NASA GISS Climate Change Research Initiative
The Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) program is an interdisciplinary, collaborative, year-long STEM engagement, and experiential learning opportunity for educators and graduate students to work directly with NASA scientists and lead research teams in a NASA research project hosted at either NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, CUNY City College of Technology in New York City, NY, or NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. The summer component of each CCRI project also includes undergraduate and high school interns.
During the fall and spring terms of CCRI, the research team include NASA Scientists who lead in-service high school STEM educators and graduate student research assistants to become immersed in a NASA science research area related to climate change. During the summer session, each research team adds an undergraduate intern and high school intern to the group. The entire team will work collaboratively on a full-time basis to complete the research project, deliver presentations, create a scientific poster and a publishable research paper at a CCRI symposium the end of the summer.
CCRI High School STEM Educators:
Educators participating in this opportunity become associate researchers, CCRI education ambassadors and STEM education experts who integrate NASA education resources, platforms, data and content into their classrooms while improving STEM education within their communities.
Participating high school STEM educators contribute to the research project, assist in the development of a research question and assist in guiding the research team to complete all program deliverables.
Educators also develop an Applied Research STEM Curriculum portfolio inclusive of program deliverables and a unit plan that integrates components of their research project, NASA education content, resources and platforms into their classroom instruction while aligning to the Next Generation Science Standards. The educators will then incorporate the STEM curriculum into their classrooms and also provide community STEM engagement events related to their NASA research study to their professional learning communities. The fall and spring term will not conflict with the educators' primary schedule, roles or responsibilities at their school sites.
CCRI Graduate Students:
Graduate Research Assistants contribute to the research project, assist in the development of a research question and assist in guiding the research team to complete all program deliverable inclusive of a publishable research paper, comprehensive PowerPoint presentation and scientific poster.
For graduate student research assistants, this opportunity will not conflict with class schedules during the fall and spring. It is considered to be a part-time position that supports the graduate student's major area of study.
All students and teams are required to submit a final PowerPoint, Scientific Poster and Research Paper report upon completion of the program.
CCRI Undergraduates Students/ High School Students:
Undergraduate and high school students work on real NASA projects with the guidance of a NASA CCRI mentor, a research scientist, and gain practical work experience.
All students and teams are required to submit a final PowerPoint, Scientific Poster and Research Paper report upon completion of the program.
How to Apply
Details on how to apply to join CCRI will be posted here as they become available. Until then, please contact CCRI program leader Matthew Pearce.
CCRI applicants must be US citizens. Housing, relocation and travel expenses are not provided. Teachers, graduate students and interns whose locality is regional to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City, NY, or NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, are encouraged to apply.
Further Info
Please visit NASA Education Program Fosters Climate of Discovery for additional program information.
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Contact
Please address all inquiries about the GISS Climate Change Research Initiative to:
Matthew Pearce
NASA Office of STEM Engagement
Goddard Institute for Space Studies
matthew.d.pearce@nasa.gov
CCRI Publications
Educators participating in CCRI have written several STEM curriculum modules, and participants have authored several research papers.
