One Stop Shopping Initiative (OSSI) for NASA Internship/Fellowship Opportunities Broker Facilitator Corps | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this NASA grant opportunity about?

This competitive opportunity from NASA Headquarters (Office of Education, Education Programs Integration Division) funded a small group of nonprofit education organizations to create a "Broker Facilitator Corps" under NASA's One Stop Shopping Initiative (OSSI) for internship and fellowship opportunities. The intent was to use experienced intermediaries to improve how students are recruited, supported, and guided into NASA internships and fellowships.

What is the "Broker Facilitator Corps"?

The Broker Facilitator Corps was designed as a small set of trusted intermediary organizations that would act as "brokers" and "facilitators" between NASA and key segments of the higher education community. Each selected organization would bring expertise, networks, and culturally competent strategies to widen participation and strengthen the student pipeline into NASA internships and fellowships.

What does OSSI stand for, and how does it relate to this grant?

OSSI stands for One Stop Shopping Initiative. In this solicitation, OSSI refers to NASA's effort to support and streamline pathways into NASA internship and fellowship opportunities, with the Broker Facilitator Corps serving as an organized set of intermediary partners to strengthen recruitment, retention, and career development outcomes.

How many awards did NASA expect to make?

NASA expected to make four awards total, forming a corps of four organizations.

Why only four awards?

The program structure was designed to select one organization for each of four institution types so that, collectively, the corps would understand different student populations, barriers, and institutional contexts affecting participation in federal STEM opportunities.

Which institution types were targeted by this solicitation?

The solicitation targeted four categories of institutions: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Predominately White Institutions (PWIs), Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).

Does one organization cover all institution types?

No. NASA structured the opportunity to select one organization for each institution type listed (HSI, PWI, PBI/HBCU, and TCU).

Who was eligible to apply?

Only U.S. nonprofit education organizations were eligible, and they had to support postsecondary education and be recognized leaders in college and university student enrollment, retention, and workforce development performance with U.S.-accredited institutions of higher education.

Could an individual college or university apply directly?

No. Individual colleges and universities could not apply.

Could colleges or universities participate as partners on a proposal?

No. The solicitation specified that colleges and universities could not serve as proposal partners either.

What types of colleges and universities were within the scope of the targeted segments?

The eligible institution types (HSI, PWI, PBI/HBCU, and TCU) were described as including two-year and four-year institutions as well as comprehensive research institutions, as long as they are U.S.-accredited.

What kinds of activities were the funded organizations expected to perform?

The work emphasis covered strategies across the full student pipeline: recruitment, retention, and career development related to NASA internships and fellowships.

What did NASA mean by "recruitment" in this opportunity?

Recruitment was described as more than marketing. It included targeted outreach, institution-type-specific engagement, and lowering informational and procedural barriers to applying for NASA opportunities.

What did NASA mean by "retention" in this opportunity?

Retention referred to supporting students after they enter the pathway so they persist through applications and experiences successfully, especially for students who might otherwise disengage due to limited advising, confidence, resources, or institutional familiarity with NASA opportunities.

What did NASA mean by "career development" in this opportunity?

Career development focused on helping students translate NASA internship and fellowship experiences into longer-term academic and workforce outcomes. Examples described include advising, mentoring connections, preparation for competitive selection processes, and strengthening ties between institutions and NASA-relevant career fields.

What is the overall goal of using intermediary nonprofit organizations instead of funding campuses directly?

NASA sought organizations that already function as advocates and capacity-builders across whole categories of institutions. The goal was to improve how students are recruited, supported, and guided into NASA internships and fellowships, and to broaden participation through culturally competent, segment-specific expertise and networks.

What is the expected role of a "broker" and "facilitator"?

Each selected organization would act as an expert resource and connector for its institution type, helping increase both the diversity of participating institutions and the number of high-performing applicants entering NASA's internship and fellowship applicant pool.

Was this a grant or a cooperative agreement?

It was issued as a discretionary cooperative agreement.

What does a "discretionary cooperative agreement" imply in this context?

The description indicates NASA anticipated substantial involvement during performance, such as ongoing coordination, shared planning, or iterative refinement of strategies, rather than a hands-off pass-through grant.

What was the funding activity category?

The activity category was listed under science and technology and other research and development, reflecting a STEM workforce pipeline intent, even though the work itself was described as programmatic, partnership-based, and focused on talent development rather than laboratory research.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

How were proposals required to be submitted?

Proposals had to be submitted electronically through NSPIRES, NASA's proposal and award submission system, at http://nspires.nasaprs.com.

What was the submission deadline?

The deadline for full electronic submission was 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 12, 2010.

When was the opportunity posted, and when was it archived?

The opportunity was posted on November 4, 2009, and it was later archived on February 15, 2010.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number was NNH10ZNE002C.

Were partnerships encouraged, and if so, with whom?

NASA strongly encouraged operational partnerships with other organizations that support the targeted institution types. However, the solicitation explicitly prohibited individual colleges and universities from applying or serving as proposal partners.

Could an organization serve both as a Broker Facilitator and as the Business Management organization for OSSI?

No. An organization selected for the Broker Facilitator Corps could not also serve as the Business Management organization, indicating NASA planned separate roles for brokering/facilitation versus centralized business or administrative management within OSSI.

Who was the point of contact for accessing the full announcement?

NASA provided a headquarters contact: Dr. Mabel J. Matthews in the Office of Education.

What student outcomes was NASA trying to improve through this solicitation?

The solicitation emphasized improving recruitment into NASA internships and fellowships, supporting student persistence through the pathway (retention), and strengthening longer-term academic and workforce outcomes (career development) connected to NASA-relevant career fields.

How did this solicitation aim to improve diversity and participation?

By selecting organizations embedded in and knowledgeable about specific institution types (HSIs, PWIs, PBIs/HBCUs, and TCUs), NASA aimed to reduce barriers, apply culturally competent approaches, and expand both the range of institutions participating and the number of strong applicants entering the NASA internship and fellowship pool.