Canadian Student Participation in the NASA International Internship (NASA I²) Project (summer 2021, fall 2021 & spring 2022)

Announcement of Opportunity

Publication date: October 23, 2020

Application deadline: November 27, 2020

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) only receives applications when the selection process is open. This Announcement of Opportunity (AO) is currently closed. Note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to ensure the safety of interns, the internship sessions that were supposed to take place in summer 2020, fall 2020 and winter 2021 have been cancelled. NASA plans to resume the program in the summer of 2021.

Key dates:

• Summer 2021 session (10 weeks): Closed
  • Publication date: October 23, 2020
  • Application deadline: November 27, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (ET)
  • Approximate internship start and end dates: June 7 to August 13, 2021
  • Number of internships: Up to 2
  • Funding from CSA: $2,000/selected candidate and a possibility of $6,000 from other sources
• Fall 2021 session (16 weeks): Closed
  • Publication date: October 23, 2020
  • Application deadline: November 27, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (ET)
  • Approximate internship start and end dates: August 23 to December 10, 2021
  • Number of internships: Up to 2
  • Funding from CSA: $3,000/selected candidate and a possibility of $8,000 from other sources
• Spring 2022 session (16 weeks): Closed
  • Publication date: October 23, 2020
  • Application deadline: November 27, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (ET)
  • Approximate internship start and end dates: January 10 to April 29, 2022
  • Number of internships: Up to 2
  • Funding from CSA: $3,000/selected candidate and a possibility of $8,000 from other sources

1. Introduction

As part of its commitment to support the development of the next generation of space professionals in Canada and to foster future international collaboration between Canada and other countries, the CSA joined the NASA International Internship (NASA I²) Project.

NASA I² is a NASA initiative that seeks to better prepare students (U.S. and international) for future missions that require innovative thinking and cooperation with international collaborators. It is an intensive experience with an emphasis on learning, teamwork, research, and creativity. The program balances science and technology exploration with intercultural experiences. Interns take part in seminars on a wide variety of topics from both internal and external experts, informal discussions, supervised research, group projects, cultural lunches/ dinners, poster presentations, tours of NASA facilities, and other self-organized social events in the area. Interns make connections with peers and professionals in their fields and form relationships that serve them throughout their careers.

Internships are offered by NASA in three sessions during the calendar year: spring (16 weeks), summer (10 weeks) and fall (16 weeks). Current NASA participating research centres are the Ames Research Center and the Goddard Space Flight Center. The internships are not remunerated.

As a NASA I² Project participant, the CSA may nominate highly qualified university students who may subsequently be selected by NASA to participate in internship projects along with U.S. students and students from abroad.

As the only official agency in Canada allowed to submit candidates to NASA for the NASA I² Project, the CSA will manage, through this AO, the preselection of Canadian graduate students that have a demonstrated expertise and background in scientific and technical areas of interest to NASA and the CSA. Interested students should refer to the NASA I² Project List and submit their application for one internship project. Candidates may select up to two (2) alternate internship projects in case their first choice is not available. In that case, NASA could consider the alternate choices. However, applications will be assessed by the CSA on their first choice only. Candidates should verify specific project information to know the exact location of each internship.

The CSA and two funding organizations, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada, intend to award grants to the students that are selected by NASA to support them with their associated expenses such as travel, lodging, meals and visa processing costs if applicable. The total grant amounts that could be awarded to each grantee are the following:

• Up to $8,000 for a 10-week internship (summer);
• Up to $11,000 for a 16-week internship (fall and spring).

The CSA's share of these amounts is $2,000 for a 10-week internship and $3,000 for a 16-week internship.

The CSA will preselect Canadian candidates that comply with the AO eligibility criteria and who successfully pass the evaluation process. As funding organizations, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada will also be part of the preselection process. The files of the candidates that will have successfully passed all the stages of the preselection process, as described in Section 5, will be submitted to NASA for its final selection. The CSA, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada will support a maximum of two (2) candidates per internship session.

