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NASA L'SPACE NPWEE Academy

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Effective concept proposal development program

September 2021 – December 2021

This program taught me how to effectively write, review, and score proposals through the lens of a NASA reviewer. This NASA-run program allowed a team of students and I to write our own technology advancement proposal and to score other teams’ proposals.

Background

The L’SPACE NASA Proposal and Writing Evaluation Experience (NPWEE) Academy is a free, online, interactive program open to undergraduate STEM students interested in pursuing a career with NASA or other space organizations. This extensive workforce development program is designed to provide unique, hands-on learning and insight into the dynamic world of the space industry. Students learn about NASA proposal development and evaluation from industry professionals in topics such as:

  • Navigating the NASA Technology Roadmaps
  • Accessing solutions to technology evolution needs as per NASA’s agency needs in the realm of:
    • Low maturity innovative solutions
    • Incremental improvements to existing system with few barriers to infusion
    • Adaptation of non-NASA technologies or concepts for NASA application
  • Partnering with organizations and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
  • Creating work plans
  • Setting schedules with identifiable margins, major milestones, and deliverables
  • Identifying resources, funding, skillset necessary
  • Submitting a NASA New Technology Report (NTR)

Students also wrote proposals in small teams and competed for $10,000 in funding for their new technology development.

My Involvement

My team developed a proposal entitled “Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Temperature Fluctuation Reduction”. This proposal sook to develop a better means of storing and transferring cryogenic propellants in space flight for long-duration missions. The application of this technology has the benefits of reducing temperature fluctuations of the propellant that result in fuel loss. Evolution of this technology would allow for longer space exploration missions and reduce the cost of current missions. Additionally, the adoption and improvement in the storage and use of cryogenic propellants bring with it environmental benefits due to improved efficiency.

I spent time developing the project management approach, since I had experience in the subject matter from my time in the L’SPACE Mission Concept Academy. I developed work cycles, schedules, funding plans, and deliverable goals. I also helped write the NTR that complemented the proposal submission.

After the proposals were submitted, I also read over and scored three other teams’ proposals. I graded each report based on technical merit, potential, management approach, team and workforce development, and alignment with NASA’s needs. I then joined a group of other students to discuss our scores and come up with a final score for the proposals.