The Minnesota Space Grant Consortium (MnSGC) is part of the NASA-funded National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (usually just called Space Grant) established by Congress in 1988. Nationally, Space Grant is a network of 52 university-based statewide consortia, including all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, with nearly 1,000 mostly-higher-education affiliate institutions delivering programming nationwide.
Space Grant provides support for higher education students majoring in STEM fields, NASA-themed higher education offerings plus research opportunities for faculty and students, NASA-themed professional development for pre-college and in-service and pre-service teachers, and informal education activities related to aerospace science and engineering for pre-college students and the general public.
The mission of the MnSGC is to provide a driving force for aerospace education in Minnesota. Program goals and objectives include diversity, competitiveness coupled with accessibility, ties with NASA Centers and enterprises, and relationships with local industries and state government. For more information about NASA’s diversity and inclusion efforts, please visit the website of the NASA Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity to read the 2023 Administrator policy statement on DEIA. Also look at the 2021 White House Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.
The MnSGC supports a variety of projects including higher education course development, hands-on flight hardware projects and research for higher education students and faculty, scholarship/fellowship support for full time students attending its 12 academic affiliate institutions of higher learning, NASA Center summer internships for college students attending any accredited MN college or university (when selected by NASA Center mentors), teacher and informal educator workshops, and NASA-themed activities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) for pre-college and general public audiences including public exhibits and occasional school visits. Between 1997 and 2020 the MnSGC awarded over 1000 scholarships to college and university students interested in NASA and majoring in STEM fields at MnSGC affiliate institutions.
There are many ways in which you can engage with the MnSGC. In our website you will find information on scholarships, internships, academic programs, links to NASA and to the other state Space Grant Consortia, and a variety of other information. We welcome your questions and comments.
Dr. Demoz Gebre-Egziabher, Ph.D.
Director, Minnesota Space Grant Consortium
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Contact Minnesota Space Grant Consortium
