Canadian Student Participation in the NASA International Internship (NASA I²) Project (fall & spring )
Announcement of Opportunity
Publication date:
Application deadline: AO cancelled
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) only receives applications when the selection process is open. This Announcement of Opportunity (AO) is currently closed.
COVID-19 - Update:
As the situation related to the COVID-19 outbreak evolves, the CSA has decided to cancel this AO in connection with the preselection of candidates for the fall and spring internship sessions. The CSA encourages you to visit its website again in the coming months to find out about upcoming opportunities to submit an application request as part of the NASA I² Project.
COVID-19 - Update:
Given that this AO has been put on hold until further notice, please note that the service standards for application processing times outlined in section 6 of this AO are no longer applicable. Service standards will be updated if this process is reopened.
COVID-19 - Update:
Due to the special safety measures that have been put in place to limit the propagation of COVID-19 and that have resulted in university closures throughout Canada, the Agency would like to inform you that this AO is on hold until further notice. The impact of the COVID-19 situation on the Agency's preselection process is still being assessed. We ask interested candidates to visit this webpage on a daily basis to learn about further decisions and subsequent guidelines. The Agency reserves the right to modify the AO closing date and/or requirements, or to cancel this AO if necessary. Please note that the CSA has not been accepting applications under this AO since (inclusively) and will not consider any applications received prior to the potential reopening date of this process unless they were received prior or on the initial AO closing date.
Important notice
This is a very competitive process. The previous NASA I² AO generated significant interest throughout Canada and the CSA received over 350 applications from candidates pursuing bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies. Of this number, approximately 3% (candidates who obtained almost the highest potential evaluation score) were preselected and submitted to NASA for their final selection.
Applicants are asked to read the following AO thoroughly, including the Frequently asked question (FAQ) section, which is updated on a regular basis, before submitting their applications. All applications deemed incomplete will be rejected.
Key dates:
- Summer session (10 weeks): Closed
- Fall session (16 weeks) AO cancelled
- Publication date:
- Application deadline: , at 4:00 p.m. (ET)
- Approximate internship start and end dates: to
- Number of internships: Up to 2
- Funding from CSA: $3,000/selected candidate and a possibility of $8,000 from other sources
- Spring session (16 weeks) AO cancelled
- Publication date:
- Application deadline: , at 4:00 p.m. (ET)
- Approximate internship start and end dates: to
- Number of internships: Up to 2
- Funding from CSA: $3,000/selected candidate and a possibility of $8,000 from other sources
Table of contents
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.
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 undergraduate and 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 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 an undergraduate or 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. Candidates that are pursuing an undergraduate degree should have successfully completed a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in their program. University enrollment must be effective at the time of application and at the time of the internship (refer to Section 5.5);
- Have obtained, in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent), a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 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 "B" or higher) (NASA requirement);
- Be proficient in written and spoken English (level "Intermediate", "Advanced" or "Native" required; this criterion may be evaluated) (NASA requirement).
4. How to apply
Candidates must complete the following three steps to submit their application and receive, if they are selected by NASA, a grant from the CSA, Mitacs and Fulbright Canada to support the eligible expenses associated with their participation.
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.
- Download and complete the application form;
- A complete application must contain the following:
- A completed original Application form signed by hand by the applicant;
- A copy of the applicant's proof of Canadian citizenship (such as a Canadian passport);
- A proof of the student's full-time enrolment at a Canadian university, at the time of application, in an undergraduate or graduate program in STEM (such as a Letter of Attestation from the university). The applicant's field 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;
- For candidates that are pursuing an undergraduate degree only: an attestation of the applicant's successful completion of a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in the current program (this attestation can be provided through the same document as the proof of student full-time enrolment mentioned above);
- The applicant's academic records proving that the minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0 is met, or that an equivalent standard is achieved if the applicant's university does not use GPA (an average grade of "B" or higher). The applicant's academic record should include the name of his or her institution, the program in which the applicant is enrolled, the applicant's complete list of courses, including his or her marks in each course, and the legend explaining acronyms;
- A reference letter from a professor that holds a faculty position at the applicant's university (must be a separate document) (refer to Section 5.2 of this AO and Section G of the application form for elements that should be covered in the reference letter);
- The applicant's curriculum vitae (must be a separate document);
- One hard copy of all the documents above;
- A single PDF-formatted file containing copies (identical to the paper copies) of all the above-requested documents (with the only exception of the reference letter that can be provided as a paper copy) with all security features disabled on a USB memory key. If there is any discrepancy between the hard copy and the electronic version, the hard copy takes precedence.
