Explore our programs
Moon to Mars eXploration Systems and Habitation (M2M X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge
The Moon to Mars eXploration Systems and Habitation (M2M X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge is a university-level challenge designed to develop strategic partnerships and collaborations with universities. It has been organized to help bridge strategic knowledge gaps and increase knowledge in capabilities and technology risk reduction related to NASA’s vision and missions. The competition is intended to link with senior- and graduate-level design curricula that emphasize hands-on design, research, development, and manufacturing of functional prototypical subsystems that enable functionality for space habitats and deep space exploration missions. NASA will directly benefit from the challenge by sponsoring the development of innovative concepts and technologies from universities, which will result in novel ideas and solutions that could be applied to exploration.
John Mather Nobel Scholars
The John Mather Nobel Scholarship Program was established in 2008 by the John and Jane Mather Foundation for Science and the Arts and ran for 17 years though 2024. The program was open to current NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center based undergraduate and graduate student interns. Each year the program awarded travel allowances towards the cost of presenting research papers at professional conferences. Applicants must have demonstrated high academic achievement, have a strong interest in space and Goddard Space Flight Center, be a rising undergraduate junior, senior or graduate student, and be currently holding a Goddard-based research internship.
National Space Grant Distinguished Service Award
In partnership with the National Council of Space Grant Directors the Foundation established the National Space Grant Distinguished Service Award to recognize individuals whose life and career have had a long lasting impact in a science, engineering or education field that is related to aeronautic, aviation, or space endeavors. Past award recipients have included former Senator and Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd M. Bentsen, distinguished scientist Dr. James A. Van Allen, entrepreneur Dr. Peter Diamandis and astronaut John Young.
Space Grant Support Services
The Foundation also provides various services to support and enhance the Space Grant network. By enabling the network to work together in conducting some of its common tasks the NSGF is providing opportunities for each state based program to take advantage of economies of scale. These services are available to all Space Grant Consortia as well as to other programs that maintain direct partnerships with Space Grant Consortia.
William A Hiscock Space Grant Scholarship Fund
In Memory of William Hiscock, the former director of the Montana Space Grant, the National Space Grant Foundation has established the William A Hiscock Space Grant Scholarship Fund.
Bill was known for his animated lectures on cosmology, including his own special course for entering freshman Physics majors, "From Quarks to the Cosmos". Bill also led a very active research group investigating topics in the quantum theory of gravity, space-based gravitational wave detection, relativistic fluid dynamics, and the application of elementary particle physics to relativistic astrophysics and cosmology