This AO is consistent with the terms and conditions of the CSA Class Grant and Contribution Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology – Awareness and Learning Component.

Applicants are asked to read the following AO thoroughly before submitting their applications. This AO was prepared to help applicants complete the application process, and outlines key elements, including mandatory eligibility criteria and selection process. In the event of any discrepancies between this AO and the individual grant agreement, the latter document will take precedence.

2. AO objectives

The key objectives of this AO are to:

• Foster the continuing development of the next generation of researchers and highly qualified people (HQPs) in areas relevant to the priorities of the CSA;
• Increase the level of student employability by exposing them to practical experiences that will enable them to acquire space science and technology knowledge, as well as skills sought by the space sector;
• Foster international collaboration on space science and technology research projects and missions by providing selected students with an exceptional opportunity to develop their international network.

3. Eligibility criteria

To apply to the NASA I² Project, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria. Certain criteria are required by NASA under the NASA I² Project:

• Be a Canadian citizen on the date of application (NASA requirement);
• Be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student in a graduate degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) in a topic of interest to the CSA and relevant to NASA's mission priorities, as reflected in the available internship projects. University enrollment must be effective at the time of application and at the time of the internship (refer to Section 5.5);
• Have previously completed an undergraduate or graduate program in STEM;
• Have obtained, for the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent), a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher on a scale of 4.0, or an equivalent standard if the student's university does not use GPA (an average grade of "A-" or higher). Note that the CSA reserves the right to consider the academic results obtained prior to the applicant's last two years of studies completed if few or no grades appear on their transcript in the last two years (for example, during multiple semesters devoted to research);
• Be the first author or co-author of at least one (1) publication in a journal or in conference proceedings;
• Be proficient in written and spoken English (level "Intermediate", "Advanced" or "Native" required; this criterion may be evaluated) (NASA requirement).

Note: Although candidates may indicate their interest for more than one internship session (summer 2021, fall 2021 and/or spring 2022), priority may be given to candidates participating in the NASA I² Project for the first time or who have not previously interned at NASA.

4. How to apply

Candidates must read the following section carefully and follow all of the steps that are indicated below in order to ensure their applications are completed and submitted successfully.

Candidates have the option to submit their applications either electronically (Section 4.1) or by mail (Section 4.2).

Note on the language of the application – Candidates may submit their application in the official language of their choice, English or French. As stipulated, preselected applications will be submitted to NASA for its final selection. Therefore, preselected applications that were submitted in French will have to be translated to English with very short notice to allow NASA to proceed with the final evaluation. This translation is only required for the purposes of NASA. Failure to comply with this requirement within the prescribed deadline may result in the applicant being rejected.

