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Canadian Student Participation in the 45th Committee on Space Research Scientific Assembly (COSPAR )

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Announcement of Opportunity (AO)

Publication date:

Application deadline: , at 11:00 a.m. (ET)

Key information

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) only receives applications when the selection process is open. The Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for COSPAR is currently Closed.

1. Introduction

This year, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will award grants to students who will participate in the 45th Committee on Space Research Scientific Assembly (COSPAR ) to be hosted in Busan, South Korea from to .

COSPAR's objective is to promote scientific research in space on an international level, with emphasis on the exchange of results, information and opinions. In addition, COSPAR aims to provide a forum, open to all scientists, for the discussion of problems that may affect scientific space research.

As part of its commitment to support the development of the next generation of space professionals in Canada, the CSA invites university students (master's and doctoral levels) to apply for a grant to participate in this assembly.

2. AO Objective

The objective of this AO is to support the development of the next generation of space professionals in Canada by providing students with a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge of space science, develop their international networks, and present their research at a well-established and prestigious forum.

3. Eligibility criteria

In this section 3

3.1 Eligible Recipients

To apply for a grant under the COSPAR AO, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. Be a Canadian citizen or Canadian permanent resident;
  2. Be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student in a graduate program (master's or doctoral) for the Winter semester ( – ); and
  3. Have submitted an abstract to COSPAR for a presentation (oral or poster) at COSPAR .

3.2 Links to CSA Priorities

The CSA supports the Canadian space sector to remain at the forefront of the new and evolving space environment. A steady pipeline of highly skilled workers is critical to sustaining Canada's leadership in a globally competitive space economy and unlocking the space sector's full potential. The CSA is committed to equipping Canadians with the information and tools they need to take full advantage and to excel in these jobs of the future.

3.3 Links to the Class G&C Program Objectives

Applications submitted under this AO must include elements that contribute to fostering the continuing development of a critical mass of highly qualified people in Canada in areas relevant to the priorities of the CSA.

4. How to apply

In this section 4

The applicant must read the following section carefully and follow all steps that are indicated below in order to ensure their application is completed and submitted successfully:

4.1 Required documentation

A complete application must contain the following:

  • A completed application form (details in Section 4.2) signed by the applicant. Electronic or scanned signatures will be accepted, however applicants must keep a hard copy of the original signed application form, as the CSA may require the original documents at a later date;
  • A copy of the applicant's proof of citizenship (such as a Canadian passport) or permanent resident card;
  • A proof of the student's full-time enrolment in a graduate program at a Canadian university for the Winter semester (e.g. letter of attestation from the university);
  • A reference letter from a professor that holds a faculty position at a Canadian post-secondary institution that supervised the candidate and/or their research (please refer to Appendix A of this AO or section G of the application form for more detailed information);
  • A copy of the applicant's abstract submitted to COSPAR for a presentation (oral or poster) at COSPAR (for more information regarding how to submit an abstract, please visit COSPAR Abstract Submission); and,
  • The applicant's curriculum vitae.

The requested documents 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 applicants who successfully passed the evaluation stage described in Section 5 to send a hard copy of their complete application with the original documents.

4.2 Submitting an application electronically

In order to submit your application electronically, please follow these steps:

  1. Request the creation of an account by clicking on the Electronical Proposal Portal, ensuring that this is done at least 3 weeks before the application deadline. Please note that supported browsers are Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. You will then need to follow these steps to create your account:
    • In the "Proposal title" field, please use the following formatting standard: COSPAR -LAST NAME-FIRST NAME.
    • In the "Organization" section, under "Type", please ensure to select "I don't represent an organization (individual)".
    • Allow up to 48 hours for the CSA to send you an email confirming your account creation as well as instructions (User Guides) and the appropriate links, including the link to the online application form.
  2. Using the password assigned to you by the CSA, access and complete the online application form. Please note that you may save the information entered and return at a later date, if required, but that you must finish the entire application process by the application deadline date.
  3. Once you have completed the electronic application form, be sure to print a PDF before you click "Submit".
  4. Sign the copy of your application form (electronic signature accepted) and combine it with the other required documentation into a single PDF-formatted file (searchable PDF (PDF/A-1a or PDF/A-2a formats preferred), with all security features disabled) and in the same order as listed in Section 4.1. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that their submitted PDF file is accessible.
  5. Submit the completed application package electronically by logging into the secured portal to upload protected documents, using the password assigned to you by the CSA. Please refer to the User Guide for instructions on how to securely upload your documents.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Applicants using the electronic portal are encouraged to create their account as soon as possible, as technical difficulties may arise. If technical issues cannot be resolved, applicants can submit their application by mail (refer to Section 4.3). 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 at 1:00 PM (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 (if it is being sent separately), are uploaded or received by the CSA within the prescribed deadline;
  • The CSA is not responsible for electronic delivery delays under any circumstances, and may 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;
  • Applicants are asked to not send their application both electronically and by mail or courier service. In the event that an applicant fails to comply with this directive, only the latest valid version received will be considered;
  • Incomplete applications may not be considered.

