Space Grant Embarks Upon Exciting Program-Level Evaluation Pilot

NASA’s Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant), has awarded two cooperative agreements to the Space Grant Consortia to pilot an approach to Space Grant’s Program-Level Independent Evaluation. The purpose of these awards will be to pilot an approach over the next 2 years to assess the degree by which the Space Grant goals, and objectives have been met across the Program’s implementation. The awards directly align with one of the NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) fiscal year 2020 goals to “enhance the effectiveness of education investments using performance assessment and evaluation-driven processes”.

NASA received a total of 5 proposals and conducted an evaluation process involving a subject matter expert, peer panel evaluation, and an assessment by OSTEM. Ultimately, NASA selected the following two awardees, whose awards total almost $500,000 over the next two years,

The University of Alaska, Fairbanks, which is the lead institution of the Alaska Space Grant Consortium, in partnership with the Hawaii, Montana, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortia will conduct a program-level pilot evaluation to measure the benefits of their programs on community college, undergraduate, and graduate students. The Goldstream Group, Inc., an independent evaluation firm will conduct an external pilot evaluation.

New Mexico State University will use its funding to build upon the evaluations and data that have been collected by NASA over the years and amplify it with consistency and standardization of metrics; collection of ample rich program, site, and state level data that is critical to making conclusions about impact and continuous improvement; and describing the relationship between these programs and student and broader outcomes. 

Over 30 years ago Congress authorized, NASA to initiate the Space Grant Program to increase understanding, research, development, and utilization of aerospace science and technology through the nation's universities. The goal of the Space Grant Program is to contribute to the NASA mission, specifically in the area of government and industry partnerships “to improve America’s aerospace technologies and advance American leadership” by funding education, research, and informal education projects through a national network of university-based Space Grant consortia. Space Grant consortia are expected to develop innovative and integrated plans to advance aerospace knowledge and expand related activities.

For more information about Space Grant, please click here.