NASA FRC grant information
 

The application process for NASA sponsorship of teams for the 2008-2009 FIRST Robotics Competition season will open on September 19, 2008. Teams that are considering applying for NASA team grants may want to start to prepare their applications early. To learn more, please view the application directions and application guide. As always, please review the directions and required information carefully and completely before submitting an application.

-dave


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Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Thanks, Dave.

I noticed the following on the application directions page:

"Due to decisions beyond our control that limit full accessibility of the FRC program, we regret that we cannot offer sponsorship to Michigan teams. Grant applications for NASA Regional Challenge Grants and NASA Program Growth Grants from Michigan teams will not be accepted."

I think that information is probably something affected teams should know about sooner rather than later. So make sure you read the documents in their entirety as soon as you can.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Is this available for all teams or just 1st or 2nd year teams.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

There are 2 types. The first is only available to 1st and 2nd year teams. The 2nd is the Regional Challenge Grant which gives sponsorship to up to 10 veteran teams per selected regional which are newer regionals. Its on the site.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Veteran teams can apply for a grant if they are attending the inaugural Washington D.C. Regional. They can also apply for a program growth grant, but will only be considered after all the rookies and second year teams that applied.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Agreed. Which is one of the reasons why we wanted to put out the information and instruction sheets as early as possible, even before the application period opened. The other limitations are just as important - particularly the one about awarded teams from last year completing all their requirements before submitting a new application. There are several teams that have still not fulfilled their requirements from last year, and they will need to take corrective actions before they can apply for 2009 (nudge, nudge, if you still have not sent in your CA submission as required).

PLEASE read the information that has been posted. It is all spelled out quite clearly therein.

-dave



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Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Note the definition of veteran teams (it is different then it has been in the past). It is only teams whose rookie year was 2007, ie 3rd year teams.

Edit: Never mind. See below. For the sake of clarity, the "or earlier" should go before the long parenthetical, as it tends to get lost. If doing that, the long parenthetical should become its own sentence.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

"Veteran - A Veteran Team is any team registered with FIRST that had their rookie year during the 2007 FRC competition season (the 2007 competition season refers to the FRC season that began in January 2007) or earlier."

For clarity, it includes teams from 2007 and earlier -- not just 2007. :)

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Is that still closed for non-USA teams?

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

That is not correct. PLEASE read the information that has been posted, completely and carefully.

Please read the "Limitations" section. It is all there.

-dave



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Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

it is great that NASA offers these grants. Does NASA offer any similar type of grants for ftc, vex, botball or other programs that don't cost over $5,000? Our principal won't let us start an FRC team because it's just too expensive, but she will let us enter any of the programs that cost under $5,000. We're hoping to do vex and maybe ftc this year, and some of our programming students are asking me about botball - so if NASA offers any grants for other programs that would be great for us.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

As a second year team we are looking to apply for this grant, but it makes it sound like only second year teams that were excepted the first year are eligible. Is that right? We started last years team a few days before the grant was due so never submitted a rookie app.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Your interpretation is correct according to the definitions on the NASA site.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

*sigh* thats what I thought, second major grant that has come our way that we are not eligible for for some pesky reason.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Our team finalized its submission on Thursday. Since there are still 23 days left until the submission deadline, I (along with a few other veteran mentors) thought it might be a good idea to share some NASA grant writing tips.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2167

Personally, this is the third time I've been involved in this process with two different teams and every time I participate I learn more. Good luck to all applying and THANK YOU NASA for the opportunity to apply for funding.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

terrific resource for the teams. Thanks for taking the time to write and post!

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Your "6th Thing to keep in Mind" is "Say Thank You."
Every year I get this question.
"Who do we thank and where does it get sent?"
Is there contact information included in the application for followup?
Thanks.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

There is the general email box that goes along with question 7a and Dave posted this last year:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...1&postcount=49

Dave, is Dr. Green still the best person to send a thank you to?

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Yes.




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Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

On the grant application, there is a section for year 2 teams only.
If N/A, how have teams got around this. Application cannot be submitted without filling out this section.
Last year, we typed in N/A repeatedly to meet the word/character count, which seemed to be OK as we received the grant.
Doesnt seem to be the case this year.


Thanks.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

If you are a veteran team applying (or rookie as well I believe) after you choose veteran (or rookie) at the start of the application and save, questions 8, 9, and 10 become gray and you cannot fill them in, so you shouldn't need to worry about those fields as a veteran (or rookie).

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

that's strange because it didnt happen now twice.
NASA got back to me anyway and its OK for us to do what we mentioned earlier.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

I had a strange thing happen to me as well. When I originally entered data for 1712's entry I could fill in questions 8, 9, and 10. Then, when I came back to the saved data, it was gone, the boxes were grayed out, and I panicked a little (luckily I save a version in word). As it turned out, NASA had adjusted the instructions slightly to state that Rookies AND Veterans could skip ahead to question 11 and didn't need to do 8,9, and 10 (only second year applicants need to complete 8, 9, and 10). So, that little part of the system might still be "glitchy" perhaps? I did this work from a Mac, would that matter at all? Dave, any insight here??? As long as things get worked out it's no biggie, but this should be smooth for as many as possible as the deadline approaches so NASA support doesn't get a lot of these questions.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

We will look into it.

