The New Mexico Space Grant In-Service Teacher (IST) Graduate Studies Fellowship is intended for full-time in-service teachers who are taking graduate level courses to either further their pedagogical content knowledge and/or seeking a graduate degree. In-service teacher must be enrolled in an accredited university in New Mexico and be teaching in a public school in New Mexico. The IST Graduate Studies Fellowship award is $2,500 per semester for up to two semesters.

Teachers must be full-time educators of any subject matter* and any grade level K-12 during the period of award. Teachers cannot have split obligations during the period of award, such as teaching part-time and completing a principalship or being an instructional specialist/coach. The New Mexico Space Grant IST Fellowship aims at supporting teachers in designing and developing two NASA science or math resource unit plans, which will be taught by the teacher in the teacher’s classroom during the award period.

The resource unit plan must relate to NASA’s unique mission of research and discovery as a framework for inspiration and student learning. The resource unit plan must also relate to Common Core State Standards (NM STEM Ready! Science Standards and NM Instructional Scope for Language Arts, Math and Science) applicable to the grade level. For specific requirements, please see application.

As it is true with all NMSGC programs, the participation of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities is strongly encouraged.

*The integration level of NASA-related materials and students’ level of engagement opportunities connected to NASA missions, themes or STEM Engagement programs is more important that the subject matter taught.

Applications for the Fall 2024 – Spring 2025 cycle closed on April 12, 2024. The next cycle applications will open in January 2025. 

If you applied for this cycle, you can expect to receive an email notification by May 24, 2024. All awards are expected to start the first day of the Fall 2024 semester at your academic institution.

Note: An application that does not have a letter of recommendation will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Click here to view application

Eligibility requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship
• Part-time enrollment (minimum of 3 credit hours). Dissertation/thesis credit hours or independent reading/study credit hours do not count
• Minimum 3.0 Cumulative GPA

Fellowship requirements:

• Must complete in-service teaching semester during award period
• Must have STEM-integrated resource unit plan
• Must submit a 1-page summary of in-service teaching semester and evaluation of unit plan
• Must present STEM-integrated unit plan at the Annual Virtual Student Research Colloquium
• Must notify NMSGC if ineligible
• Provide short-video testimonial if requested by NMSGC office