NASA's MICI Seeks Grant Applicants for Competitions

NASA's Minority Innovation Challenges Institute is offering grants for minority serving institutions to enter the University Student Launch Initiative or the Lunabotics Mining Competition in 2012.

The $5,000 grants are designed to cover expenses associated with entering either competition including materials, equipment, and travel expenses. Institutions can also use up to $1,000 as a stipend for a faculty member responsible for the project as long as a course of at least one credit is established around it.

Schools that have participated in USLI within the last five years or Lunabotics within the last two years are not eligible.

The USLI competition requires students to design, build, and launch a reusable rocket with a scientific or engineering payload to an altitude of one mile. It will take place in April 2012 at Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.

The Lunabotics Mining Competition asks students to design remote controlled robots capable of excavating and depositing simulated lunar dirt. During the May 2012 competition at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, teams will compete by collecting as much dirt as possible within 15 minutes.

Grant applications are due June 30. For more information, or to download a grant application visit nasamici.com.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

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