SEDS USA Scholarship – SGFF 2020

SGAC has partnered with SEDS USA to bring 1 student to attend the 9th Space Generation Fusion Forum (March 28 – 30)  and the first day of the 36th Space Symposium (March 30) in Colorado Springs, USA.

Application Deadline: 10 February 2020, 23:59 GMT

Description

SGFF is held annually in scenic Colorado Springs in conjunction with the Space Symposium, the Space Generation Fusion Forum is a three-day, high-intensity, fast-paced professional development and networking event focused on the international and US space industry. Delegates are students and young professionals from around the world and various facets of the space sector including science, engineering, law/policy, business/commerce, medicine, media, military, and government. Through discussion tracks, expert panels, keynote presentations, and interactive activities, these selected delegates will “fuse” their perspectives.

By attending the Space Generation Fusion Forum, delegates will learn, share their knowledge, network with fellow students and young professionals in the space industry, and meet the industry’s leaders and experts.

All output produced by the Space Generation Fusion Forum is compiled into a report to be presented at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, as well as other conferences around the World.

The scholarship will support a confirmed delegate to SGFF to take part in this years conference as well as to attend the Space Symposium for the first day.

Award

The total value of the award is $724.32, which is put toward conference registration, a shared hotel stay with another delegate, and a $250.00 stipend for general travel expenses.

How to Apply

To apply, you will need to prepare the following documents:

  • A letter of intent of no more than 500 words highlighting your background in the SEDS community and motivation for attending the SGFF 2020, including how you plan to give back to your local chapter and community after your experience at the SGFF 2020.
  • A Resume of up to 2 pages with an emphasis on your involvement with SEDS and the space community.

All submissions must be made by using the Scholarship Submission Form before 10 February 2020, 23:59 GMT.

Please submit your documents as unlocked PDF files. Your name should be included at the top of all pages.

Your submission should follow the competition guidelines below.

Guidelines

Eligibility

    1. The language of all submissions must be in English.
    2. The competition is open to all students in an active SEDS chapter at their university.
    3. SEDS USA Board and Staff are not eligible for this award.
    4. Winners should not receive support from any other source to attend the SGFF 2020. Should the winners receive such support midway through the program, SGAC should be informed and solution will be sought.

Submission

  1. The documents are due as an unlocked PDF document under 5 MB. The application shall be submitted via the Scholarship Submission Form
  2. The language of all submissions shall be English.
  3. To apply, you will need to prepare the following documents:
    1. A letter of intent of no more than 500 words highlighting your background in the SEDS community and motivation for attending the SGFF 2020, including how you plan to give back to your local chapter and community after your experience at the SGFF 2020.
    2. A Resume of up to 2 pages with an emphasis on your involvement with SEDS and the space community.
  4. In case of lack of quality of submissions, SGAC and SEDS-USA has the right to extend and or cancel the competition.

Responsibilities of the Winners

  1. The winning shall:
    • Attend the entire SGFF 2020
    • Submit a short report (2 pages excluding pictures) describing his or her experience at SGFF 2020 for inclusion on the SGAC and SEDS website, newsletter or social media outlets.

All responsibilities shall be fulfilled and reports etc. submitted not later than April 30th 2020. In case the scholarship awardee(s) do(es) not complete the scholarship requirements on time, the scholarship funds will be transferred to SGAC general budget to continue supporting the mission and work of SGAC.  

These tasks offer great opportunities such as being the rapporteur of an SGFF working group and helping with writing a group report, being the front face of SGAC at the SGAC booth and meeting interesting people.

Reimbursement

  1. The award will be paid out after the SGFF 2020 and the 36th Space Symposium, no later than 30 days after fulfilment of all responsibilities listed above.
  2. The scholarship award reimbursement is conditioned on the awardee fulfilling the scholarship requirements not later than April 30 2020.
  3. In case the winner receives funding for SGFF or Space Symposium by any other organisation, the Scholarships Coordinators shall be informed. If the applicants don’t inform the Scholarships Coordinators, SGAC holds the right to not reimburse the winning author. SGAC aims to reduce the number of double scholarships and will work with the winners to develop a solution in these cases.
  4. Applicants are advised to not engage any expenses until they have formal confirmation that the competition has been awarded. The SGAC is not liable for any expenses incurred by applicants in any case where a competition is not awarded, or in excess of the value of the awarded grant.
  5. Reimbursements will follow the SGAC Scholarships Travel Policy & Reimbursement Guidelines. Please make sure to consult the Guidelines before incurring in expenses.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

  1. By submitting an entry, applicants agree to permit the SGAC, SEDS and other participating organisations to use their names, affiliations, and headshot photo in connection with the scholarship. This also applies to the essay that is submitted: portions of this essay could be used for promotional purposes (the authors, of course, will be credited for the content).
  2. Copyright of the submitted entry shall remain with the contestants. However, by submitting an entry all contestants agree that SGAC and all affiliated organisers are granted non-exclusive reproduction rights regarding all submitted papers. SGAC and all affiliated organisers may also present ideas and findings generated by this competition at relevant conferences.

Liability

  1. Organisers shall not be responsible in the event that SGFF 2020 and/or the 36th Space Symposium are cancelled. SGAC will not reimburse the winning author, even if he/she has already incurred expenses.
  2. Organisers shall not be responsible in the event that the award winner fails to attend SGFF 2020 and/or the 36th Space Symposium or is unable to under extenuating circumstances; in that case, the award offer shall become void.
  3. Organisers shall not be responsible in the event that the award winner cannot obtain any necessary travel documents; if they are required but not obtained, the award offer shall become void.
  4. The award is not transferable to another event or individual.

Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated by a panel comprised of SEDS representatives. The evaluation will be made based on the following criteria:

  • Contribution to your local SEDS chapter and the space community
    • Contributions can include scientific publications, work on space related projects, volunteering with space nonprofits, local outreach, etc.
    • How you plan to give back to your local community through public/chapter outreach following the SGFF 2020
  • Applicants will be assessed on their passion through an essay prompt of no more than 750 words highlighting their background and contributions to the space community. 
  • All completed applications are reviewed by the Board of Directors selection committee, with the most highly qualified candidates being selected for 30 minute video chat interviews to assess their passion. 

We look forward to your contribution and thank you for taking part in this space endeavor!

Schedule

Entries accepted: Open
Submission Deadline: 10 February 2020, 23:59 GMT.
Announcement of Results: 6 March 2020
9th Space Generation Fusion Forum: March 28 – 30, 2019

Contact

For any questions, please refer to SGAC Scholarships Team ([email protected]).