NASA Academy 2011
Goddard Space Flight Center
ESA STUDENT APPLICATION FORM
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Please read through the entire application before filling it out. TYPE directly into this form paying special
attention to the following:
• Inform yourself fully about the NASA Academy at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) using the
information/links on the ESA Education webpage.
• Check your Eligibility to apply for the NASA Academy as student sponsored by ESA (see Eligibility
Requirements below).
• Read this Application Form completely before starting to fill it in. Also read through the list of available research
projects using the link on the ESA Education webpage.
• The complete application contains six (6) sections including: (I) General Data, (II) Application Essays, (III)
Education, (IV) Experience, (V) Special Skills, Hobbies, Interests, and (VI) Additional Application Materials.
Please use this application form as a template and answer all sections by writing directly into the spaces
provided in this document. Only additional application materials in section (VI) should be submitted as separate
documents.
• The essay questions (items 16A and 16B) are among the most important part of this application. Please pay
particular attention to these items. Your selection will be based, in part, on a suitable match of your skills,
competencies, and interests to a particular project. Answer these essay questions within this application form
using no more than one page.
• The selection process will performed by both ESA and NASA. Finalists in the selection process will be contacted
to schedule a telephone interview by a member of the Education Program staff or the NASA Academy Alumni
Association (NAAA). The contact information listed in item 8 will be used for this purpose and must be valid
during the months of February/March 2011.
______________________________________________________________________________________
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
All applicants must:
1. be aged between 18 and 28 at the time of the academy
2. hold the nationality of an ESA Member State or Cooperating State*
3. be enrolled as a full-time student in a university located in an ESA Member State or Cooperating
State at the time of submitting the application.
4. currently be a final year undergraduate student (and entering their first year as a graduate student in
autumn 2010) or a first year graduate student (ie. Master/PhD student entering their second year in
autumn 2010) with a major in engineering, science (physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, earth
science, etc), math, computer science or other area of interest to the aerospace program.
NASA Academy 2011
ESA Student Application Form
FINAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Please answer ALL sections and answer them by writing directly into this application form. Only the
Additional Application Materials specified in section (VI) should be submitted as separate documents.
When completed, this Application Form and the Additional Application Materials should be submitted
together in ONE email (with yourSurname yourFirstName NASA Academy 2011 Application in the subject
line of the email) to student.participation@esa.int
The Application Deadline is midnight (Central European Time) on Thursday 20th January 2011.
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
NASA Academy 2011
ESA Student Application Form
I. GENERAL DATA (Application to NASA Academy)
1. Sponsoring Space Organization: ESA
2. Name
_________________________________
last (Surname name)
_________________________ _____________________
first
middle
3. Date of birth: ______/______ /______
month
day
4. Marital status: ______married ______single
year
5. Gender: _____male _____female
6. Citizenship: __________________
7. Ethnic status (check one) (optional)
________African American
________Native American
________Hispanic American
________Caucasian American
________Asian American
________other (specify)______________________
8. Current mailing address (valid until:_____________________ )
month
day
year
_____________________________________________________________________________
address
___________________________________
______ ______________
city
state
__________
country
zip
_________________
______________
_____________________________________
phone
fax
e-mail
9. How did you learn about the NASA Academy (circle one)? Space Grant, Professor,
Poster,
Friend, NASA Academy Alumni, website, email, other, please specify_________
10. Have you applied to NASA Academy before (Y/N)?___________
_____________________________________________________________________________
If yes, what year(s) and
center(s)?
If participated, what year(s) and center(s)?
11. Sponsoring Space Organization: ESA
Contact person: Mr.Slawomir Zdybski +34 91 81 31 472
phone
Slawomir.Zdybski@esa.int
email
Have you been sponsored by ESA before (Y/N)?______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
If yes, what for and when?
12. What is the highest level of university education you will have completed by May 2011?
____Undergraduate Level (indicate # of years)
____Graduate Level (Master/PhD, indicate # of years)
13. Current college/university information
________________________________________________________
college/university
location (city, state, country)
_______________________________________
______________/_______________
major
_______________________________________
GPA / scale
_____________/_________
NASA Academy 2011
ESA Student Application Form
degree
date expected (month/year)
14. Permanent address
______________________________________________________________________
address
___________________________________
______ ______________
city
state
country
__________
zip
_________________
___________________
_______________________________
phone
fax
e-mail
____________________________________________________________________________
dates you will be at this address
15. Health Information (allergies, health problems, or any other condition that would affect a
seven-day-per-week program participation and/or long distance air-travel)
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
NASA Academy 2011
ESA Student Application Form
II. APPLICATION ESSAYS
16. Please write two separate essays (maximum 400 words each) addressing the following:
A. After reviewing the GSFC list of available projects (see the link on the ESA Education
webpage), identify three to five of your favourite projects. Explain how your skills,
competencies and interests would make you well suited to doing research this summer at
Goddard consistent with your selections. For your reference, a general description of typical
skills and types of projects is provided below.
