Canadian Student Participation in the NASA International Internship (NASA I²) Project

Announcement of Opportunity

Publication date: October 30, 2019

Application deadline: December 6, 2019

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) only receives applications when the selection process is open. This Announcement of Opportunity (AO) is currently closed.

Key dates:

• Summer 2020 session (10 weeks): Closed
  • Publication date: October 30, 2019
  • Application deadline: December 6, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. (ET)
  • Approximate internship start and end dates: June 1, 2020 to August 7, 2020
  • Number of internships: up to 2
  • Funding from CSA: $2,000/selected candidate and a possibility of $6,000 from other sources.
• Fall 2020 session (16 weeks): Closed
  • Publication date: To be confirmed.
  • Application deadline: To be confirmed.
  • Approximate internship start and end dates: August 24, 2020 to December 11, 2020
  • Number of internships: To be confirmed.
  • Funding from CSA: $3,000/selected candidate and a possibility of $8,000 from other sources.
• Spring 2021 session (16 weeks): Closed
  • Publication date: To be confirmed.
  • Application deadline: To be confirmed.
  • Approximate internship start and end dates: January 11, 2021 to April 30, 2021
  • Number of internships: To be confirmed.
  • Funding from CSA: $3,000/selected candidate and a possibility of $8,000 from other sources.

1. Introduction

As part of its commitment to support the development of the next generation of space professionals in Canada and to foster future international collaboration between Canada and other countries, the CSA joined the NASA International Internship (NASA I²) Project.

NASA I² is a NASA initiative that seeks to better prepare students (U.S. and international) for future missions that require innovative thinking and cooperation with international collaborators. It is an intensive experience with an emphasis on learning, teamwork, research, and creativity. The program balances science and technology exploration with intercultural experiences. Interns take part in seminars on a wide variety of topics from both internal and external experts, informal discussions, supervised research, group projects, cultural lunches/ dinners, poster presentations, tours of NASA facilities, and other self-organized social events in the area. Interns make connections with peers and professionals in their fields and form relationships that serve them throughout their careers.

Internships are offered by NASA in three sessions during the calendar year: spring (16 weeks), summer (10 weeks) and fall (16 weeks). Current NASA participating research centres are the Ames Research Center and the Goddard Space Flight Center.

As a NASA I² Project participant, the CSA may nominate highly qualified university students who may subsequently be selected by NASA to participate in internship projects along with U.S. students and students from abroad.

As the only official agency in Canada allowed to submit candidates to NASA for the NASA I² Project, the CSA will manage, through this AO, the preselection of Canadian undergraduate and graduate students that have a demonstrated expertise and background in scientific and technical areas of interest to NASA and the CSA. Interested students should refer to the NASA I² Project List and submit their application for one or more internship project(s). Candidates should verify specific project information to know the exact location of each internship.

The CSA and two funding organizations, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada, intend to award grants to the students that are selected by NASA to support them with their associated expenses such as travel, lodging, meals and visa processing costs if applicable. The total grant amounts that could be awarded to each grantee are the following:

• Up to $8,000 for a 10-week internship;
• Up to $11,000 for a 16-week internship.

The CSA's share of these amounts is $2,000 for a 10-week internship and $3,000 for a 16-week internship.

The CSA will preselect Canadian candidates that meet the AO eligibility criteria and who successfully comply with other evaluation criteria. As funding organizations, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada will also be part of the preselection process. The files of the candidates that will have successfully passed all the stages of the preselection process, as described in Section 5, will be submitted to NASA for its final selection. The CSA, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada will support a maximum of two (2) candidates per internship session.

This AO is consistent with the terms and conditions of the CSA Class Grant and Contribution Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology – Awareness and Learning Component.

Applicants are asked to read the following AO thoroughly before submitting their applications. This AO was prepared to help applicants complete the application process, and outlines key elements, including mandatory eligibility criteria and selection process. In the event of any discrepancies between this AO and the individual grant agreement, the latter document will take precedence.

2. AO objectives

The key objectives of this AO are to:

• Foster the continuing development of the next generation of researchers and highly qualified people (HQPs) in areas relevant to the priorities of the CSA;
• Increase the level of student employability by exposing them to practical experiences that will enable them to acquire space science and technology knowledge, as well as skills sought by the space sector;
• Foster international collaboration on space science and technology research projects and missions by providing selected students with an exceptional opportunity to develop their international network.

3. Eligibility criteria

To apply to the NASA I² Project, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria. Certain criteria are required by NASA under the NASA I² Project:

• Be a Canadian citizen on the date of application (NASA requirement);
• Be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student in an undergraduate or graduate degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) in a topic of interest to the CSA and relevant to NASA's mission priorities, as reflected in the available internship projects (NASA I² Project List). Candidates that are pursuing an undergraduate degree should have successfully completed a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in their program. University enrollment should be effective at the time of application;
• Have obtained, in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent), a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0, or an equivalent standard if the student's university does not use GPA (an average grade of "B" or higher) (NASA requirement);
• Be proficient in written and spoken English (level "Intermediate", "Advanced" or "Native" required; this criterion may be evaluated) (NASA requirement).

