FY 2001 PROGRAM PLAN
SOUTH DAKOTA SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM
The theme for South Dakota/NASA Space Days in the upcoming year is "2001: A Space Odyssey in Rapid City", which will focus on current advances in space-related technology such as the International Space Station. In keeping with that progressive theme, the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium (SDSGC) will progressively continue to leverage our growing resources through linkage of research, educational outreach, and public service efforts.
Many of SDSGC's members and affiliates work well together in promoting and conducting research and education at the university and K-12 levels. In addition to expanding activities with the seven new affiliates that joined the Consortium during the past year, and among the members and affiliates that continue to engage in good collaboration, a concerted effort will be made to bolster relations with the few affiliates where collaboration has been relatively idle in recent years. It is hoped that by the end of FY2001, all SDSGC members and affiliates will actively participate and contribute to Consortium activities.
In keeping with SDSGC's leadership role in developing the State Involvement Committee's draft white paper on assessing ways to involve more state government in Space Grant Consortia activities and to improve the effectiveness of such partnerships <SICWhitePaper.htm>, SDSGC will continue to make in-roads with South Dakota state government to enhance the mutual exchange of science, technology, and education. SDSGC will strive to find new ways of bringing in additional outside funding and matching dollars for Consortium and NASA EPSCoR activities, to include writing outside grants for Space Grant projects.
The SDSGC will continue to focus its educational and research activities on earth system science. This is especially relevant in South Dakota because of the close linkage that many of the state’s inhabitants still have with their natural environment. We believe that South Dakota’s inherent environmental and ecological heterogeneity provides an excellent opportunity to develop projects that can be directly linked to the programmatic interests of NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise. For example, in keeping with South Dakota's NASA EPSCoR efforts summarized below, we will concentrate on the development of various sites in South Dakota for ground-truthing of satellite remote sensing data.
We will continue to place special emphasis on our on-going outreach to Native Americans through our ties with the Tribal Colleges and several of the Native American K-12 schools in South Dakota. We look forward to searching out NASA-supported science and engineering programs that haven't yet been implemented in South Dakota and collaboratively promoting those programs to students, teachers, and the general public in our State. There are numerous NASA-sponsored learning opportunities that would result in bringing more bright young people into the science and engineering world of NASA if more people in our state were aware of them. We look forward to facilitating this awareness by helping to get the word out on these opportunities and providing technical and administrative assistance.
Note: For more detailed information on SDSU's work plan for FY2001, the reader is directed to the Nov. 10, 2000 memo from SDSU's Kevin Dalsted included in the budget request package submitted to NASA on Nov. 29, 2000. Likewise, Augustana College's "Augustana/NASA Space Grant Budget Notes" for FY2001 are also included in that package.
1. Research Infrastructure
As a "capability enhancement" state in NASA’s Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, development of research infrastructure within South Dakota is a primary focus of Consortium activities. According to a National Science Foundation Data Brief, South Dakota is one of only eight states found to have statistically significant, real annual R&D growth rates of over 3 percent between 1987 and 1997 <http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/databrf/SDB00325.htm>. Thus, we feel that the environment in South Dakota for continued research infrastructure development is favorable.
If selected for NASA EPSCoR funding, SDSGC researchers will engage in as many of the three research proposals developed under South Dakota's NASA EPSCoR Preparation Grant <nasaepscor/> as possible. The proposed research focuses on the use of remote sensing and GIS in coordination with surface and atmosphere-based observational techniques for long-term ecological and climate monitoring of select areas of Prairie Pothole wetland sites and of the Black Hills. Our ongoing, interdisciplinary research is helping us to learn how detailed, repetitive aerial multi-spectral remote sensing data can be used in monitoring field sites and developing decision models. The NASA EPSCoR proposal will fall directly in line with these types of activities.
Specifically, the titles of the research projects proposed under NASA EPSCoR are: 1) "Improved Precipitation Estimation and Severe Storm Identification in the Northern High Plains by Remote Sensing Approaches", 2) "Cross-Calibration of Landsat and IKONOS Sensors for Use in Precision Agriculture", and 3) "Leaf Area Index for Fire Chronosequences of the Black Hills and Southern Siberia: A Comparative Study."