4.1 How to submit an application electronically

1. Download and complete the application form;
2. Assemble the following documents into a single PDF-formatted file, in the same order as is presented below. A complete application must contain the following:
   • A completed Application form signed by the applicant. Electronic or scanned signatures will be accepted for the time being, however applicants must keep a hard copy of the original application form signed by hand (in ink), as the CSA may require the documents with the original signature later in the process;
   • A copy of the applicant's proof of Canadian citizenship (such as a Canadian passport);
   • A single official document from the student's current university, such as an official attestation letter, that includes:
     • A confirmation of the student's full-time enrolment at a Canadian university, at the time of application, in a graduate program in STEM. The confirmation of full-time registration at the time of the internship will have to be submitted later in the preselection process, as indicated in Section 5.5;
     • The applicant's program of study (must be in a topic of interest to the CSA and relevant to NASA's mission priorities, as reflected in the available internship projects;
   • The applicant's up-to-date official transcript for the degree in progress (if at least one transcript has already been released for this degree). The applicant's official transcript must be issued and dated by the university during the semester in which the application is submitted and must include the name of the institution, the program in which the applicant is enrolled, the applicant's complete list of courses, including their mark in each course, and the legend explaining acronyms. The university's grading scale equivalencies between letter grades, percentages and grade point averages must also be provided;
   • The applicant's transcripts for all other undergraduate and graduate studies in STEM previously completed. Universities' grading scale equivalencies between letter grades, percentages and grade point averages must also be provided. If the previous studies were completed in a university abroad, the candidate must provide a proof of degree equivalency, such as an educational credential assessment, confirming that the completed degree is valid and equal to a Canadian one;
   • One (1) copy of a publication in a journal or in conference proceedings for which the applicant is the first author or co-author. This publication will be used to assess the relevance of the candidate's experience to their first choice of internship project;
   • A reference letter from a professor that holds a faculty position at a university and who supervised the applicant during their research work (refer to Section 5.2 of this AO and Section G of the Application form for elements that must be covered in the reference letter). The reference letter must either be included in the PDF file submitted by the applicant, or be sent electronically by the professor to the CSA at asc.stim-stem.csa@canada.ca (the email subject must respect the following formatting standard: "NASA I2_APPLICANT LAST NAME_APPLICANT FIRST NAME");
   • The applicant's curriculum vitae.

The documents requested must be combined into a single PDF-formatted file, in the same order in which they were presented above (with the only exception being the reference letter, which may be e-mailed separately by the professor at his or her discretion).

The applicant must keep one hard copy of all the original documents above with the only exception being the reference letter. The CSA may require candidates who successfully passed the stages described in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 to send a hard copy of their complete application with the original documents (as stipulated in Section 5.5).

3. Submit your completed application electronically:
   • Submit an account creation request using the Electronic Proposal Portal. Please note that Google Chrome is the browser of choice for submissions. Supported browsers are Google Chrome and Internet Explorer with some restrictions.
   • In the "Proposal title" field of the Electronic Proposal Portal, please use the following formatting standard: LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_NASA I2 2021-2022.
   • In the "Organization" section, under "Type", make sure to select "I don't represent an organization (individual)".
   • Allow up to 72 hours for the CSA to send you an email with instructions on how to connect to the CSA's secure file system to allow you to upload your application securely.

Important notes:

• Applicants using the electronic portal are encouraged to create their account many days before the submission deadline as technical difficulties may arise. If the technical issues cannot be resolved, applicants can submit their application by mail. Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload their complete application well before the submission deadline;
• Applications uploaded electronically must be successfully uploaded to the CSA secure file account by applicants no later than November 27, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (ET). A late application is considered to be one that has an electronic timestamp on the CSA system later than the deadline above;
• The onus is on the applicant to ensure that their application is complete and that all documents, including the reference letter, are uploaded or received at the CSA within the prescribed deadline;
• The CSA is not responsible for electronic delivery delays under any circumstances, and will refuse applications that are received after the stipulated deadline;
• Hand-delivered applications will not be accepted;
• Applications sent by e-mail will not be accepted;
• Incomplete applications may not be considered.

