Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington, DC               May 17, 2001
(Phone:  202/358-1761)

RELEASE:  01-95

NASA INTRODUCES PILOT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT-RESEARCH PROGRAM

     In late May, NASA will welcome the first cadre of 
students participating in the new Undergraduate Student 
Research Program (USRP), another element in NASA's continued 
commitment to education excellence and support for academic 
research. 

USRP attracted over 1100 applications from undergraduate 
students around the country. Some 100 students representing 
70 of the nation's colleges and universities -- and fully 
representative of America's rich diversity -- will 
participate in this year's pilot program. 

An essential objective of this program is to address the need 
to increase the nation's undergraduate and graduate science, 
engineering, mathematics and technology skill base. In 
particular, USRP will provide undergraduates with challenging 
research experiences designed to pique student academic 
interest in these fields and disciplines. The program also is 
intended to encourage continued student career interest 
aligned with NASA's research and development mission.

"We are extremely pleased with the response to this pilot 
program. The caliber of students who competed for these 
'hands-on' research assignments was extraordinary. And, we 
must commend the research communities at our NASA centers for 
their very deliberate efforts to help this program achieve 
its goals," said Frank Owens, Director, NASA Education 
Division.

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium, Hampton, VA, provides 
national coordination of the USRP pilot program for NASA's 
Office of Human Resources and Education, Washington, DC. 
Further information is available at:

              http://education.nasa.gov/usrp

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