NASA's New Museum Grant Allies Will Make the Universe Accessible to Families from Alaska to Florida

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE 818-354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

Carolina Martinez 818-354-9382
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
carolina.martinez@jpl.nasa.gov

Stephanie Schierholz/David Steitz 202-358-1600
Headquarters, Washington
stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov, david.steitz@nasa.gov

NEWS RELEASE: 2010-010 Jan. 12, 2010

NASA'S NEW MUSEUM GRANT ALLIES WILL MAKE THE UNIVERSE ACCESSIBLE
TO FAMILIES FROM ALASKA TO FLORIDA

The full version of this story with accompanying images is at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-010&cid=release_2010-010

WASHINGTON -- Interactive museum exhibits about climate change, Earth science, and
missions beyond Earth are among the projects NASA has selected to receive agency funding.
Nine informal education providers from Alaska to New York will share $6.2 million in grants
through NASA's Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums.

Participating organizations include museums, science centers, Challenger Centers and other
institutions of informal education. Selected projects will partner with NASA's Museum Alliance,
an Internet-based, nationwide network of more than 400 science centers, planetariums, museums,
aquariums, zoos, observatory visitor centers, NASA visitor centers, nature centers and park
visitor centers.

Projects in the program will engage learners of all ages as well as educators who work in formal
or informal science education. The projects will provide NASA-inspired space, science,
technology, engineering or mathematics educational opportunities, including planetarium shows
and exhibits.

In conjunction with NASA's Museum Alliance, the grants focus on NASA-themed space
exploration, aeronautics, space science, Earth science, microgravity or a combination of themes.
Some projects will include partnerships with elementary and secondary schools, colleges and
universities.

The projects are located in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, North Carolina,
Oregon and South Dakota. The nine grants have a maximum five-year period of performance and
range in value from approximately $120,000 to $1.5 million. Selected projects work with the
NASA Shared Service Center in Mississippi to complete the business review necessary before a
NASA award is issued.

Proposals were selected through a merit-based, external peer-review process. NASA's Office of
Education and mission directorates collaborated to solicit and review the grant applications. This
integrated approach distinguishes NASA's investment in informal education. NASA received 67
proposals from 32 states and the District of Columbia.

Congress initially funded the Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums
grants in 2008. The first group of projects began in fall 2009 in California, Colorado, Florida,
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Vermont and
Washington. Congress has enacted funds to continue this program in 2010, and NASA
anticipates selecting additional proposals to fund from those submitted in 2009.

For a list of selected organizations and projects descriptions, click on "Selected Proposals" and
look for "Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums (CP4SMP)" or solicitation
NNH09ZNE005N at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com .

For information about NASA's Education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education .

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., leads the Museum Alliance. For
information about the alliance, visit: http://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum .

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov .

-end-

To remove yourself from this mailing, please go to http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=ksKZLdPQKjJRIdK&s=dnIOKMPlE9JAILNrGnF&m=gqLML0NxFeL1F

To remove yourself from all mailings from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, please go to http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=nvI5ImM2JmIYKnJ&s=dnIOKMPlE9JAILNrGnF&m=gqLML0NxFeL1F