NASA ISGC Fellowship
Now Accepting Proposals
Application Deadline: March 13, 2026
NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium 2026-2027 Graduate Fellowship.
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Each fellowship is worth $45,000 and is good for approximately one year.
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​Eligibility: Applicants applying for an ISGC Fellowship must meet the following requirements:
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Must be a U.S. Citizen
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Must be enrolled in, or accepted into, a graduate degree program at an Idaho university.
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Must be enrolled as a full-time student
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In order for your ISGC Fellowship application to be complete, you must fill out the application form below, attaching your research proposal, and have 2 recommendations submitted. We strongly recommend that you have the following required application materials prepared before starting the application, as once started, progress is not saved.
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1) Research proposal
2) Contact information for the two individuals submitting letters of recommendation on your behalf
Your research proposal must include the following (see template below):
1) Title Page with date of submission, title of project, and an abstract briefly describing the proposed research
2) Description of proposed research to include the goals, methods, and expected outcomes.
3) Research timeline
4) Alignment with NASA's current activities
5) Publication Plan
6) References
7) (Optional) Previous ISGC support
The Research Proposal should not exceed 5 pages (excluding title page, references, resume, and previous ISGC support information).
Your proposal will be evaluated based on how well it addresses the following:
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Merit of proposed research - Are the goals of the research attainable? Are the proposed methods feasible?
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Research timeline - Is it feasible to complete the research within the 1 year fellowship timeline? Are tasks and milestones clearly articulated?
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Alignment - Is the proposed research aligned with NASA's Strategic Goals and/or the goals of the ISGC?
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Publications - Is there a publication plan? Is it reasonable?
Two letters of recommendation are necessary to complete your application. One of these must come from your Research Advisor who will be supporting you during your award period.
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Applications must be completed by March 13, 2026. ​
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Letters of Recommendation must be submitted to ISGC by March 13, 2026. Letters of Recommendation must be submitted via this link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019b485cc41b7431be9bdece913bb29c
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Questions about the solicitation or application? Join us for drop-in office hours:
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Session #1: January 15, 2026 at 3 pm PST (Zoom Meeting ID: 884 3932 9611)
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Session #2: February 11, 2026 at 2 pm PST ( Zoom Meeting ID: 848 9097 0323)
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​​​​​​​​​​​​If you have any questions, please email isgc@uidaho.edu
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2021-2022 Fellowship Awardees
Will Weygint
M.S., Department of Natural Resources and Society
University of Idaho
Rodrigo Padilla
Ph.D, Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Idaho
Determining the suitability of thermal remote sensing for monitoring intra-annual tree growth in subalpine conifer forests of Idaho and the Intermountain West
Abstract:
Climate change-related shifts in hydrologic regimes are altering water availability in snowdominated ecosystems throughout Idaho and the Intermountain West. Of particular importance is increasing variability in the amount and duration of winter snowpack in subalpine forests and its
effects on tree wood growth, which provides important ecosystem services including wood production, habitat provisioning, and carbon sequestration. Due to its linkages to water availability tree wood growth could also be estimated using in-situ, airborne, and satellite leaf temperature measurements. The main goal of this project is to further explore linkages between tree wood growth and leaf temperatures to determine the suitability of using remotely sensed conifer shoot and canopy temperature (TS and TC, respectively) measurements as a proxy for intra-annual tree wood growth in subalpine forests. The two major objectives of this project are: 1) Explore feedbacks between TS and diurnal tree wood growth dynamics, and 2) test the spatial
scalability of the relationships between temperature and growth using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-determined TC as well as satellite data products. This project will utilize in-situ data collected from an existing environmental monitoring network within the University of Idaho Nokes Experimental Forest near McCall, Idaho, as well as satellite TC measured from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), a NASA instrument designed to collect surface temperature measurements across the globe. Results from this project will provide researchers and managers with a novel approach for monitoring the effects of climate change-induced alterations in hydrologic variability on tree wood growth in subalpine forests in Idaho and the Intermountain West. Idaho Space Grant Consortium Fellowship funding would be used to start this project and to complete analysis of objective 1 during the 2021-2022 academic year.
On the Aerodynamics of Fluid Structure Interaction
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Abstract:
An experimental study is being proposed to better understand flutter near the velocity instability range. Experiencing flutter is undesirable for aircraft in flight as it causes structural fatigue and failure, as well as contributing a large increase in drag. This phenomena will directly impact the efficiency of aircraft performance which is not desirable for the recent NASA project, Advanced Aerodynamic Design Center for Ultra-Efficient Commercial Vehicles. The scenario of ultra-efficient high-aspect wings is idealized to a cantilevered membrane to allow for a controlled experimental approach. Particle Image Velocimetry will be used to measure the velocity field that will be triggered along with load measurements experienced by the membrane on a corresponding time series. Hot Wire Anemometry will also be used to profile the wake of the membrane similarly be triggered with load measurements. This will allow to further quantify the pressure differential and the vortex shedding from a stable state to a uttering state. These measurements will help understand the causes of sudden flutter that will aid in validating models for these types of systems. Being able to understand these types of system will also help improve the design process for efficient aircrafts.
Past Fellowship Awardees
Maggi Kraft
Ph.D, Department of Geosciences
Boise State University
2020-2021
Estimating snowmelt in forested mountain watersheds with ground measurements, lidar remote sensing, and MODIS fSCA
Abstract:
Mountain snowpack provides water for 60 million people in the western United States and approximately one-sixth of the world’s population. With decreasing water resources and snowpack, it is essential to quantify and predict snow accumulation and melt for current and future water resources. Forest canopies influence the under-canopy net radiation and snowmelt across a landscape, resulting in spatially heterogeneous snow depth and snowmelt timing. The primary goal of the proposed research is to advance the knowledge of how vegetation controls snowmelt and the temporal and spatial distribution of snow depletion to improve streamflow prediction in complex mountain terrain. This research will combine NASA satellite data, NASA SnowEx aerially collected remote sensing data and ground measurements to improve the accuracy of estimating watershed scale snow surface energy balance to predict snowmelt timing and magnitude.