Post-mail your application to the CSA at the address below:
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 must be received at the CSA no later than , at 4:00 p.m. (ET);
- Hand-delivered proposals 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 70% will be given further consideration.
| Criteria (weighting %) |
Indicators | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Academic excellence (30%) |
|
|
| Relevance of the candidate's experience to their first choice of internship project (40%) |
|
|
| Personal characteristics, leadership and interpersonal skills (15%) |
|
|
| Motivation to contribute to the Canadian space sector (15%) |
|
|
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 have successfully completed all of the above-mentioned stages 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 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).
Priority may be given to candidates participating in the NASA I² Project for the first time. 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 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:
- Fall session: The CSA's objective is to advise candidates that 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;
- Spring session: The CSA's objective is to advise candidates that will have been selected by NASA within thirty-five (35) 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.
- 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:
- Round trip transportation to the NASA research centre where the internship will take place;
- Accommodations during his/her internship; and
- 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 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 his or her 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 the 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 his or her 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:
Office of Access to Information and Privacy
Canadian Space Agency
Telephone: 450-926-4866
Email: aiprp-atip@asc-csa.gc.ca
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 J 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 .
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.
Question 1: It is indicated, in the important notice at the beginning of the AO, that the candidates who were preselected through the previous preselection process had obtained almost the highest potential evaluation score. What is the profile of the candidates who obtained the highest evaluation score?
Answer 1: Candidates who obtained the highest scores and who were preselected through the previous AO were all studying at the graduate level, had a GPA of 3.9/4.0 or above, and were the author or co-author of at least one publication (or had presented their research findings in at least one conference).
Question 2: Is a Canadian citizen studying abroad eligible to apply for the NASA I² Project?
Answer 2: No. As stipulated in Section 3 of this AO, an eligible applicant must be a Canadian citizen and be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student at the time of application.
Question 3: Must undergraduate students have completed four (4) semesters at the time of applying or at the time of the internship?
Answer 3: Candidates that are pursuing an undergraduate degree must have successfully completed a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in their program at the time of applying.
Question 4: The applicant's academic record is required. Should this document be an official transcript issued by the university, or would a print-out of the applicant's academic record from the university's student web services suffice?
Answer 4: As stipulated in Section I of the Application form, the applicant must provide an official and up-to-date copy of his or her academic record. The document must include his or her name, the name of his or her institution, the program in which the applicant is enrolled, the applicant's complete list of courses, including his or her marks in each course, and a legend explaining acronyms. The university's grading scale equivalencies between letter grades, percentages and grade point averages must also be provided.
Question 5: If a candidate submit their application for more than one internship session, could they be selected to participate in several internship sessions?
Answer 5: As stipulated in Section A of the Application form, candidates may apply on more than one internship sessions. However, priority may be given to candidates participating in the NASA I² Project for the first time.
Question 6: Is a permanent resident eligible to apply for the NASA I² Project?
Answer 6: No. As stipulated in Section 3 of this AO, an eligible applicant must be a Canadian citizen.
Question 7: Is a foreign student enrolled in a Canadian university eligible for the NASA I² Project?
Answer 7: No. As stipulated in Section 3 of this AO, an eligible applicant must be a Canadian citizen.
Question 8: If a candidate recently started a graduate degree at a different university than where the undergraduate degree was completed, can the reference letter be obtained from a professor from the university where the undergraduate degree was completed?
Answer 8: No. As stipulated in Section 4 of the AO, the reference letter must be provided by a professor that holds a faculty position at the applicant's current university. However, the professor who provides the reference letter could communicate with the candidate's former teachers to obtain their impressions.
Question 9: Is a candidate enrolled in an undergraduate program eligible if he or she has not yet completed four (4) semesters of full-time study in his or her current program but has previously obtained another undergraduate degree in STEM?
Answer 9: No. As stipulated in Section 4 of the AO, candidates who are pursuing an undergraduate degree must have successfully completed a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in their current program. As indicated in the AO, candidates who are in this situation must submit with their application a confirmation that they comply with this eligibility criterion.
Question 10: Could the reference letter be mailed directly to the CSA by the professor or be in a sealed envelope?
Answer 10: The reference letter from a professor must be part of the documents that the candidate must mail with his or her complete application. The reference letter can be in a sealed envelope and is the only document that does not have to be on the USB memory key.
Question 11: Can candidates who have completed more than two years of university study submit their academic records for their last two completed years only?
Answer 11: It depends. Candidates' eligibility is assessed based on, among other elements, their GPA (or equivalent standard) for each of their last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent). However, the CSA reserves the right to consider academic results obtained prior the last two years of studies completed if few or no grades appear on the transcript in the last two years (for example, during multiple semesters devoted to research). In this situation, candidates are asked to provide their previous academic results to allow the CSA to assess the candidate's eligibility.
Furthermore, as stipulated in Section 5.2 of the AO, past academic results will be used to evaluate the "Academic excellence" criterion of all eligible applications. Candidates are therefore encouraged to provide past university academic results that could support their application.
Question 12: When will the CSA publish the AO for future NASA I² Project internship sessions?
Answer 12: Any information on future internship opportunities offered through the NASA I² Project will be released on the CSA's website when they become available. Students are encouraged to regularly visit the CSA's website.
Question 13: Can the reference letter be provided by an adjunct professor at the candidate's university?
Answer 13: Yes. The reference letter can be provided by an adjunct professor at the applicant's university.
Question 14: What if, by the application deadline, the most recent grades an undergraduate candidate has access to are his or her first year grades?
Answer 14: As stipulated in Section 3 of the AO, candidates who are pursuing an undergraduate degree should have successfully completed a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in their program at the time of application. Therefore, eligible candidates should have access to their previous results at the time of their application.
Question 15: Are undergraduate candidates who have switched programs between their first and second years of study eligible and, if yes, how should they denote this change of program in their application?
Answer 15: As stipulated in Section 3 of the AO, undergraduate students should have successfully completed a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in their current program at the time of application. Previous years of study in other programs do not count.
Question 16: Which document should undergraduate students provide with their application to prove the successful completion of a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent)?
Answer 16: As stipulated in Section 4 of the AO, candidates that are pursuing an undergraduate degree must include with their application an official attestation, provided by their university, of their successful completion of a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in their current program. This attestation can be the same document that confirms the student's full-time enrolment status.
Question 17: Are the offered internships remunerated?
Answer 17: No, these internships are not remunerated.
Question 18: If the university provides the candidate with his or her official transcript in a sealed envelope, can the candidate open the envelop to scan the transcript an include it in the single PDF-formatted file that must be submitted with the application on a USB memory key?
Answer 18: Yes. Academic records (transcripts) are part of the documents that must be included in the single PDF-formatted file that must be submitted with the application on a USB memory key. Academic records do not have to be in a sealed envelope.
Question 19: Is there a possibility of extending the internship length to a longer period?
Answer 19: No. As indicated in Section 1 of the AO, NASA offers internship in three sessions during the calendar year: spring (16 weeks), summer (10 weeks) and fall (16 weeks).
Question 20: Is this a one-time opportunity for Canadian students to apply to the NASA I² Project or will there be other opportunities?
Answer 20: The CSA has previously opened a similar preselection process to Canadian students and intends on offering other opportunities. Any information on future opportunities will be released on the CSA's website. Students are encouraged to regularly visit the CSA's website.
Question 21: Is a candidate who is enrolled in a university program at the time of applying still eligible if he or she is no longer enrolled at the time that the internship will begin?
Answer 21: No. As stipulated in Section 3 of this AO, a candidate must be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student at the time of application and at the time of the internship to be eligible.
Question 22: Is a candidate permitted to apply for additional grants awarded by other organizations to assist with the expenses associated with this internship?
