also applying for other scholarship/fellowship funding programs should submit a statement distinguishing the Undergraduate Research Scholarship application from other scholarship/fellowship applications. The Technical Advisory Panel limits the number of individuals eligible to receive multiple awards.

This funding opportunity is made available for the pursuit of space-related research and/or activities through the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program: NASA Educational Cooperative Agreement #80NSSC25M7122. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this award is 43.008.

All awards are fully competitive awards of opportunity in which applications are reviewed by the WSGC Technical Advisory Panel and other experts as needed. Awards are made by the Assistant Director based on recommendations from the Associate Director.

See a list of current and past award recipients

• Create a NASA STEM Gateway account: nasa.gov/public/s/login/
• Create a WSGC account: carthage.edu/about/login/
• Log in and complete the Undergraduate Research Scholarship application.
• Provide two letters of recommendation (one from a research advisor, one from a faculty member/employer/STEM professional). Letters may be uploaded with the application or emailed to spacegrant@carthage.edu (Subject: UGR26_LOR).

Applicants must:
• Be a Wisconsin resident during the academic year.
• Be enrolled full-time in (or admitted/applied to) a WSGC member college/university.
• Be enrolled in a STEM program of study with an interest in aerospace or NASA-related missions.
• Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA (applications below 3.0 considered individually).
• Submit a complete online application.

Students from smaller colleges and universities are especially encouraged to apply. WSGC will facilitate mentoring arrangements if necessary.

• Research Proposal (max 10 pages), including:
  - Introduction/Summary (1 page or less)
  - Background
  - Proposed activities (objectives, methods, relevance to NASA Mission Directorates areas, expected results)
  - Timeline (Spring projects end May 2026, Summer projects Aug. 2026, Academic Year projects May 2027), including oral/poster presentation at the WSGC Annual Conference in August
• High school transcript (for incoming freshmen/sophomores; unofficial accepted)
• Most recent college transcript (unofficial accepted; not required for incoming freshmen)
• Two recommendation letters (see above)

• Attend the Annual Wisconsin Space Conference (Aug. 2026 for Spring/Summer projects; Aug. 2027 for Academic Year projects).
• Submit award acceptance materials: Award Agreement, W9/W4/I9, biography, and professional photo.
• Submit award closeout materials: interim report, final report, project photos/video, proceedings paper by Sept. 15, student story and awardee publications, presentations, patents, and technology transfers report.

Please direct questions about the UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP Program to: