NASA Selects Projects to Engage Communities Across the US With NASA Science
NASA Science ·
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has selected the next portfolio of Science Activation project teams through the ROSES‑25 (F.6 Science Activation) solicitation. Science Activation is a nationwide network of competitively-selected, collaborative projects that extend the impact of NASA science by connecting people and communities – many of whom would not otherwise meaningfully engage – with […] The post NASA Selects Projects to Engage Communities Across the US With NASA Science appeared first on NASA Science .
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has selected the next portfolio of Science Activation project teams through the ROSES‑25 (F.6 Science Activation) solicita tion .
Science Activation is a nationwide network of competitively-selected, collaborative projects that extend the impact of NASA science by connecting people and communities – many of whom would not otherwise meaningfully engage – with NASA science data and experts, local partnerships, and authentic science experiences. These sustained, community-embedded, and relevant opportunities and resources enable widespread involvement and participation – doing NASA science – inspiring the future STEM workforce and changing lives.
NASA has awarded approximately $23 million to the 24 organizations that make up this new cohort of projects to begin their work. The portfolio spans all five SMD science divisions – Astrophysics (APD), Biological & Physical Sciences (BPS), Earth Science (ESD), Heliophysics (HPD), and Planetary Science (PSD) – and will operate across all 50 states plus U.S. territories, reach people of all ages and backgrounds, include both formal and informal learning organizations, and engage community partners to deepen and extend reach and impact. SciAct accomplishes this in several ways, including:
Hands‑on research, data-rich analysis, and participatory/community science activities help people build skills to use NASA data and contribute to accelerating scientific discovery.
Many teams emphasize Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, coding, sensors, geospatial analysis, data literacy, engineering design, and modeling – skills essential for NASA missions and the commercial space economy.
SciAct teams have historically reached learners in all 50 states, all U.S. territories, and communities not typically served – expanding access through intentional cross-collaboration, multiple local and regional partnerships, informal learning venues, and digital platforms.
The following selections are organized as National Portfolio Projects (broad, scalable reach) and Regional Network Projects (place‑based, community‑led engagement). Each project includes the project name, a short description, the Principal Investigator (PI), the Lead Organization, and the project’s aligned NASA SMD divisions.
PI: Peake · Lead Organization: Gulf of Maine Research Institute · Divisions: ESD Connected learning ecosystems across the Northeast that engage youth in data-rich, place-based investigations incorporating NASA science and data.
PI: Spellman · Lead Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks · Divisions: ESD Community-centered, mission-connected learning network that enables learners of all ages to apply NASA Earth science data to local challenges around food, energy, and water systems.
PI: Mayne · Lead Organization: Texas Christian University · Divisions: ESD, PSD Connects dark-sky astronomical observation, meteorite science, impact geology, and planetary defense into a unified informal science learning program anchored to the 2029 close approach of asteroid Apophis.
PI: Madura · Lead Organization: San José State University · Divisions: APD, BPS, HPD, PSD Uses a combination of 3D printing, hands-on astronomy, and teacher Professional Development to use astrophysics as an evidence-based way to deepen participation in NASA science.
PI: Chatterjee · Lead Organization: New Mexico State University · Divisions: HPD Modules built from NASA imagery, Sun—Earth system data visualizations, and curated heliophysics resources to prevent student disengagement from science during the middle grades, in a state with high need for STEM workers but low science scores.
PI: Snowden · Lead Organization: Central Washington University · Divisions: BPS, ESD, PSD Coordinated, multi-state STEM ecosystem that connects students and educators with authentic NASA science content, data, and subject matter experts. Student challenges with Companion Course and a supply loan program that reduces cost barriers.
PI: Yelton · Lead Organization: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Divisions: ESD Multi-faceted science learning that uses local lakes to engage and inspire educators, citizen scientists, and other lay publics around the water cycle.
PI: Hummels · Lead Organization: California Institute of Technology · Divisions: APD, HPD, PSD Establishes the NASA Starlight Parks Network, a partnership between NASA and the National Park Service to enhance NPS programming while delivering high-impact, place-based engagement with NASA science.
PI: Jackson · Lead Organization: Boise State University · Divisions: APD Astronomy engagement in partnership with an internationally-recognized dark sky reserve in an under-served area. Provides telescopes and training to teachers around the state.
PI: Stammerjohn · Lead Organization: University of Colorado Boulder · Divisions: ESD Leverages very high-resolution remote sensing data to accelerate polar science through authentic experiences for citizen scientists. Integrates machine learning with humans in the loop.
PI: Ray · Lead Organization: University of Nebraska–Lincoln · Divisions: APD, ESD, PSD Creates 3D models of planetary and Earth science phenomena to help students develop an understanding of spatial relationships, relative sizes and distances, orbital structures, as well as variations in density and internal structures.
PI: Cominsky · Lead Organization: Sonoma State University · Divisions: APD, ESD, HPD, PSD Expand access to authentic NASA science experiences for underserved teens, particularly those in rural or economically disadvantaged communities and those with learning differences.
PI: Kinzler · Lead Organization: American Museum of Natural History · Divisions: APD, ESD, HPD, PSD Open-source interactive data visualization of the entire known universe deployed and available through a network of informal science institutions (ISI). Creates a national pipeline of NASA science and discoveries.
PI: Lewis · Lead Organization: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden · Divisions: BPS Mobilizes students and educators in plant growth research that informs NASA’s early-stage crop evaluation pipeline.
PI: Walach · Lead Organization: Montana State University · Divisions: ESD Expands access to hands-on Earth science and engineering experiences for 2-year-college and undergraduate students that contribute to NASA investigations of atmospheric processes using high altitude balloons, radiosondes, and uncrewed aircraft systems.
PI: LeMer · Lead Organization: Northern Arizona University · Divisions: APD, BPS, ESD, HPD, PSD Out-of-school-time STEM units integrating NASA planetary science and engineering designed for wide use across the country. Includes units on astronaut geology for the Moon and planetary defense.
PI: Swann‑Kreiter · Lead Organization: Arizona State University · Divisions: APD, BPS, ESD, HPD, PSD A coordinated system that moves subject matter engagement from episodic to sustained in ways that advance participation in scientific discovery and science literacy.
PI: Severino · Lead Organization: ARISA Lab, LLC · Divisions: HPD, PSD Expands access to NASA heliophysics data, supporting STEM skill development through authentic engagement. Provides scaffolded pathways for meaningful contributions to NASA science. Discovery of unknown comets around the Sun.
PI: Frissell · Lead Organization: University of Scranton · Divisions: HPD Brings hands-on space weather science to communities nationwide through NASA learning materials and amateur radio equipment. Entrains high schools in a national research network.
PI: Weigel · Lead Organization: Alabama Space Science · Divisions: APD, ESD, HPD, PSD Establishes a scalable system for delivering live, data-driven NASA science experiences through planetaria, and extends engagement through digital assets and interactive tools for mobile devices.
PI: Dussault · Lead Organization: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory · Divisions: APD, PSD Expands public access to authentic astronomical research experiences through a coordinated, user-friendly network of professional robotic telescopes. Allows people to observe, analyze, and contribute to NASA-aligned research.
PI: Steel · Lead Organization: SETI Institute · Divisions: APD, ESD, HPD, PSD Resource network for the teaching of NASA science in the nation’s community college system, including facilitation of a peer community connecting generally isolated science instructors across institutions and states.
PI: Goodman · Lead Organization: Harvard College · Divisions: APD, ESD, PSD Creation of online, interactive experiences to explore NASA data and build literacy and STEM skills. Multiple levels of engagement; topics tied to key NASA missions and research areas.
PI: Malmberg · Lead Organization: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research · Divisions: APD, BPS, ESD, HPD, PSD Develops nature-based science foundations and data literacy through NASA collaborations with early childhood learners, educators, and scientists to connect young children with NASA science.
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