4. How to apply

Candidates must complete the following three steps to submit their application and receive, if they are selected by NASA, a grant from the CSA, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada to support the eligible expenses associated with their participation.

Note on the language of the application – Candidates may submit their application in the official language of their choice, English or French. As stipulated, preselected applications will be submitted to NASA for its final selection. Therefore, preselected applications that were submitted in French will have to be translated to English with very short notice to allow NASA to proceed with the final evaluation. This translation is only required for the purposes of NASA. Failure to comply with this requirement within the prescribed deadline may result in the applicant being rejected.

1. Download and complete the application form;
2. A complete application must contain the following:
   • A completed original Application form signed by the applicant;
   • A copy of the applicant's proof of Canadian citizenship (such as a Canadian passport);
   • A proof of the student's full-time enrolment at a Canadian university, at the time of application, in an undergraduate or graduate program in STEM (such as a Letter of Attestation from the university). The applicant's field of study must be in a topic of interest to the CSA and relevant to NASA's mission priorities, as reflected in the available internship projects (NASA I² Project List);
   • For candidates that are pursuing an undergraduate degree only: an attestation of the applicant's successful completion of a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in the current program (this attestation can be provided through the same document as the proof of student full-time enrolment mentioned above);
   • The applicant's academic records proving that the minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0 is met, or that an equivalent standard is achieved if the applicant's university does not use GPA (an average grade of "B" or higher). The applicant's academic record should include the name of his or her institution, the program in which the applicant is enrolled, the applicant's complete list of courses, including his or her marks in each course, and the legend explaining acronyms;
   • A motivation letter written by the applicant (refer to Section 5.2 for the elements that should be covered in the motivation letter);
   • A reference letter from a professor that holds a faculty position at the applicant's university (must be a separate document) (refer to Section 5.2 for elements that should be covered in the reference letter);
   • The applicant's curriculum vitae (must be a separate document);
   • The list of awards, scholarships and distinctions that the applicant has received, if applicable;
   • One hard copy of all the documents above;
   • A single PDF-formatted file containing copies (identical to the paper copies) of all the above-requested documents with all security features disabled on a USB memory key. If there is any discrepancy between the hard copy and the electronic version, the hard copy takes precedence.

3. Post-mail your application to the CSA at the address below:

   NASA I² Project
   c/o Emilie de La Haye Duponsel
   Senior Program Officer, Academic Development
   Canadian Space Agency
   6767 Route de l'Aéroport
   Saint-Hubert, Quebec J3Y 8Y9

Important notes:

• Applications must be received at the CSA no later than December 6, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. (ET);
• Hand-delivered proposals will only be accepted during business hours. No personnel is available to receive proposals during the weekend;
• Applications sent by e-mail will not be accepted;
• Incomplete applications may not be considered.

5. Evaluation process

5.1 Eligibility

Applications will first be submitted to an eligibility assessment by the CSA to verify whether they comply with the eligibility criteria listed in Section 3. Only applications that have passed the eligibility assessment will be given further consideration.

5.2 Evaluation by the CSA

Once the eligibility criteria are confirmed, the CSA's evaluators will assess the screened applications according to the criteria presented in Table 1 below. Candidates shall provide the appropriate documents, as indicated in the "Evidence" column and requested in Section 4, to demonstrate how each evaluation criterion is met. Only applications that obtain a total minimum score of 70% will be given further consideration.

Notes:

• The overall score, which is the total of the scores for each of the criteria, will be used to establish a ranking of applications.
• The CSA may, at its sole discretion, reject any application that fails the evaluation.

5.3 Evaluation by Mitacs and Fulbright Canada

As funding organizations, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada will assess the applications of the candidates preselected by the CSA. Only applications deemed eligible by Mitacs and Fulbright Canada will be given further consideration.

5.4 Security screening

Candidates who have successfully completed all of the above-mentioned stages will be contacted by the CSA with instructions for authorizing the CSA's Security Services to run a security screening (reliability status), which is mandatory for this process. Candidates will be asked to complete a Screening, consent and authorization form and to submit their fingerprints within a very short timeframe. Only candidates that have obtained a reliability status will be given further consideration.

5.5 Final preselection by the CSA

The CSA will rank the applicants who have successfully completed the security screening based on the score obtained in the evaluation conducted by the CSA (Section 5.2).

Priority may be given to candidates participating in the NASA I² Project for the first time. The CSA could also take into consideration factors such as a balanced representation across Canada as well as a diversified representativeness of the four designated groups: women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. Please visit Employment Equity website for a complete definition of each group. We encourage you to indicate on a voluntary basis if you belong to one or more of these groups.

As stipulated in Section 4, preselected applications submitted in French will have to be translated to English by the applicants in a timely manner. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the application being rejected.

5.6 Final selection by NASA

The applications of up to ten (10) candidates who have successfully passed all the above-mentioned stages will be submitted to NASA for its final selection. NASA security processing takes time, and delays are possible.

NASA may, at its sole discretion, reject any application and is under no obligation to select any candidate. NASA may also require additional information to evaluate applications.