-dave


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Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Rich,
I did get the same thing also when I went back into the application.
It was now grayed out with no info.
I was also able to submit the application because of this. :)

Glenn

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Since Glenn and I had a similar experience I'm GUESSING that it takes a full "trip" in and out of the system (login, save, logout) before it will recognize whether you are a rookie, second year team, or veteran. This COULD mean that completing all of your information in one "trip" and submitting might cause some of the glitches Glenn and I experienced?

Notice I used the words GUESSING and COULD here. I'm sure Dave will come back with more concrete information soon. In the mean time, one thing is for sure. It doesn't appear that any necessary data can get "lost" and NASA support is helpful to teams. However, I would like to stress to all teams applying that you should definitely heed the strong suggestions to work and save your data separately in a text editor/word processing file.
:)

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Since today is the expected date for hearing from NASA, does anyone know what time they normally come out?

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

I believe Dave jokingly/seriously said they had til the end of the day Hawaii time last year to announce the recipients:

2007: Posted to CD 5:24 AM 11/20 (which, without checking, sounds like close to midnight Hawaii time 11/19 to me....)
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...8&postcount=27

2006: Posted to CD 10:08 PM http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...NASA+recipient

2005: Posted to CD 4:27 PM http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...NASA+recipient

So if you don't hear anything by 5:24 AM tomorrow, the sky is falling. :)

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Not until after you chew off most of your fingernails, Greg ;). I'm not 100% sure whether this is a "morning" thing or "by midnight" thing. In fact the application info states "around Nov. 12" which gives NASA some leeway.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Actually the application states
so I guess midnight is fine. You would think with the phoenix off their plates now they would get this stuff done early :-P

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

I stand corrected. I think it was a Dave post that said "around" ... hmmm....maybe there's the weak lin... errr...ummmm.......wonderful person who tries to help all of us out :)

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

the wait is killing me.....

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

me too, I already have one leg in the grave!:eek:

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

I'm rather nervously awaiting the news... our team somewhat depends on it for this year.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Hm..that's actually a bad thing. =/ I know a lot of teams depend on it year by year but they do state that your team should be prepared to deal with your budget without the grant, don't they? If you'd like some help with raising 6grand, this is the place to get help.:]

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

We are still putting the finishing touches on the final decisions. They will be announced a little later this evening. Except for the decision on Greg's team. We are going to hold off on that one until at least Monday.. :p


-dave


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Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Yes, they do. We do have other options we are pursuing, but those could all fall through. We will be off of it by next year, though.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Thanks Dave, my f5 key appreciates it. :cool:

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

To be eligible for a grant you need $6k in matching funds, so shouldn't you be OK for at least an entry fee?

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

:D :D :D

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

I've been kind of out of the loop this year; I hadn't thought about that. We'll be in about the same boat as last year, then.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

hey all you people glued to your computer in suspense...the awardees are listed here on this thread.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ght=nasa+grant

can't wait for the upcoming season and congrats to all the awardees

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Congrats to all recipients of the 2009 NASA grants!

Although our team did not receive the NASA grant this year, we hopefully will embark on this season (we are a 2nd year team)
It is in my nature, and more importantly my obligation to my team, to wonder what was outstanding from our application. We answered all questions truthfully and completely, we submitted the application before the deadline, we raised 6k in both money and material/serivce discounts/donations, and to the best of my knowledge an administrator completed question 7.
I don't mean to sound whiny-ish, but I can't help but to ask why.
Is there any way I can find this out?

Thank you, again congrats to all recipients of the 2009 NASA grants!

-Neel

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

There's generally an abundance of over qualified teams. Some teams end up getting them, some don't. Unfortunately you didn't.

I don't believe there will be any feedback given back to the teams regarding their applications.

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

This Dave Lavery post may be useful in explaining some of the general reasons applications may be rejected:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...1&postcount=45

Re: NASA FRC grant information
 

Congratulations to all the teams that have been selected to receive NASA Challenge Grants and NASA Program Growth Grants. Your participation in the grant application and selection process - by all teams, regardless of selection status - is gratefully appreciated. The generally high quality of the applications received shows your enthusiasm and excitement for the FIRST program and the positive results that your teams bring to your schools and communities. You make us proud to be a part of the process.

For all the teams that have been selected to receive a grant award, I want to draw your attention to one particular note. As stated on the grant announcement page ( http://robotics.arc.nasa.gov/events/...ponsorship.php ), "NASA will cover shipping expenses for the 2009 FRC control system to be shipped to all NASA-sponsored teams prior to the season kick-off. FIRST has been requested to send the FRC control system to each grant award team, at NASA expense, unless you specifically inform NASA and FIRST that you do NOT want to receive it." FIRST has already received many phone calls this morning asking what teams have to do to receive the control system. If you DO want do receive the control system early, you don't need to do anything - we will take care of it for you. Please do not call FIRST unless you do NOT want to receive the control system.

For the applications that were not selected, you may want to review the post Travis referenced earlier at http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...1&postcount=45 (Travis - thank you for remembering that post, I had forgotten about it and was getting prepared to write it all over again). Although written for last year's process, virtually all of the comments are still true and valid. We cannot provide a public response for why any one particular application was or was not selected. But that post summarizes many of the issues that were encountered during the evaluation process that prevented us from selected many of the applications. In particular, the discussion concerning the submission of the Chairman's Award and entrance/exit survey data should be reviewed. Not completing all of the obligations agreed to when a team received a grant in 2008 was the most frequent issue we encountered during the 2009 grant evaluation process.

-dave




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