4.3 Submitting an application by mail or using a recognized courier service

The applicant is encouraged to submit their application electronically following the instructions provided in Section 4.2 of the AO. However, if the applicant is unable to submit their application electronically, please communicate with stim-stem@asc-csa.gc.ca to obtain instructions on how to submit a paper application by mail or using a recognized courier service.

Applications by mail or using a recognized courier service must be received at the CSA no later than at 1:00 PM (ET).

5. Evaluation process

In this section 5

5.1 Abstract Acceptance or Refusal by COSPAR

In order to be eligible for a grant under the COSPAR AO, the applicant must have submitted an abstract to COSPAR for a presentation (oral or poster) at COSPAR . The COSPAR Secretariat will directly provide the CSA with a confirmation in of which applicants' abstracts were accepted and which were refused. This information is required in order for the CSA to complete the evaluation process (refer to Section 5.4 of the AO).

5.2 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 of the AO. Only applications that have passed the eligibility assessment will be given further consideration.

5.3 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. Applicants shall provide the appropriate documents, as indicated in the "Evidence" column and requested in Section 4 of the AO, to demonstrate how each evaluation criterion is met. Only applications that obtain a total minimum score of 70% will be given further consideration.

Table 1. Definition and breakdown of evaluation criteria
Criteria
(weighting %)		 Indicators Evidence
Relevance of the applicant's experience and education to the Canadian space sector
(35%)
  • Professional and academic background of the applicant as well as achievements and other extracurricular activities that bear relevance to the Canadian space sector;
  • Research experience and participation in publication writing.
  • Factual examples provided in application form, section D;
  • Factual examples provided in reference letter in clearly identified sections;
  • Curriculum vitae.
Motivation to contribute to the Canadian space sector
(35%)
  • Applicant's expectations for participating in COSPAR and how their participation will positively impact applicant's future contribution to the Canadian space sector;
  • Applicant's aspirations regarding pursuing studies or a career in Canada in a space-related discipline or in a discipline the space sector could benefit from in the future.
  • Factual examples provided in application form, section E;
  • Factual examples provided in reference letter in clearly identified sections.
Personal characteristics and interpersonal skills
(30%)
  • Professional, academic and/or other relevant extracurricular activities that demonstrate the applicant's leadership skills and ability to network;
  • Description of how the applicant's work as a student stands out.
  • Factual examples provided in application form, section F;
  • Factual examples provided in reference letter in clearly identified sections.

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.

5.4 Final selection

For the final selection, the CSA will first consider the applicants having the highest final scores. Because of limited funding, priority will be given to:

  1. Students whose abstract has been selected by COSPAR and who have not previously been funded directly by the CSA to attend a conference. If an insufficient number of applications meet this prerequisite, then the CSA will also consider:
  2. Students whose abstract has been selected by COSPAR and who have previously been funded directly by the CSA to attend a conference. If an insufficient number of applications meet this prerequisite, then the CSA will also consider:
  3. Students whose abstract has not been selected by COSPAR and who have not previously been funded directly by the CSA to attend a conference.

Applicants who were previously selected under the COSPAR AO or the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) AO will be considered as not having been previously funded by the CSA to attend a conference, as these initiatives were significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Students may submit co-authored abstracts to receive a grant; however the CSA will offer just one grant per abstract.

The CSA could also take into consideration factors such as a balanced grants distribution across Canada as well as a diversified representativeness among the four designated groups. The CSA encourages applicants to indicate on a voluntary basis if they belong to one or more of the four following groups: women, Indigenous People, persons with disabilities and member of visibility minority. Please visit Employment equity site for a complete definition of each group.

