
NASA'S Gateways to Blue Skies: Clean Aviation Energy Competition
Ages:Undergraduate, Graduate
Types:Submission, Presentation
Categories:Aerospace Engineering, Engineering, Environment, STEM, Technology
Scope:National
Registration
Entry Fee: $
Contact
Through the 2023 Blue Skies Competition, teams of 2 to 6 students will conceptualize the source-to-flight lifecycle of one potential, primary clean aviation energy source of the future. In the push towards climate-friendly aviation and emerging aviation markets, this challenge seeks to investigate alternate energy sources that, if developed further, could be a solution to major climate impacts due to aviation. Teams will develop a proposal that will be the basis for selecting competition finalists, who will write a final research paper, develop an infographic, and present at the 2023 Blue Skies Forum in Cleveland, OH. Finalists receive a funding stipend to facilitate full competition participation. Competition winners earn internships within NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
- Thoroughly review the Competition Guidelines document on the Blue Skies Competition website.
- Find a qualified advisor and a team of students with diverse knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to the theme.
- Ensure that your team meets the eligibility requirements.
- Submit a Notice of Intent to stay informed of competition updates.
- Attend one or both Q&A sessions with the competition judges.
- Develop and submit a Proposal and 2-minute Video by 11:59 PM ET on February 28, 2023.
- Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by the Blue Skies judges.
- Based on a review of the proposals, up to 8 teams will advance to the next phase of the competition – more fully developing their concept into a technical paper and infographic and presenting their concepts in a face-to-face review during the Blue Skies Forum taking place June 1-2, 2023.
- Winning team members receive NASA internship offers.
- Technical Merit & Rationale: Sound justification of assumptions for the selected energy source and its source-to-flight lifecycle.
- Impact Assessment: Sound technical/scientific/engineering analysis, evaluation, and rationale of the climate impact attributable to the selected energy source and its source-to-flight lifecycle, indicating thorough and proper research conducted or to be conducted.
- Landscape Assessment: Understanding the key technical, social, political, financial, and environmental factors.
- Innovation: Of energy source, concept, or technology to the aviation industry.
- Theme Adherence: Adherence to competition thematic components as stated in the Overview and Competition Theme Description.
- Composition/Grammar/Cohesion: Paper utilizes excellence in the English language, grammar, and composition to effectively convey concepts.
- Relevance to Proposed Concept: Video enhances/highlights aspects of the team’s concept(s) and/or increases understanding of chosen energy source’s source-to-flight lifecycle.
- Overall Impression: Video content is aesthetic, organized, and flows. Viewers can easily follow the material.
NASA'S Gateways to Blue Skies Awards
Up to 8 teams selected to present their concepts at the 2023 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition Forum will receive a $6,000 stipend to facilitate full participation in the Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, which culminates in a Forum at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH. Members of the winning team will be offered up to 6 internships within the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD).
Website: https://blueskies.nianet.org/
Managing Organization: National Institute of Aerospace (NIA)
Contact:
blueskies@nianet.org
Eligibility:
The Gateway to Blue Skies Competition is open to full-time or part-time undergraduate and graduate students at an accredited U.S.-based community college, college, or university. Teams may include senior capstone students, clubs, multi-university teams, and/or multi-disciplinary teams.
<ul>
<li>An individual may join more than one team.</li>
<li>A faculty advisor may advise more than one team.</li>
<li>A university may submit more than one proposal.</li>
<li>Team members may not be a federal employee acting with the scope of employment (this includes co-op students with civil servant status).</li>
<li>The expectations is that Blue Skies projects are student-led initiatives (i.e., students are doing the work).</li>
<li>Faculty take on the role as mentors, and if a team is selected as a finalist, help manage any monetary awards sent to the university.</li>
</ul>
Foreign Nationals (FNs) attending the proposing U.S.-based university can participate on a Blue Skies Competition Team, with one notable exclusion. Due to the prohibitive restrictions and ever-changing NASA security regulations, foreign nationals will not be able to attend culminating Blue Skies Forum events that take place on-site at a NASA Center (including tours).
Because this is a NASA-sponsored competition, eligibility is limited to universities in the United States. Foreign universities are not eligible to participate in the Blue Skies Competition.
