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A student receiving support under the GSRP does not incur any formal obligation to the U.S. Government. The objectives of this program will be served best if the student actively pursues research, teaching, employment in space science and aeronautics industries, or other NASA-related fields after completion of graduate studies.
Amount and Duration: Training Grants are awarded in the amount of $30,000. This amount includes a $21,000 student stipend, a student travel allowance of $4,000, up to $1,000 for health insurance, and a $4,000 university allowance, which typically goes to the Research Adviser, who becomes the Principal Investigator for the Training Grant. Awards are renewable for one year for a Masters Degree and two years for a Ph.D. upon satisfactory academic advancement, research progress, and available funding. The Center GSRP Coordinator and the Technical Adviser at the NASA Center or Mission Directorate must approve renewals. All applications are due annually, by the deadline posted on the GSRP Website. The deadline for the 2008 applications is on or before 5:00 PM EST on Friday, February 1, 2008.
Allowable Expenses: The student stipend of $21,000 may cover tuition, room and board, books, software, meal plans, school and laboratory supplies, and other related expenses. The $4,000 student allowance may be used for national and international conferences and data collection. The University Allowance of $4,000 is a discretionary award made to the university via the Research Adviser, who becomes the Principal Investigator for the GSRP Training Grant. NASA recognizes the need for adequate health insurance, and has included an allowance not to exceed $1,000 to assist with this cost. In cases where students already have health insurance, the $1,000 may be added to the stipend or to student travel to NASA Centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The NASA GSRP Manager must approve alternative uses of GSRP funding. The GSRP Fellowship supports graduate education, and does not provide university overhead. GSRP funds may not be used for the purchase of any equipment, including computers.
Domestic and International Travel: Domestic travel must be approved by the student’s Research Adviser (Principal Investigator). A request for international travel must be submitted to the Center GSRP Coordinator or Mission Directorate GSRP Coordinator and must have the concurrence of the Faculty Research Adviser. Requests should be submitted 15-30 days prior to the proposed travel. For each international trip, the student or Faculty Research Adviser must submit a written request on university letterhead stating the purpose of travel, the GSRP Training Grant Number, estimated cost, travel dates, and the name, telephone number, and address for the Point of Contact in the country to be visited.
Unused Funds and Transfer of Award to Another Student: If a student withdraws within the first half of the award year, the university may request a replacement student with similar achievement and research objectives to complete the remaining months of the current award. Since GSRP is a highly competitive program, replacement students will be selected from NASA’s current list of applicants who have passed the review process for the current award cycle. If there is no student at the requesting university who meets this requirement, the funding for the original GSRP grant will be returned to NASA. Requests for replacements must be made in writing by the student’s Research Adviser, and coordinated with the Center or Mission Directorate GSRP Coordinator.
Replacing a Research Adviser: The NASA policy governing the transfer of awards is guided by the Agency's Grants and Cooperative Agreement Handbook. The GSRP Fellowship is awarded to the student's university, via a Research Adviser (Principal Investigator) at that university, identified by the student. Should an adviser leave the university to which the award is made, the award remains with the university; therefore, it is incumbent upon the Faculty Adviser and the student to arrange a replacement Adviser by first contacting the Center GSRP Coordinator. The GSRP Fellowship is not a portable award.
Students Transferring to Another University: For various reasons, students sometimes transfer between universities. The NASA policy governing awards is guided by the Agency's Grants and Cooperative Agreement Handbook. The GSRP is awarded to the applicant's university, via the Research Adviser (Principal Investigator) at that university. The student's name is listed on the GSRP Training Grant, and the university accepts the responsibility of managing the award for the student named on the grant. If a student chooses to transfer to another university, the grant remains with the original university, and the Adviser may request a replacement student from the NASA database of students who have passed the review for the current award cycle. If a student wishes to receive a GSRP Fellowship for the new university, the student must be formally admitted to the new university, identify an adviser, and go through the entire GSRP application process for the new university. The (new) application must go through the next scheduled review cycle and be approved by the sponsoring Center or Mission Directorate. The GSRP Fellowship is not a portable award.
Tax Questions: All questions concerning taxes should be directed to the Internal Revenue Service. Refer to IRS Publication 520, “Scholarships and Fellowships,” and Publication 508, “Tax Benefits for Work-Related Education,” for further information. Both publications can be accessed at the following web site address http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html.
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