Please note that the results from the COSPAR AO evaluation committee are final.

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 (see key dates):

Meeting these service standards is a shared responsibility. Applicants must provide all the required documents at the right time.

Key dates:

  • : Deadline for reception by the CSA of funding applications
  • : Deadline for acknowledgement of receipt of applications
  • : Deadline of disclosure of applicants selected for funding by the CSA
  • : Deadline of funding agreements mailing by the CSA

7. Financing and eligible costs

The maximum amount for each grant is $5,000 for in-person attendance. The total budget for this AO should be sufficient to support approximately ten (10) students. The CSA reserves the right to reject applications or to reduce the amount of a grant at its sole discretion.

The recipient will have to accept to use the awarded grant to cover (partially or totally) the costs associated with his/her participation in COSPAR . The funding should be used to cover the following expenses:

All other costs exceeding the CSA grant amount are entirely the recipient's responsibility.

Applicants must complete section H of the Application Form with details regarding the requested funding for each eligible cost category.

Note * In order to optimally benefit from their grant, students are required to attend COSPAR for a minimum of 3 days, or the minimum number of days necessary to attend all of the events scheduled within the Scientific Commission in which their research will be presented (the greater number of days of the two). The CSA will provide funding up to a maximum of 11 nights (from to ) provided that the student will participate in COSPAR activities for the duration of their stay. Students may prolong their stay in Busan, South Korea for personal travel provided that they do so at their own expense.

8. Grants agreement

In this section 8

The CSA and each successful applicant will sign a grant agreement. This condition must be met for the CSA to issue a payment. Such an agreement will include a condition that the recipient must attend all the events scheduled within the Scientific Commission in which their research will be presented at COSPAR , unless an adequate justification is provided to the CSA in advance.

8.1 Payment

Payment will be made in the form of a single payment, as indicated in the grant agreement that will be signed. Recipients undertake to inform the CSA in writing of any change in the conditions used to establish their eligibility for the grant.

8.2 Final report

The CSA will require that each recipient submit a report within 30 days following the end of COSPAR using a template the CSA will make available in advance.

9. Confidentiality

The CSA manages and protects the information provided by the applicant under the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act. By submitting personal information, the applicant consents to its collection, use and disclosure in accordance with the following Confidentiality Statement, which explains how information on applicant is handled.

By submitting an application, the applicant authorizes the CSA to undertake any consultation or verification, in particular but not exclusively with other government departments, agencies and organizations in order to obtain any useful information in assessing the application, and it agrees to have the contacted parties disclose any requested information.

This information is collected under the authority of the CSA Class G&C Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology - Awareness and Learning Component (ASC PPU 040). This information will be used for administrative purposes and for the evaluation of applications. Personal information (such as name, contact information and biographical information) will be stored for six years, then destroyed. Under the Privacy Act, any individual, upon request, may

  1. be given access to his/her/their data; and
  2. have incorrect information corrected or add a note.

Applicants shall also note that information relative to the funding agreement will be publicly disclosed under Government of Canada legislation, policies and directives.

For additional information on privacy matters prior to submitting an application, please contact:

Office of Access to Information and Privacy
Canadian Space Agency
Tel.: 514-378-6174
Email: aiprp-atip@asc-csa.gc.ca

10. Additional information

11. Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Should the need arise, it is up to applicants to obtain clarification regarding the requirements contained in this opportunity before applying.

For all questions, applicants must use this generic e-mail address: stim-stem@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 not answer questions received after .

  • Question 1: I am enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student in a doctoral program for the Winter semester, however I am an international student (non-Canadian) with a study permit. Am I eligible to apply for a grant under this AO?

    Answer 1: As stipulated in Section 3 of the AO, must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in order to be eligible for a grant. A copy of the applicant's proof of citizenship (such as a Canadian passport) or permanent resident card must be provided with the application. Applicants who do not meet this requirement are not eligible for a grant.

    COSPAR offers financial support to a select number of scientists to participate in COSPAR . For more information, please visit Financial Support - COSPAR .

  • Question 2: The AO states that the applicant must provide a reference letter from a professor that holds a faculty position at the applicant's university. Can the reference letter be provided by an adjunct professor from the applicant's university?

    Answer 2: Yes. A reference letter from an adjunct professor will be accepted provided that they supervised your research.

