Wyss Fellowship Program

The Wyss Foundation, a private charitable foundation dedicated to land conservation in the InterMountain west, is accepting proposals for its 2011 fellowship program.

Nonprofit organizations working on land conservation issues in eastern Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico are encouraged to apply to host a fellow.

The two-year fellowship program is designed to provide training and campaign experience for future conservation leaders. Sponsoring organizations contribute staff time to mentor and monitor the fellow's work and cover overhead expenses as well as 20 percent of the fellow's salary and benefits. The Wyss Foundation will provide host organizations with a grant for project expenses and travel as well as the remaining 80 percent of the fellow's salary and benefits.

Host organizations are responsible for selecting and hiring the fellow in consultation with foundation staff. Current employees of the sponsoring organization are not eligible for the program.

Visit the Wyss Foundation Web site for complete program information and application instructions

NASA Undergraduate Opportunity

NASA is offering undergraduate students an opportunity to test an experiment in weightless science as part of the agency's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program. Proposals are due by Oct. 27.

The program, managed by the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, provides aspiring explorers a chance to propose, design and fabricate a reduced gravity experiment. Selected teams will get to test and evaluate their experiment aboard a microgravity aircraft. The specially modified jet aircraft flies approximately 30 roller-coaster-like climbs and dips to produce periods of micro and hyper-gravity, ranging from weightlessness to three times the force of Earth's gravity.

"This project gives students a head start in preparing for future ventures by allowing them to do hands-on research and engineering in a truly reduced gravity laboratory," Program Manager Douglas Goforth said.

Interested teams also should submit a letter of intent by Sept. 22. This step is optional, but serves as an introductory notice that a team plans to submit a proposal for the competition. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Full-time students must be at least 18 years old.

NASA will announce the selected participants on Dec. 8. The actual flights will take place in summer 2011. Selected teams may invite a full-time, accredited journalist to fly with them and document the experiment and gravity-defying experience.

With this program, NASA continues its tradition of investing in the nation's education programs with the goal of strengthening the future workforce.

For more information, click here.

Open Meadows Foundation Grants to Benefit Women & Girls

Open Meadows offers grants of up to $2,000 for projects that are designed and implemented by women and girls; reflect the diversity of the community served by the project in both its leadership and organization; promote building community power; promote gender, racial, social, economic, and/or environmental justice; and have limited financial access or have encountered obstacles in their search for funding. The foundation funds projects that do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity and expression, sexual identity and expression, age, or ability.

Amount: $2,000

Date due: August 14, 2010

For more information, click here.

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education

The U.S. Department of Education announces the release of the Fund for the Improvement of Post-secondary Education (FIPSE). The Comprehensive Program supports innovative grants and cooperative agreements to improve postsecondary education. It supports reforms, innovations, and significant improvements of postsecondary education that respond to problems of national significance and serve as national models.

Invitational Priorities:

1. Centers of excellence for teacher preparation as described in section 242 of the HEA.

2. University sustainability initiatives as described in section 881 of HEA.

3. Rural development initiatives for rural-serving colleges and universities as described in section 861 of HEA.

4. Initiatives to assist highly qualified minorities and women to acquire doctoral degrees in fields where they are underrepresented as described in section 807 of HEA.

5. Modeling and simulation programs as described in section 891 of HEA.

6. Higher education consortia to design and offer interdisciplinary programs that focus on poverty and human capability as described in section 74(a)(11) of HEA.

7. Innovative postsecondary models to improve college matriculation and graduation rates, including activities to facilitate transfer of credits between institutions of higher education, alignment of curricula on a state or multi-state level between high schools and colleges and between two-year and four-year postsecondary programs, dual enrollment and articulation agreements and partnerships between high schools and community colleges, and partnerships between K-12 organizations and colleges for college pathway programs.

8. Activities to develop or enhance educational partnerships and cross-cultural cooperation between postsecondary educational institutions in the United States and similar institutions in Haiti.

Amount: $750,000

Date due: July 29, 2010

For more information, click here.

BIC 4 GOOD Grant Program

Young people who have created a sustainable community action project, program, or organization that they want to expand are invited to apply for a BIC 4 GOOD Grant.

Administered by Do Something, the BIC 4 GOOD Grant program is designed to support established programs and organizations that have impact, proven sustainability, and measurable success. Competitive applicants must be self-driven, unique, and community-oriented.

The program will award ten grants of $2,000 each and one grand prize of $5,000.

Applicants must be 25 or under and a U.S. or Canadian citizen.

Date due: June 15, 2010

For more information, click here.

PGE Foundation Grants

The PGE Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life in Oregon by awarding grants in the areas of education, healthy families, and arts and culture. In the education category, the Foundation supports a wide range of programs, from preschool through college. In the healthy families category, the focus is on organizations that work to promote services in all areas of health, including hunger, mental health, homelessness, domestic violence, health care, etc. In the arts and culture category, the Foundation strives to educate all ages through the support of arts curriculum development as well as a variety of cultural performances.

Amount: Varies

Date due: The remaining 2010 deadlines for letters of inquiry are July 13 and November 16.

For more information, click here.

Jenzabar Foundation Student Leadership Awards

The Jenzabar Foundation has opened the nomination process for its third annual Student Leadership Awards. The awards will honor ten student-led campus groups or activities that have made a significant impact serving others through service and philanthropic activities beyond their own higher education institutions. This year, the Jenzabar Foundation Student Leadership Awards will include a new Social Entrepreneur of the Year category, which will recognize one outstanding leader or organization committed to tackling social issues and promoting social entrepreneurship.

The Jenzabar Foundation is accepting submissions from institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, religious organizations, and self-nominations from students for their community service or humanitarian efforts during the current or previous academic year. A $5,000 grant is included with the recognition to support the student or group's future humanitarian endeavors.

The first step in the submission process is joining the Jenzabar Foundation Community Network and using the referral code: SLA2010. Once registered, applicants will be advised of the submission procedure.

For more information, click here.

Grants to Reduce Violence on Campus

The United States Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) announced that it is seeking applications for the Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program. This program furthers the Department’s mission by strengthening on campus victim services, security, and investigative strategies to prevent and prosecute violent crimes against women on campuses.

Amount: $300,000

Date due: March 10, 2010

For more information, click here.

Point Foundation (LBGT) Fellowships

The Point Foundation, the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, has announced the opening of its 2010 application season. Students who will be enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs for the 2010-11 school year are eligible to apply for the prestigious multiyear scholarships. Point Foundation's rigorous selection process requires of its candidates demonstrated academic excellence, leadership skills, community involvement, and financial need.

Amount: $25,000 - $33,000

Date due: February 12, 2010

For more information, click here.