Scottsdale Community College (SCC) has been awarded a two-year, $395,817 grant through NASA’s Collaborative Opportunities for Mentorship, Partnership and Academic Success in Science (COMPASS) program to give community college students hands-on experience in astronomy research. SCC is the lead institution on the project, which begins in January 2027 and will recruit students from SCC and Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC).
This grant funds the creation of the NASA Research Opportunities for Community College Students (NASA ROCCS) program. Over the two years of the grant, 16 students from SCC and CGCC will take part. Each will prepare with mentorship at their home college, complete a paid 10-week summer research internship at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and receive support to present their findings at a professional scientific conference.
Working with NASA scientists, students will analyze archival data from NASA space observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory, to explore topics such as early galaxies, star formation, and supermassive black holes.
"Research experience is often what turns an interest in science into a career, and this partnership puts that experience within reach of our students,” says Dr. Eric Leshinskie, President of SCC. “They will work alongside NASA scientists, learn from real data, and gain a head start on their futures. Carver Bierson and his team made this possible, and we could not be prouder."
Bierson, SCC Astronomy residential faculty, will work in collaboration with NASA scientists and Donna Viola, Professor of Astronomy at CGCC, to launch the program. “This is an opportunity for our students to join the scientific community through our partners at NASA Goddard,” says Bierson. “I am excited to see the discoveries our students will make with this world class data.”
Designed as a pilot, the two-year effort aims to build a sustainable, long-term partnership among NASA Goddard, SCC, and CGCC that connects future cohorts of community college students to NASA research.
This program is open to students of SCC or CGCC who have completed either AST111 or AST112 and are interested in a career in scientific research. Applications will be due early December. To apply or for more information contact Carver Bierson at [email protected]