  • Question 3: Are students who are enrolled in a Doctor of Medicine (MD) program eligible to apply for a grant under this AO?

    Answer 3: Yes. Students who are enrolled in a Doctor of Medicine (MD) program are eligible to apply for a grant under this AO as long as they fulfil all of the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 3 of the AO (including being enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student for the Winter semester).

  • Question 4: The research project that I am working on and submitting to COSPAR is through another institution than the one I am currently attending. I would like my reference letter to be from the Principal Investigator (PI) on my project. This implies that my reference letter is not from a professor that holds a faculty position at my university, although they are a faculty member at another Canadian university. Is this acceptable?

    Answer 4: Yes. In this situation, a reference letter from the professor who supervised your research will be accepted. Please ensure that this professor clearly explains the nature of your relationship in their reference letter.

  • Question 5: Will there be publication of conference proceedings following COSPAR ? Is it possible to submit an abstract to COSPAR for research that was already published elsewhere?

    Answer 5: For publication information and for questions relating to abstract submission to COSPAR, please e-mail the COSPAR Secretariat at cospar@cospar-assembly.org.

  • Question 6: I am a Canadian permanent resident with a background in aerospace engineering, however I am not yet enrolled in a university. Can I still apply for this opportunity?

    Answer 6: As stipulated in Section 3 of the AO, applicants must be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student in a graduate program (master's or doctoral) for the Winter semester ( – ) in order to be eligible for a grant. A proof of the student's full-time enrolment in a graduate program at a Canadian university for the Winter semester (e.g. letter of attestation from the university) must be provided with the application. Applicants who do not meet this requirement are not eligible for a grant.

  • Question 7: I am currently a part-time student who intends on presenting research at COSPAR that was carried out in the past while I was a full-time undergraduate student. Am I eligible to apply for a grant under this AO?

    Answer 7: As stipulated in Section 3 of the AO, applicants must be enrolled in a Canadian university as a full-time student in a graduate program (master's or doctoral) for the Winter semester ( – ) in order to be eligible for a grant. A proof of the student's full-time enrolment in a graduate program at a Canadian university for the Winter semester (e.g. letter of attestation from the university) must be provided with the application. Applicants who do not meet this requirement are not eligible for a grant.

    COSPAR offers financial support to a select number of scientists to participate in COSPAR . For more information, please visit Financial Support - COSPAR .

  • Question 8: The AO states that "students may prolong their stay in Busan, South Korea for personal travel provided that they do so at their own expense". Will the grant still cover roundtrip airfare if the student prolongs their stay or arrives early? Relatedly, if the student is travelling to COSPAR from a location other than Canada, will the airfare be covered?

    Answer 8: Yes, the grant can be used to cover roundtrip airfare if the student prolongs their stay in Busan or arrives early. The grant can also be used to cover airfare if the student travels to Busan from a location other than Canada. However, in both cases, the funds used for travel (flight, transportation, meals and hotel) should not exceed those that would normally incur for a return trip from Canada (city of residence) to Busan between and .

Appendix A: Reference Letter Format

The reference letter must not be longer than 1,000 words and must be written by a professor that holds a faculty position at a Canadian post-secondary institution that supervised the candidate and/or their research. It should include factual examples that demonstrate how the candidate meets the evaluation criteria presented in section 5.3 of the AO. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure that the professor clearly identifies the following three (3) sections in their letter:

  1. Relevance of the applicant's experience and education to the Canadian space sector
    • Description, with clear examples, of the applicant's work experience (including research experience and experience in publication writing), awards, and/or achievements and how they bear relevance to the Canadian space sector;
  2. Motivation to contribute to the Canadian space sector
    • Description, with clear examples, of how the applicant's participation in the event will positively impact their future contribution to the Canadian space sector;
  3. Personal characteristics and interpersonal skills
    • Description, with clear examples, of how the applicant's work as a student stands out and surpasses expectations;
    • Clear examples of situations (professional, academic and/or extracurricular activities) in which the applicant's leadership skills and ability to network were demonstrated.

The reference letter must either be included in the PDF file that the candidate will submit, or be sent separately and electronically by the professor to the CSA at stim-stem@asc-csa.gc.ca (the email subject must respect the following formatting standard: COSPAR -LAST NAME-FIRST NAME) before the application deadline date.

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