Description

Held annually at the scenic Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.A., in conjunction with the Space Symposium, the Space Generation Fusion Forum (SGFF) is a multi-day, high-intensity, fast-paced professional development and networking event focused on the global space industry. Students and young professionals from around the world, who are working and participating in all facets of the space community, apply to attend SGFF each year.

Through breakout sessions, expert panels, keynote presentations, and speed networking, SGFF delegates will “fuse” their unique perspectives and backgrounds to formulate solutions to global problems of interest and importance to the space community. By attending SGFF, delegates will learn from each other and from experts, share their knowledge, network with fellow students and young professionals in the space industry, and meet international leaders in the space field. 

All output and content produced by the discussions held during the Space Generation Fusion Forum are compiled into a report for the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. This report is presented at the Committee’s annual General Assembly and at other conferences around the world.

The scholarship will support a student or staff member to take part in this year’s conference as well as to attend the Space Symposium for the first day.

Award

The award will support one person to attend the following events:

The award will partially cover the expenses up to a maximum amount of USD 1,250 incurred to attend SGFF and the first day of the Space Symposium. (Round trip travel via airfare, accommodations, visa costs, COVID related costs and the registration fees according to the reimbursement policy). 

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, including how you plan to give back to your local chapter and community after your experience at the SGFF.
  • 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 28 January 2024, 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 competition is open to all students in an active SEDS chapter at their university.
  2. Applications from students with underrepresented backgrounds, disabilities, non binary, and/or other underrepresented groups will be potentially prioritised in the evaluation.
  3. Evaluators are not eligible for this award.

Winners should not receive support from any other source to attend the SGFF 2024. Should the winners receive such support midway through the program, SGAC should be informed and the solution will be sought.

In the interest of spreading opportunities to more members, SGAC reserves the right to prioritize applicants who have not recently received another SGAC scholarship of a similar nature. “Recently” is defined as having received a travel grant in the past 2 years, in the same category (either international or regional/national) as this posted award. International awards include scholarships for international events such as SGC/IAC, SGFF and Space Symposium, while regional/national awards refer to events, such as the Space Generation Workshops (SGW), national space generation events (SG[country]) or other regional or national conferences. In the event that the SGFF 2024 is forced to be held online due to a pandemic, this scholarship will not be counted as an international travel grant, and winners are eligible to apply for another travel grant in the next 2 years.

It is strongly requested that applicants only apply if they are certain they can attend SGFF and be in the United States at the time of the event in April. 

Submission rules

  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. In case of lack of quality of submissions, SGAC and SEDS-USA have the right to extend and or cancel the competition.

Responsibilities of the Winners

  1. The winning shall:
    • Attend the entire SGFF 2024
    • Submit a short video (uploaded to YouTube) describing their experience at SGFF 2024 for inclusion on the SGAC and SEDS website, newsletter or social media outlets. (Example of content: speakers that were particularly interesting, group discussions that stood out, or other event highlights. Please make sure to narrate in the background and include pictures of yourself in the video)

All responsibilities shall be fulfilled and reports submitted not later than May 11, 2024. In case the scholarship awardee does 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.  

Reimbursement

  1. The award will be paid out after the SGFF 2024 and the 39th Space Symposium, no later than 30 days after fulfillment of all responsibilities listed above.
  2. The scholarship award reimbursement is conditioned on the awardee fulfilling the scholarship requirements not later than May 11, 2024.
  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 in 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 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 organizers are granted non-exclusive reproduction rights regarding all submitted papers. SGAC and all affiliated organizers may also present ideas and findings generated by this competition at relevant conferences.

Liability

  1. Organizers shall not be responsible in the event that SGFF 2024 and/or the 39th Space Symposium are canceled. SGAC will not reimburse the winning author, even if he/she has already incurred expenses.
  2. Organizers shall not be responsible in the event that the award winner fails to attend SGFF 2024 and/or the 39th Space Symposium or is unable to under extenuating circumstances; in that case, the award offer shall become void.
  3. Organizers 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 of SEDS representatives and the SGAC Scholarships Team. 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 2024
    • Applicants will be assessed on their passion through an essay prompt of no more than 500 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:

Now!

Submission Deadline:

28 January 2024, 23:59 GMT

Application evaluation

28 January – 12 February, 2024

Announcement of Results:

13 February 2024