Research infrastructure continues to be a primary focus of our Consortium activities, and, as during this past year, emphasis on strengthening the State's capabilities and research competitiveness in remote sensing will continue. The focus of the remote sensing research at our three member universities will continue to be on applications to agriculture and natural resources, which comprise the largest economic activities in our state. The close ties several scientists from our universities have to the USGS Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, which is a key Consortium member located in Sioux Falls, SD, enhance these research efforts. Our Summer Faculty Fellowship program greatly augments this connection to the EROS Data Center. The interdisciplinary Upper Missouri River Basin Hydrology Pilot Project funded by NASA Earth Science has strong linkages to many researchers at Consortium institutions.
We will remain involved with the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium (UMAC) Public Access Resource Center (PARC) project and disseminate the practical products of this research to a broad audience via this partnership. Three teacher workshops in GIS, GPS, and Remote Sensing technology will be held across the State of South Dakota during the summer of 2001 under the UMAC project.
The carbon cycle request for proposals and the NASA geospatial specialist connection with Land Grant Universities will be investigated by SDSU as potential efforts over the next two months. If SDSU does or doesn’t get the geospatial specialist activity going in FY 2001/2002, Kevin Dalsted will spend time working on this issue in collaboration with the USDA Cooperative Extension Service. As other opportunities emerge, he will continue to contribute to proposals when it makes sense.
SDSGC will continue to provide administrative assistance for meetings of the Western Research Alliance <http://w-research-alliance.org/>. The objective of this broad based organization is to provide a regional forum for academic researchers, entrepreneurs, state and federal agencies, and local economic developers who are interested in the promotion of research, technology transfer, and business development.
Technical and financial support will be provided for GIS-remote sensing and image processing laboratories at member universities and educational affiliates, including Native American Tribal Colleges. This support is for research and educational projects involving GIS and remote sensing curriculum development, precision agriculture, algorithm development for NDVI data, plant science, climate change, and land surface processes.
SDSGC will continue to work with and support SDSM&T researchers recently awarded $250,000 from SD's Governor William J. Janklow for research into carbon sequestration, to include modeling the potential for carbon sequestration in South Dakota.
SDSU has successfully submitted a Science Data Buy proposal to the Stennis Space Center for four summer overflights in eastern South Dakota. This success was in part due to Kevin Dalsted's trip to Stennis. He has submitted another proposal for the collection of RADAR remote sensing data (airSAR from JPL) during the growing season in 2001.
SDSGC will continue it's recent successful affiliation with Badlands Observatory, a privately owned facility dedicated to Astronomical Research & Education in Quinn, SD and home to a 26" f/4.8 Newtonian Telescope <bo.htm>. Observatory Director Ron Dyvig is actively involved with Near Earth Asteroid research and is very open to educational outreach.
SDSGC representatives will likely participate in several "Missouri River Summit" meetings planned for 2001, supported by SD's Congressional Delegation. Summits focus on threats to the Missouri River by encroaching siltation and sedimentation that endanger recreation, economic development, wildlife habitat, ecosystems, and lush farmland. Scientists, educators, government agencies, politicians, sportsmen, and local citizens will be brought together to seek solutions. SDSGC researchers can offer help with issues such as storm prediction, flood forecasting, climate and water, range management, the carbon cycle, surface and ground water quality, and sediment transport.
SDSGC will continue providing limited funding to stimulate the publication of scientific papers and for presentations at research conferences.
Ongoing collaborative support of remote sensing and modeling work for the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) Hydrology Pilot Project funded by NASA Earth Science will continue. The goal of this interdisciplinary project is to study links among hydrology, weather and climate using the Black Hills as a laboratory to provide an understanding that can be applied across the central region of the North American continent <http://www.ias.sdsmt.edu/umrb/>.
2. Higher Education
SDSGC member universities will continue providing graduate, undergraduate, and faculty development fellowships as in previous years. Total awards in these areas will be approximately $60,190.
