NASA has selected 45 consortia in the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant) to receive funding for aerospace workforce development. A total of $3.56 million is being awarded in response to proposals submitted by the state organizations to NASA's Education Division in the Office of Human Resources and Education at Headquarters in Washington.

The consortia were selected based on a competitive evaluation of their plans to enlarge and enhance the "pipeline," or resource pool, of higher education graduates and faculty who stay connected to or become involved with NASA as employees, contractors or principal investigators. In support of the new NASA Vision and Mission as articulated by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, this program will increase the number and diversity of highly qualified individuals knowledgeable of and experienced in NASA's research mission.

The National Space Grant Program, mandated by Congress in 1987, consists of 52 State Consortia in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. All carry out programs in education, research and public service.

NASA received 51 proposals in response to this Space Grant program announcement. These proposals were reviewed using criteria that included innovation, connections with NASA Centers, faculty and curriculum development, student research, and effective evaluation methods. The awards ranged from $20,000 to $100,000 and averaged approximately $78,000.

"These awards will allow Space Grant to continue its work of attracting talented individuals who are qualified and trained to make significant contributions to the NASA mission," said Frank Owens, Director, NASA Education Division.