Posted on 12/21/2010 10:27:38 AM PST by anymouse
NASA has selected the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corp. of Falls Church, Va., to administer a $1 million career development and educational program designed to address the critical shortage of U.S. minority students in science and engineering fields.
The NASA Astrobiology Institute's (NAI) Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) program in Moffett Field, Calif., is providing the funding for the four-year effort. The program will provide opportunities for up to four faculty members and eight students from minority-serving institutions to partner with astrobiology investigators. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and the future of life on Earth and the potential for life elsewhere.
"Providing new education opportunities for minority students will both enrich lives and answer a critical need for proficiency in science and engineering," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "But just as importantly, the program is an investment to cultivate imaginative thinking about the field of astrobiology."
The United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corp. will use its extensive database of 14,000 registrants to develop an online community to provide webinars, virtual training and videoconferences, and provide outreach and recruitment for program participants. The program's objective is to engage more teachers from under-represented schools in astrobiology research and increase the number of students pursuing careers in astrobiology.
"Our nation's underserved populations are a tremendous resource on which we must draw, not just for science, but for everything we do," said Carl Pilcher, director of NASA's Astrobiology Institute. "We are extremely pleased that the NAI MIRS program will continue contributing under the leadership of such a strong and experienced partner."
Founded in 1998, NAI is a partnership between NASA, 14 U.S. teams of universities and other organizations, and six international consortia. NAI's goals are to promote, conduct, and lead interdisciplinary astrobiology research, train a new generation of astrobiology researchers, and share the excitement of the field.
NAI is part of NASA's Astrobiology Program at the agency's headquarters in Washington. The institute initiated the MIRS program in 2002 as part of its mission to help train a new generation of researchers in astrobiology and increase diversity within the astrobiology community.
Fake outreach, for fake science, for fake jobs, by fake NASA Administrator, serving a fake President.
Space ping.
WORD UP, YO.
I hope there’s a lot of Muslims involved with the UNCF. Wouldn’t want NASA to lose sight of its Prime Directive.
I thought NASA’s big mission was to help Muslims? Do they have time to help negroes too?
The list, ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
It was either them or CAIR.
Shake down for dummies.
It serves the Somali community, which fits both requirements, oh, and what Obie wants 65,000 more to come to the US in 2011.
Sweet!
...or A.C.O.R.N.
Political correctness run amok!
...or the Taliban.
Just another coincidence, ein shure!
yo bro it’s da shisnitz!
And in totally unrelated news the next Albert Einstein and friends are gathered around the newly-found monolith throwing bones in the air.
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They wanted to go with CAIR but they decided to play it safe.
But ain’t that be “actin’ white”?
Nex they be goin’ to college an’ all and be thinking they bad ‘n shit
“NAI is part of NASA’s Astrobiology Program at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. The institute initiated the MIRS program in 2002 as part of its mission to help train a new generation of researchers in astrobiology and increase diversity within the astrobiology community.”
I guess the only jobs available with a PHD in Astrobiology would be in DC to endlessly study other life forms that haven’t been discovered yet. Brilliant!
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