4.2 How to submit an application by mail or using a recognized courier service

1. Download and complete the application form;
2. Assemble the application package. A complete application must contain the following:
   • A completed application form signed by hand (in ink) by the applicant (electronic, scanned and typed signatures will not be accepted);
   • A copy of the applicant's proof of Canadian citizenship (such as a Canadian passport);
   • A single official document from the student's current university, such as an official attestation letter, that includes:
     • A confirmation of the student's full-time enrolment at a Canadian university, at the time of application, in a graduate program in STEM. The confirmation of full-time registration at the time of the internship will have to be submitted later in the preselection process, as indicated in Section 5.5;
     • The applicant's program of study (must be in a topic of interest to the CSA and relevant to NASA's mission priorities, as reflected in the available internship projects;
   • The applicant's up-to-date official transcript for the degree in progress (if at least one transcript has already been released for this degree). The applicant's official transcript must be issued and dated by the university during the semester in which the application is submitted and must include the name of the institution, the program in which the applicant is enrolled, the applicant's complete list of courses, including their mark in each course, and the legend explaining acronyms. The university's grading scale equivalencies between letter grades, percentages and grade point averages must also be provided;
   • The applicant's transcripts for all other undergraduate and graduate studies in STEM previously completed. Universities' grading scale equivalencies between letter grades, percentages and grade point averages must also be provided. If the previous studies were completed in a university abroad, the candidate must provide a proof of degree equivalency, such as an educational credential assessment, confirming that the completed degree is valid and equal to a Canadian one;
   • One (1) copy of a publication in a journal or in conference proceedings for which the applicant is the first author or co-author. This publication will be used to assess the relevance of the candidate's experience to their first choice of internship project;
   • A reference letter from a professor that holds a faculty position at a university and who supervised the applicant during their research work (refer to Section 5.2 of this AO and Section G of the Application form for elements that must be covered in the reference letter). The reference letter is the only document that does not have to be on the USB memory key. It must either be part of the documents that the candidate will mail with his or her complete application (in a sealed envelope or not), or be sent electronically by the professor to the CSA (details below);
   • The applicant's curriculum vitae;
   • A single PDF-formatted file containing copies (identical to the paper copies) of all the above-requested documents placed in the same order in which they were presented above (with the only exception being the reference letter, which can be sealed in an envelope or be sent electronically by the professor to the CSA at asc.stim-stem.csa@canada.ca; the email subject must respect the following formatting standard: "NASA I2_APPLICANT LAST NAME_APPLICANT FIRST NAME"). The PDF-formatted file must be saved on a USB memory key with all security features disabled. If there is any discrepancy between the hard copy and the electronic version, the hard copy takes precedence;
   • The hard copies of all of the documents listed in Section 4 must be placed in the same order in which they were presented above (see notes below).

3. Send your application by mail or using a recognized courier service, to the following address:

   NASA I² Project
   c/o Emilie de La Haye Duponsel
   Senior Program Officer, Academic Development
   Canadian Space Agency
   6767 Route de l'Aéroport
   Saint-Hubert, Quebec J3Y 8Y9

Important notes:

• Applications sent by mail or courier must be received at the CSA no later than November 27, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. (ET);
• The onus is on the applicant to ensure that their application is complete and that all documents, including the reference letter, are received at the CSA within the prescribed deadline;
• The Agency is not responsible for mail delivery delays under any circumstances, and will refuse applications that are received after the stipulated deadline;
• Hand-delivered applications will not be accepted;
• Applications sent by e-mail will not be accepted;
• Incomplete applications may not be considered.

5. Evaluation process

5.1 Eligibility

Applications will first be submitted to an eligibility assessment by the CSA to verify whether they comply with the eligibility criteria listed in Section 3. Only applications that have passed the eligibility assessment will be given further consideration.

5.2 Evaluation by the CSA

Once the eligibility criteria are confirmed, the CSA's evaluators will assess the screened applications according to the criteria presented in Table 1 below. Candidates shall provide the appropriate documents, as indicated in the "Evidence" column and requested in Section 4, to demonstrate how each evaluation criterion is met. Only applications that obtain a total minimum score of 75% will be given further consideration.

Notes:

• The overall score, which is the total of the scores for each of the criteria, will be used to establish a ranking of applications.
• The CSA may, at its sole discretion, reject any application that fails the evaluation.

5.3 Evaluation by Mitacs and Fulbright Canada

As funding organizations, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada will assess the applications of the candidates preselected by the CSA. Only applications deemed eligible by Mitacs and Fulbright Canada will be given further consideration.

5.4 Security screening

Candidates who successfully passed the stages described in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 above will be contacted by the CSA with instructions for authorizing the CSA's Security Services to run a security screening (reliability status), which is mandatory for this process. Candidates will be asked to complete a Screening, consent and authorization form and to submit their fingerprints within a very short timeframe. Only candidates that have obtained a reliability status will be given further consideration.