The number of candidates who will participate depends on the quality of the applications received, NASA's final selection and available funding.

6. Service standards

Applicants will be notified by email of decisions regarding their application. The CSA has set the following service standards for application processing times, including acknowledgements of receipt, funding decisions and payment procedures.

Acknowledgement: The CSA's objective is to acknowledge the receipt of the applications within two (2) weeks following the AO's closing date.

Decision: The CSA's objective is to advise candidates that will have been selected by NASA within eighteen (18) weeks following the AO's closing date, and, to send to selected candidates their grant agreements and other mandatory documents for signature within three (3) weeks following such replies.

Payment: The CSA's objective is to issue its share of the total grant amount within four (4) weeks of the successful fulfillment of the requirements outlined in the grant agreement.

Applicants must submit all required documentation within the prescribed deadline.

7. Available funding

The CSA, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada intend to award grants to the candidates who successfully complete the selection process and participate in the NASA I² Project. The total grant amounts that could be awarded to each grantee are the following:

• Up to $8,000 for a 10-week internship;
• Up to $11,000 for a 16-week internship.

The CSA's share of these amounts is $2,000 for a 10-week internship and $3,000 for a 16-week internship.

Each grant received from the CSA must only be used to cover, for the purposes of the internship, the following eligible expenses:

1. Round trip transportation to the NASA research centre where the internship will take place;
2. Accommodations during his/her internship; and
3. meals for the duration of his/her internship.

Eligible expenses exceeding the total grant amount as well as any other types of expenses, such as car rentals, are entirely the beneficiary's responsibility.

Notes:

• Grant terms and conditions specific Mitacs and Fulbright Canada may apply;
• The CSA reserves the right to reject applications or to reduce its share of the total grant amounts at its sole discretion.

8. Grants agreement

8.1 Payment

Grants are to be awarded separately by the CSA, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada.

For the CSA's share of the total grant amounts:

• Obtaining the grant is conditional upon the applicant signing a grant agreement with the CSA that includes conditions that the candidate will have to agree to;
• All terms of payment for the grant will be set out in the grant agreement;
• The eligibility criteria and the terms and conditions of that grant agreement must be met throughout the duration of the agreement. Each recipient has the obligation to inform the CSA in writing of any change in the conditions used to establish his or her eligibility for the grant.

Note: The management of Mitacs and Fulbright Canada's grants is the sole responsibility of these respective organizations. Selected candidates should directly communicate with Mitacs and Fulbright Canada for any concern or question regarding their share of the total grant amount.

8.2 Intern obligations

Selected candidates will have to comply with certain obligations that will be described in the grant agreement, including but not limited to the following:

• Consent to comply with the Participant Code of Conduct and Ethics which outlines the conduct and behaviours expected by NASA and the CSA. This document will be provided to selected candidates with their grant agreement, for their consent and signature;
• Obtain appropriate insurance coverage that will remain in effect for the duration of the travel;
• Plan their travel, book their accommodations, and have in their possession all the mandatory documents required to enter the U.S.;
• Fully participate in the internship experience;
• Submit an internship report upon their return that will be shared with Mitacs and Fulbright Canada.

9. Confidentiality and consent of personal information

The CSA manages and protects the information provided by the applicant under the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act. By submitting your personal information, you consent to its collection, use and disclosure in accordance with the following Privacy Statement, which explains how the information about the applicant will be processed.

The information is collected under the CSA Class Grants and Contributions Program in Support of Awareness, Research and Learning - Research Component (ASC PPU 045) and Awareness and Learning Component (ASC PPU 040). This information will be used for administration and application evaluation purposes. Personal information will be kept accordingly to the retention schedule. You may also refer to Info Source for additional information about the functions, programs, activities and related information holdings of government institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. According to the Privacy Act, any individual may, upon request, have access to his or her personal data and request correction of the incorrect information.

Applicants should also note that information relating to the Funding Agreement could be disclosed publicly in accordance with the laws, policies and directives of the Government of Canada.

Applicants also agree to the CSA using and disclosing all the information provided in their application package, including any personal information provided, with the funding organizations (Mitacs and Fulbright Canada) and with NASA for the following purposes:

• Reviewing eligibility;
• Evaluating the application;
• Statistics and reporting.

For additional information regarding this statement, please contact:

10. Outreach activities

Applicants that are selected to participate in the NASA I² Project are encouraged, upon their return, to take part in outreach activities to share their experience with other students. Applicants may refer to Section J of the Application Form to indicate their interest, if they are selected, to participate in outreach activities upon their return. The answer to this question will not influence the assessment of the applications.

11. Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Should the need arise, it is the applicant's responsibility to obtain clarification regarding the requirements contained in this opportunity before applying.

For all questions, applicants must use this generic e-mail address: stedia-dstemu@asc-csa.gc.ca. Questions and their answers will be posted on the CSA website under the "Frequently asked questions" section of this AO. The CSA will answer questions received no later than 5 p.m. (ET) on November 22, 2019.

At any point, applicants are welcome to share with the CSA their comments or suggestions regarding the program using the following generic email address or the generic web-based comments and suggestions box.