NASA Grants

[Taylor]

I've got some confusion about the 2012 NASA grants; hopefully someone here can shed some light.

Under Regional Challenge Grants, the site says

during the first year of a new Regional Competition event, a number of "veteran team" sponsorships will also be awarded. These sponsorships are for one year only, and are awarded to veteran teams that are electing to attend the new event. By involving veteran FRC teams in the new events, it is expected that the overall level of the competition, quality of the experience, transfer of knowledge and experience to rookie teams, and demonstration of values associated with the FRC program will be increased.

(emphasis mine)

It goes on to say

For the competition season, Regional Challenge Grants will be available for the following events:
Capitol Regional (Washington DC) up to 10 sponsorships
North Carolina (Raleigh, NC) up to 20 sponsorships
Utah (Salt Lake City, UT) up to 20 sponsorships
Florida (Miami, FL) up to 20 sponsorships

None of these four events are in their first year; additionally, no first-year events show up on the list when a veteran team applies for the grant.

It seems clear to me in the first passage that NASA intends to support the first-year events by assisting veteran teams to participate. However, in the grant itself, these events are not supported. Why the discrepancy?

[Chris is me]

I think it's quite unlikely, but I would hope NASA would sponsor our trip to Montreal. Something tells me that won't happen though.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

I think it's quite unlikely, but I would hope NASA would sponsor our trip to Montreal. Something tells me that won't happen though.

Severely unlikely; if NASA doesn't support non-US teams, I can't see them supporting non-US events.

[Akash Rastogi]

Did anyone see anything about MAR/FiM teams and the NASA grant yet?

[Taylor]

I may have answered my own question - at the top it says

We are only accepting NASA house team applications at this time.

Maybe when they open it up to all teams at some later date, the options will be changed to reflect their intentions.

Pardon me whilst I untwist my knickers.

[Meredith Novak]

Do 2nd year NASA teams have to attend the same event they attended in their rookie year?

The grant information currently says, "Second-year funding is available ONLY to those teams that received a "rookie year sponsorship" from NASA for the SAME event during the 2010 competition season.”

Is this the standard that teams are required to attend the same event? Since I've never had a 2nd year team before, I have never looked carefully at this requirement.

[SenorZ]

Originally Posted by Meredith Novak

Do 2nd year NASA teams have to attend the same event they attended in their rookie year?

At some point it also mentions a NASA-sponsored event. Maybe some aren't supported by NASA.

I'm more concerned with the extra requirements for 2nd-year teams: you need at least $5000 in other sponsorships/funding, and you must mentor a rookie team. We have NASA money left over from last year... does that count?

[ebarker]

Originally Posted by SenorZ

We have NASA money left over from last year... does that count?

NO, absolutely not.... The intent is that rookie teams learn how to become self sustaining.

Rookies are to pursue other funding sources and learn how to exist without NASA.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach them to fish, and they can feed themselves for life.

[ebarker]

Originally Posted by Meredith Novak

The grant information currently says, "Second-year funding is available ONLY to those teams that received a "rookie year sponsorship" from NASA for the SAME event during the 2010 competition season.”

I'm not the expert on this rule but it seems the intent is that rookie / 2nd year teams go to the SAME event in consecutive years.
.

[Meredith Novak]

Originally Posted by ebarker

I'm not the expert on this rule but it seems the intent is that rookie / 2nd year teams go to the SAME event in consecutive years.
.

I just don't recall this in prior years. I sent NASA an email to ask for clarification. The team did not go to a NASA event last year and is not planning to go to a NASA event this year, so I don't see why it should matter that they need to accommodate their school's schedule for possible travel.

[wendymom]

Originally Posted by Taylor

I've got some confusion about the 2012 NASA grants; hopefully someone here can shed some light.

Under Regional Challenge Grants, the site says (emphasis mine)

It goes on to say

None of these four events are in their first year; additionally, no first-year events show up on the list when a veteran team applies for the grant.

It seems clear to me in the first passage that NASA intends to support the first-year events by assisting veteran teams to participate. However, in the grant itself, these events are not supported. Why the discrepancy?

This is the first year for the The South Florida Regional (Miami). The Orlando Regional has been held for years as the only Regional in Florida. Now we have 2.

[ebarker]

Originally Posted by Meredith Novak

I just don't recall this in prior years. I sent NASA an email to ask for clarification. The team did not go to a NASA event last year and is not planning to go to a NASA event this year, so I don't see why it should matter that they need to accommodate their school's schedule for possible travel.

There are NASA regionals, and non-NASA regionals. That is probably a totally different issue then the rule discussed above.

A rookie team can go to any regional, but it seems the 'SAME' rule requires them to go to the same regional twice, irrespective of it being a NASA regional.

Ed

[PayneTrain]

Not to add to the ball of confusion, but it seems like second-year teams are required to mentor a rookie team to receive a grant, but veterans aren't? And why is NASA giving 30 sponsorships to old regionals, and 20 to a transplanted regional? CVR and QCR (I'll go off on a limb and say Montreal won't see any regional challenge grants) aren't getting these? I guess Utah should get them if they are the only regional sponsored by NASA, but none of the teams currently registered are rookies or 2nd-years there. DC has 0 rookies, and NCR only has 2.

Our team was looking to NCR or QCR depending on the acquisition of this grant... It looks like we'll try to go to NCR BECAUSE of the grant, not because we couldn't get it for QCR...

What is going on?

[Travis Hoffman]

The "only open to NASA house teams" was posted in error and has since been removed. The grant application is open to everyone.

[Katie_UPS]

Have any teams (rookie or otherwise) been denied the NASA grant?