5.5 Other mandatory information

To complete the preselection process, the CSA may require candidates who successfully passed the stages described in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 above, and who submitted their application electronically, to send a hard copy of their complete application with the original documents (as stipulated in Section 4). All candidates who successfully pass the stages described in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 will also be required by the CSA to provide additional information, such as an official confirmation of their full-time registration at a Canadian university at the time of the internship. Only candidates who provide the required additional information within the prescribed deadline will be given further consideration.

5.6 Final preselection by the CSA

The CSA will rank the applicants who have successfully completed the security screening based on the score obtained in the evaluation conducted by the CSA (Section 5.2). The CSA may conduct a final evaluation of the candidates who obtained the highest final scores to only retain the applications of up to ten (10) candidates per internship session (summer 2021, fall 2021 and spring 2022).

Priority may be given to candidates participating in the NASA I² Project for the first time or who have not previously interned at NASA. The CSA could also take into consideration factors such as a balanced representation across Canada as well as a diversified representativeness of the four designated groups: women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. Please visit Employment Equity website for a complete definition of each group. We encourage you to indicate on a voluntary basis if you belong to one or more of these groups.

As stipulated in Section 4, preselected applications submitted in French will have to be translated to English by the applicants in a timely manner. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the application being rejected.

5.7 Final selection by NASA

The applications of up to ten (10) candidates who have successfully passed all the above-mentioned stages will be submitted to NASA for each internship session (summer 2021, fall 2021 and spring 2022) for its final selection. NASA security processing takes time, and delays are possible.

NASA may, at its sole discretion, reject any application and is under no obligation to select any candidate. NASA may also require additional information to evaluate applications.

The number of candidates who will participate depends on the quality of the applications received, NASA's final selection and available funding.

6. Service standards

Applicants will be notified by email of decisions regarding their application. The CSA has set the following service standards for application processing times, including acknowledgements of receipt, funding decisions and payment procedures.

• Acknowledgement: The CSA's objective is to acknowledge the receipt of the applications within two (2) weeks following the AO's closing date.
• Decision:
  • Summer 2021 session: The CSA's objective is to advise candidates who will have been selected by NASA within eighteen (18) weeks following the AO's closing date, and, to send to selected candidates their grant agreements and other mandatory documents for signature within three (3) weeks following such replies;
  • Fall 2021 session: The CSA's objective is to advise candidates who will have been preselected by the CSA within eighteen (18) weeks following the AO's closing date. This preselection will however be conditional on all the eligibility (Section 3) and evaluation (Section 5) conditions being met. NASA's final decision will be communicated later, according to NASA's timeline (approximately in May 2021). The CSA will send to selected candidates their grant agreements and other mandatory documents for signature within three (3) weeks following NASA's decision;
  • Spring 2022 session: The CSA's objective is to advise candidates who will have been preselected by the CSA within eighteen (18) weeks following the AO's closing date. This preselection will however be conditional on all the eligibility (Section 3) and evaluation (Section 5) conditions being met. NASA's final decision will be communicated later, according to NASA's timeline (approximately in October 2021). The CSA will send to selected candidates their grant agreements and other mandatory documents for signature within three (3) weeks following NASA's decision.
• Payment: The CSA's objective is to issue its share of the total grant amount within four (4) weeks of the successful fulfillment of the requirements outlined in the grant agreement.

Applicants must submit all required documentation within the prescribed deadline.

7. Available funding

The CSA, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada intend to award grants to the candidates who successfully complete the selection process and participate in the NASA I² Project. The total grant amounts that could be awarded to each grantee are the following:

• Up to $8,000 for a 10-week internship (summer);
• Up to $11,000 for a 16-week internship (fall and spring).

The CSA's share of these amounts is $2,000 for a 10-week internship and $3,000 for a 16-week internship.