List your chosen 3-5 projects here, for each giving its Name, Field of Research, and ‘Date
Posted’:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
[Write essay A here, max 400 words. Delete general descriptions below after reading]
Typical Space Science projects seek students with backgrounds in physics, electrical engineering, cyrogenics,
computer science, optics, and control systems. Most require practical “hands-on” laboratory experience and
computer analysis skills. A sample of types of Space Science projects include working with superconductors,
electromechanical modeling, and fabrication and testing of new low cost, lightweight, high performance antenna
elements.
Typical Earth Science projects seek students with backgrounds in engineering, physics, remote sensing,
meteorology, materials, optics, and computer science. Again, most of these projects require practical “hands-on”
laboratory experience and computer analysis skills. A sample of types of Earth Science projects include working
with hydrometerologic remote sensing instruments, measuring aerosol absorption, designing special optical
filters, developing GIS datasets, researching lidar and laser altimeter technology, and miniaturizing instruments
to fly on ultra light aircraft.
Typical Applied Engineering projects seek students with backgrounds in engineering, physics, digital
electronics, chemistry, and materials science. Here again, most of these projects require practical “hands-on”
laboratory experience and computer analysis skills. A sample of types of Applied Engineering projects include
evaluating a sintering process and all aspects of material synthesis, development of digital communications and
signal processing technology, and design and analysis of wireless concepts for the strain sensor.
B. Explain why you want to attend the NASA Academy, why you are interested in NASA and
the aerospace programme, what you hope to gain from the Academy experience, and what you
can offer the Academy.
[Write essay B here, max 400 words]
NASA Academy 2011
ESA Student Application Form
III. EDUCATION
17. Other colleges/universities you have attended (list those institutions at which you have
completed at least one semester full-time or two semesters part-time).
College/University
Location
(City, State)
Dates
(From -To)
Credits/Degree Earned
and Discipline
IV. EXPERIENCE (answer using bullet points, max 10 lines per question)
18. General work experience
19. Research experience and publications
GPA
NASA Academy 2011
ESA Student Application Form
V. SPECIAL SKILLS, HOBBIES, INTERESTS (answer using bullet points, max 10 lines per
question)
20. Special skills/certifications (pilot's license, SCUBA, programming languages, etc.)
21. Aerospace or space science related activities (SEDS, AIAA, CAP, etc.; include dates of
participation and any offices held)
22. General activities (extracurricular, athletics, arts, music, volunteer work, etc.; include
dates of participation and any offices held)
23. Membership in professional groups or societies (IEEE, SAE, ASME, GSA, etc.; include
duties and offices held)
24. Awards
25. Hobbies/interests
NASA Academy 2011
ESA Student Application Form
VI. ADDITIONAL APPLICATION MATERIALS
26. Two Letters of Recommendation are required. At least one of these Letters should be an
Academic Reference from a professor or senior academic clearly quantifying your academic
achievement level relative to the rest of the group/class/year group (eg. 5th in class of 50 or in top
5% of the year of 200 students).
Please list the individuals (name and position, and their affiliated institution) that you have asked
to send letters of recommendation:
1._________________________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________________________
It is your responsibility to ensure that the above individuals submit their letters directly to
student.participation@esa.int by the application deadline. Please ask them to include your
Surname and First name in the filename of the letter.
27. Please include a 100-150 word biographical essay (as a separate MS Word document with
filename: yourSurname_yourFirstname_Bio):
28. Please include a copy of your resumé/CV (as a separate MS Word document with filename:
yourSurname_yourFirstname_CV)
29. Please include an unofficial transcript from each of the universities you have attended (each
as separate files called yourSurname_yourFirstname_Transcript)
30. Please indicate which NASA Academy you would prefer to attend (this does not exclude you
from being selected for the other Academy):
______Ames Research Center
__X_Goddard Space Flight Center
31. Please write a Cover Letter (max 1 page) outlining why you would be interested in
participating in the NASA Academy, what your previous involvement has been with ESA (if
any) and why you believe ESA should consider you for sponsorship. Please give this document
the filename yourSurname_yourFirstname_CoverLetter
NASA Academy 2011
ESA Student Application Form
VIII. CHECKLIST
Before submitting your application:
-Have you completed all sections within this document?
-Have you completed/obtained the Additional Application Materials in section VI (including
Biography, CV, Transcripts and Cover Letter)?
-Have you contacted your Referees (the individuals who will provide your Letters of
Recommendation) and asked them to submit their letters directly to student.participation@esa.int
before 20th January 2011?
Remember to submit all your documents in a single email (with yourSurname yourFirstName NASA
Academy 2011 Application in the subject line of the email).