NASA's New Museum Grant Allies Will Make the Universe Accessible to Families From Alaska to Florida
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WASHINGTON -- Interactive museum exhibits about climate change, Earth
science, and missions beyond Earth are among the projects NASA has
selected to receive agency funding. Nine informal education providers
from Alaska to New York will share $6.2 million in grants through
NASA's Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums.
Participating organizations include museums, science centers,
Challenger Centers and other institutions of informal education.
Selected projects will partner with NASA's Museum Alliance, an
Internet-based, nationwide network of more than 400 science centers,
planetariums, museums, aquariums, zoos, observatory visitor centers,
NASA visitor centers, nature centers and park visitor centers.
Projects in the program will engage learners of all ages as well as
educators who work in formal or informal science education. The
projects will provide NASA-inspired space, science, technology,
engineering or mathematics educational opportunities, including
planetarium shows and exhibits.
In conjunction with NASA's Museum Alliance, the grants focus on
NASA-themed space exploration, aeronautics, space science, Earth
science, microgravity or a combination of themes. Some projects will
include partnerships with elementary and secondary schools, colleges
and universities.
The projects are located in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New
York, North Carolina, Oregon and South Dakota. The nine grants have a
maximum five-year period of performance and range in value from
approximately $120,000 to $1.5 million. Selected projects work with
the NASA Shared Service Center in Mississippi to complete the
business review necessary before a NASA award is issued.
Proposals were selected through a merit-based, external peer-review
process. NASA's Office of Education and mission directorates
collaborated to solicit and review the grant applications. This
integrated approach distinguishes NASA's investment in informal
education. NASA received 67 proposals from 32 states and the District
of Columbia.
Congress initially funded the Competitive Program for Science Museums
and Planetariums grants in 2008. The first group of projects began in
fall 2009 in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa,
Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Vermont and
Washington. Congress has enacted funds to continue this program in
2010, and NASA anticipates selecting additional proposals to fund
from those submitted in 2009.
For a list of selected organizations and projects descriptions, click
on "Selected Proposals" and look for "Competitive Program for Science
Museums and Planetariums (CP4SMP)" or solicitation NNH09ZNE005N at:
http://nspires.nasaprs.com
For information about NASA's Education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., leads the Museum
Alliance. For information about the alliance, visit:
http://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
Source: NASA