Each grant received from the CSA must only be used to cover, for the purposes of the internship, the following eligible expenses:

1. Round trip transportation to the NASA research centre where the internship will take place;
2. Accommodations during his/her internship; and
3. Meals for the duration of his/her internship.

Eligible expenses exceeding the total grant amount as well as any other types of expenses, such as car rentals, are entirely the beneficiary's responsibility.

Notes:

• Grant terms and conditions specific to Mitacs and Fulbright Canada may apply;
• The CSA reserves the right to reject applications or to reduce its share of the total grant amounts at its sole discretion.

8. Grants agreement

8.1 Payment

Grants are to be awarded separately by the CSA, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada.

For the CSA's share of the total grant amounts:

• Obtaining the grant is conditional upon the applicant signing a grant agreement with the CSA that includes conditions that the candidate will have to agree to;
• All terms of payment for the grant will be set out in the grant agreement;
• The eligibility criteria and the terms and conditions of that grant agreement must be met throughout the duration of the agreement. Each recipient has the obligation to inform the CSA in writing of any change in the conditions used to establish their eligibility for the grant.

Note: The management of Mitacs and Fulbright Canada's grants is the sole responsibility of these respective organizations. Selected candidates should directly communicate with Mitacs and Fulbright Canada for any concern or question regarding their share of the total grant amount.

8.2 Intern obligations

Selected candidates will have to comply with certain obligations that will be described in the grant agreement, including but not limited to the following:

• Consent to comply with a participant code of conduct and ethics which outlines the conduct and behaviours expected by NASA and the CSA. This document will be provided to selected candidates with their grant agreement, for their consent and signature;
• Obtain appropriate insurance coverage that will remain in effect for the duration of the travel;
• Plan their travel, book their accommodations, and have in their possession all the mandatory documents required to enter the U.S.;
• Fully participate in the internship experience;
• Submit an internship report upon their return that will be shared with Mitacs and Fulbright Canada.

9. Confidentiality and consent of personal information

The CSA manages and protects the information provided by the applicant under the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act. By submitting your personal information, you consent to its collection, use and disclosure in accordance with the following Privacy Statement, which explains how the information about the applicant will be processed.

The information is collected under the CSA Class Grants and Contributions Program in Support of Awareness, Research and Learning - Research Component (ASC PPU 045) and Awareness and Learning Component (ASC PPU 040). This information will be used for administration and application evaluation purposes. Personal information will be kept accordingly to the retention schedule. You may also refer to Info Source for additional information about the functions, programs, activities and related information holdings of government institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. According to the Privacy Act, any individual may, upon request, have access to their personal data and request correction of the incorrect information.

Applicants should also note that information relating to the Funding Agreement could be disclosed publicly in accordance with the laws, policies and directives of the Government of Canada.

Applicants also agree to the CSA using and disclosing all the information provided in their application package, including any personal information provided, with the funding organizations (Mitacs and Fulbright Canada) and with NASA for the following purposes:

• Reviewing eligibility;
• Evaluating the application;
• Statistics and reporting.

For additional information regarding this statement, please contact:

10. Outreach activities

Applicants that are selected to participate in the NASA I² Project are encouraged, upon their return, to take part in outreach activities to share their experience with other students. Applicants may refer to Section K of the Application Form to indicate their interest, if they are selected, to participate in outreach activities upon their return. The answer to this question will not influence the assessment of the applications.

11. Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Should the need arise, it is the applicant's responsibility to obtain clarification regarding the requirements contained in this opportunity before applying.

For all questions, applicants must use this generic e-mail address: stedia-dstemu@asc-csa.gc.ca. Questions and their answers will be posted on the CSA website under the "Frequently asked questions" section of this AO. The CSA will answer questions received no later than 5 p.m. (ET) on November 13, 2020.

At any point, applicants are welcome to share with the CSA their comments or suggestions regarding the program using the following generic email address or the generic web-based comments and suggestions box.