Registration Opens: July 26, 2022
Registration Closes: March 1, 2023
Overview
Through the 2023 Blue Skies Competition, teams of 2 to 6 students will conceptualize the source-to-flight lifecycle of one potential, primary clean aviation energy source of the future. In the push towards climate-friendly aviation and emerging aviation markets, this challenge seeks to investigate alternate energy sources that, if developed further, could be a solution to major climate impacts due to aviation. Teams will develop a proposal that will be the basis for selecting competition finalists, who will write a final research paper, develop an infographic, and present at the 2023 Blue Skies Forum in Cleveland, OH. Finalists receive a funding stipend to facilitate full competition participation. Competition winners earn internships within NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
Process
- Thoroughly review the Competition Guidelines document on the Blue Skies Competition website.
- Find a qualified advisor and a team of students with diverse knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to the theme.
- Ensure that your team meets the eligibility requirements.
- Submit a Notice of Intent to stay informed of competition updates.
- Attend one or both Q&A sessions with the competition judges.
- Develop and submit a Proposal and 2-minute Video by 11:59 PM ET on February 28, 2023.
- Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by the Blue Skies judges.
- Based on a review of the proposals, up to 8 teams will advance to the next phase of the competition – more fully developing their concept into a technical paper and infographic and presenting their concepts in a face-to-face review during the Blue Skies Forum taking place June 1-2, 2023.
- Winning team members receive NASA internship offers.
Criteria
- Technical Merit & Rationale: Sound justification of assumptions for the selected energy source and its source-to-flight lifecycle.
- Impact Assessment: Sound technical/scientific/engineering analysis, evaluation, and rationale of the climate impact attributable to the selected energy source and its source-to-flight lifecycle, indicating thorough and proper research conducted or to be conducted.
- Landscape Assessment: Understanding the key technical, social, political, financial, and environmental factors.
- Innovation: Of energy source, concept, or technology to the aviation industry.
- Theme Adherence: Adherence to competition thematic components as stated in the Overview and Competition Theme Description.
- Composition/Grammar/Cohesion: Paper utilizes excellence in the English language, grammar, and composition to effectively convey concepts.
- Relevance to Proposed Concept: Video enhances/highlights aspects of the team’s concept(s) and/or increases understanding of chosen energy source’s source-to-flight lifecycle.
- Overall Impression: Video content is aesthetic, organized, and flows. Viewers can easily follow the material.
Awards
NASA'S Gateways to Blue Skies Awards
Up to 8 teams selected to present their concepts at the 2023 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition Forum will receive a $6,000 stipend to facilitate full participation in the Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, which culminates in a Forum at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH. Members of the winning team will be offered up to 6 internships within the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD).
Participate
Website: https://blueskies.nianet.org/
Managing Organization: National Institute of Aerospace (NIA)
Contact:
blueskies@nianet.org
Entry Fee:
Eligibility:
The Gateway to Blue Skies Competition is open to full-time or part-time undergraduate and graduate students at an accredited U.S.-based community college, college, or university. Teams may include senior capstone students, clubs, multi-university teams, and/or multi-disciplinary teams.
<ul>
<li>An individual may join more than one team.</li>
<li>A faculty advisor may advise more than one team.</li>
<li>A university may submit more than one proposal.</li>
<li>Team members may not be a federal employee acting with the scope of employment (this includes co-op students with civil servant status).</li>
<li>The expectations is that Blue Skies projects are student-led initiatives (i.e., students are doing the work).</li>
<li>Faculty take on the role as mentors, and if a team is selected as a finalist, help manage any monetary awards sent to the university.</li>
</ul>
Foreign Nationals (FNs) attending the proposing U.S.-based university can participate on a Blue Skies Competition Team, with one notable exclusion. Due to the prohibitive restrictions and ever-changing NASA security regulations, foreign nationals will not be able to attend culminating Blue Skies Forum events that take place on-site at a NASA Center (including tours).
Because this is a NASA-sponsored competition, eligibility is limited to universities in the United States. Foreign universities are not eligible to participate in the Blue Skies Competition.
Deadlines
Registration Opens: July 26, 2022
Registration Closes: March 1, 2023