Answer 22: Yes. Although 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, it is the candidate's responsibility to apply for other sources of funding if desired.
Question 23: Should the reference letter be divided into subsections corresponding to the evaluation criteria?
Answer 23: As stipulated in Sections G of the Application form, the reference letter must include factual examples presented by the professor in clearly identified separate sections that correspond to the evaluation criteria. It is the applicant's responsibility to clarify this aspect with their professor and to ensure that the letter clearly demonstrates how each evaluation criterion is met.
Question 24: Must a graduate student's reference letter come from his or her research supervisor?
Answer 24: No. The professor who provides the reference letter does not have to be the applicant's supervisor. However, the professor must hold a faculty position at the applicant's university.
Question 25: Section F of the Application form indicates that the professor is encouraged to accept to provide the candidate with guidance throughout the course of their internship should it be necessary. What does this entail for the professor?
Answer 25: The scope and frequency of the guidance provided is dependent on the needs of the student and is left to the discretion of the professor. Although it is encouraged that the professor accepts to provide guidance to the candidate throughout the course of their internship, if he or she is selected and if this is authorized by NASA, this commitment from the professor is not a requirement.
Question 26: Is a candidate who is enrolled as a full-time student in a university program at the time of applying still eligible if he or she will be enrolled as a part-time student next semester or at the time that the internship will begin?
Answer 26: No. As stipulated in Section 3 of this AO, a candidate must be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student at the time of application and at the time of the internship to be eligible.
Question 27: Is it sufficient for an undergraduate candidate to provide an academic transcript that indicates that he or she has successfully completed four (4) or more semesters of study in their program, or should the university provide a confirmation through a separate document?
Answer 27: Undergraduate candidates must provide an attestation delivered by their university that confirms their successful completion of a minimum of four (4) semesters of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in their current program (this attestation can be provided through the same document as your proof of student full-time enrolment mentioned above).
Question 28: Can the candidate submit more than one reference letter with his or her application?
Answer 28: No. To enable an effective assessment of all the applications, candidates must submit a single reference letter with their application.
Question 29: Is a candidate who is enrolled as a part-time student at the time of application, because he or she is currently doing an internship, eligible to apply?
Answer 29: As stipulated in Section 3 of this AO, a candidate must be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student at the time of application to be eligible.
Question 30: Could an applicant still be eligible if the GPA requirement is not met, although by a very small gap?
Answer 30: No. This is a competitive process and the eligibility criteria are firm.
Question 31: Would it be acceptable for a candidate who submitted an application for a previous NASA I² AO to resubmit their previous application for this process?
Answer 31: No. Applicants who previously submitted an application under a previous NASA I² AO must follow the guidelines outlined in section 4 of the AO and in the application form, and submit a new application with all the required documents, up to date.
Question 32: Can a candidate who applied on a previous NASA I² AO apply again?
Answer 32: Absolutely. Each selection process is treated distinctly. Candidates are asked to read the new AO thoroughly, including the FAQ section, before submitting their applications.
Question 33: Can a candidate who applied on a previous NASA I² AO use the same reference letter as in the previous application?
Answer 33: Yes, the same reference letter can be submitted as long as the professor who wrote the previous letter still holds a faculty position at the applicant's university. Candidates should make sure that the reference letter includes the elements that are described in Section G of the Application form.
Question 34: If a candidate is interested in applying for the two internship sessions available through this AO (fall and spring ), may the candidate submit only one application?
Answer 34: Yes. Candidates interested in submitting an application for both internship sessions must submit only one application and indicate their interest to be considered for both sessions in Section A of the Application form.
Question 35: Is a candidate who will graduate during the NASA internship period still considered eligible?
Answer 35: As stipulated in Section 3 of this AO, university enrollment as a full-time student must be effective at the time of application and at the time of the internship. To assess this eligibility criterion, the CSA may require that the preselected candidates submit an official confirmation of their full-time registration at a Canadian university for the semester that corresponds to the internship session.
Question 36: Should the candidates submit a dedicated curriculum vitae (long format) or a résumé?
Answer 36: Either document will be accepted, as long as it provides all the information required to demonstrate how the evaluation criteria (see Section 5.2 of the AO) are met.