Student Opportunities
2025 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge
Team up with your classmates to engineer a planetary rover! NASA is inviting students to design, build, and test rovers for the Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC). HERC will feature two divisions in the challenge this year: remote-controlled rovers and human-powered rovers. The rovers must be capable of traversing challenging terrain that simulates lunar and Martian surfaces. HERC will be held April 11 – 12, 2025, in Huntsville, Alabama.
- Eligibility: Middle school, high school, and university students
- Proposal submission deadline: Sept. 19, 2024
2025 Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop Travel Award
In January 2025, NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) will host its annual Investigators’ Workshop in Galveston, Texas. This yearly event showcases progress and results in HRP-funded research and technology tasks, and encourages collaboration and integration opportunities.
To foster the next generation of human spaceflight researchers, HRP invites eligible undergraduates to apply for a travel award to attend the workshop. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old.
- Eligibility: U.S. citizens, age 18 and up
- Application deadline: Oct. 4, 2024
University Student Design Challenge
The University Student Design Challenge calls for innovative approaches to aeronautics and space-related projects that benefit NASA mission needs. Teams of three or more students are invited to work with a faculty member and NASA experts to research and develop solutions to a NASA-proposed mission. Top teams will be invited to present their designs at NASA Glenn Research Center.
- Eligibility: Full-time U.S. junior/senior undergrads
- Registration deadline: Oct. 11, 2024
MUREP Innovation and Technology Transfer Idea Competition
NASA’s Innovation and Technology Transfer Idea Competition invites students enrolled at a Minority Serving Institution in any major to create innovative solutions that benefit their community and the world. Leading teams will pitch their ideas in the Space2Pitch competition at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Winners will receive $20,000 for first place and $10,000 for second place.
- Eligibility: U.S. university student teams at Minority Serving Institutions
- Submission deadline: Oct. 16, 2024
NASA Summer Internships
Interested in securing an internship or fellowship opportunity with NASA next summer? Now is the time to apply! NASA summer internships provide authentic STEM career experience and hands-on skills while contributing to the agencyʻs space exploration goals. Choose from a range of opportunities that suit your needs, interests, and goals.
- Eligibility: U.S. high school and higher education students
- Early decision deadline: Oct. 25, 2024
NASA TechRise Student Challenge
Do you have an idea for a high-altitude experiment? Middle and high school students are invited to team up with classmates and a mentor to submit ideas for an experiment that will fly on a suborbital balloon as part of the NASA TechRise Challenge. Winning submissions will receive $1,500 to build their experiment payload which will fly on a NASA-sponsored commercial flight test. No experience necessary!
- Eligibility: U.S. students, grades 6–12
- Submission deadline: Nov. 1, 2024
NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships
- Eligibility: Graduate students and Ph.D. scientists
- Application deadline: Nov. 1, 2024
Call for Payloads: 2025 High-Altitude Student Platform
- Eligibility: Student teams from U.S. community colleges and universities
- Application deadline: Nov. 4, 2024
CubeSat Launch Initiative Partnership Opportunity
The CubeSat Launch Initiative gives students, teachers, and faculty a chance to get hands-on flight hardware development experience. NASA is seeking proposals for CubeSat payloads in the 1U – 12U size range for launch between 2026 – 2029. Proposed CubeSat investigations must advance NASA’s strategic goals in the areas of education, science, technology development/demonstration or NASA workforce development.
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Eligibility: Students, teachers, and faculty at accredited U.S. schools & nonprofits
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Submission deadline: Nov. 15, 2024
2025 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition: Aviation Solutions for Agriculture
The Blue Skies Competition is seeking undergrad and graduate student teams to create aviation solutions that address the agriculture industry’s growing challenges. These include increased demand for food, extreme weather conditions, and pressure to reduce environmental impacts. Teams of two to six students are invited to submit novel aviation system concepts focused on solving these agriculture challenges. Finalist teams will receive an $8,000 stipend to participate in the competition and to attend the 2025 Blue Skies Forum in Edwards, California in May 2025. Winners will receive NASA Aeronautics internships in the academic year following the competition.
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Eligibility: Part-time/full-time U.S. undergrad and graduate students
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Notice of intent deadline: Oct. 22, 2024
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Submission deadline: Feb. 17, 2025
2025 RASC-AL Competition
NASA is pioneering the future of space exploration as we extend humanity’s presence further into the solar system. The 2025 RASC-AL Competition is seeking student teams to develop innovative concepts that improve our ability to operate on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. This year’s themes range from designing a scalable lunar infrastructure and services architecture to developing a concept for a servicing robot that can work autonomously or remotely.
- Eligibility: Undergrad and graduate-level teams
- Notice of intent deadline: Oct. 10, 2024
- Entry deadline: Feb. 25, 2025