We plan to continue supporting and funding the SDSGC Program Initiation Grant (PIG) program in 2001. We will also continue our current programs to involve faculty and students from SDSGC’s Tribal College affiliates in new and ongoing research and education projects with other Consortium institutions. Two PIGs are envisioned to be awarded to Native American educational institutions for a total of $10,000 plus whatever additional matching can be provided.
If SDSM&T's proposal under NASA's KC-135A Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunity competition is funded for the March 2001 flight program, the SDSM&T team will conduct an experiment titled "Cement Hydration Assessment in Reduced Gravity Environments (CHARGE)" aboard NASA's KC-135A aircraft. In keeping with SDSGC's extremely successful KC-135A project in 2000, similar project efforts and extensive outreach will again be provided <KC-135ALinks.htm>.
Graduate and undergraduate students will continue to participate in research efforts at GIS-Remote Sensing and Image Processing Laboratories supported by our Consortium.
SDSGC will continue supporting Sinte Gleska University's "GIS Day" on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation by providing presentations.
SDSGC will continue maintaining and updating its "Educational Opportunities (Higher Ed.)" website <EdOpp-HigherEd.htm>.
3. K-12 Outreach
The important activities to enhance interest in science and engineering topics and careers among elementary and secondary students in South Dakota will continue with the assistance of SDSGC's full time Deputy Director and Outreach Coordinator at SDSM&T, as well as with those involved in outreach activities at Augustana College and SDSU.
The seventh annual "South Dakota/NASA Space Days 2001: A Space Odyssey in Rapid City" <SpaceDay2001Home.htm> will be hosted by SDSM&T at the Rapid City Civic Center on May 4-6, 2001. In addition to the regular variety of exhibits and astronaut speaker that successfully captures the attention of students, Johnson Space Center's (JSC's) large International Space Station travelling exhibit will be an added feature in 2001 to expand interest in the adult community. Several teacher-training workshops will be also provided by NASA's Solar System Educators Program and teacher trainers from JSC.
A summer "Aerospace in the Curriculum Workshop" is planned. ACE Camp will be held as usual to encourage high school students to consider a career in fields related to aerospace science. Efforts to recruit minorities to fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics will continue. SDSGC will again participate in the "Student Signatures in Space" Program and will maintain good working relationships with the two NASA Educator Resource Centers (ERC's) in South Dakota to help assure their use by teachers and students. SDSGC will again promote and support the 2001 NSIP competition in South Dakota.
SDSM&T will continue to maintain and update SDSGC's useful "Educational Opportunities (K-12)" website <EdOpp-K-12.htm> for SD teachers, students, and parents.
The "Earth Systems Connections" project <http://www.tandl.vt.edu/esc/> will continue; a collaborative hands on, elementary curriculum project funded by NASA where students are encouraged and challenged to explore how many of the Earth's systems operate and connect with one another. SDSM&T's Dr. Lee Vierling will continue to work with the two pilot schools in SD (Little Wound School in Kyle and Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Rapid City).
SDSGC will continue its support for the "Scientific Knowledge for Indian Learning and Leadership" (SKILL) Program on SDSM&T's campus as well as student participation in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES).
Educational outreach and mentoring of high school students at "Badlands Observatory" will provide solid astronomy-related learning experiences for local students.
Augustana College's annual Science Day will provide high school juniors and seniors a day filled with hands-on science opportunities/experiences. Special invitations will be sent to Native American and female students in order to break down the stereotypes that science has produced.
4. Other Public Service
SDSGC will support programs at the Children's Science Center in Rapid City by providing staff to conduct 1) Starlab Planetarium shows, 2) presentations on remote sensing and the International Space Station to show children how space-based technologies are an integral part of our everyday lives and how an education in science, math, and engineering can help in their future careers, and 3) presentations on SDSM&T's KC-135A reduced gravity student flight opportunities.
We will maintain support to the Black Hills Astronomical Society (BHAS) and related Star Parties that are open to the public at Hidden Valley Observatory during the summer. SDSGC created and maintains public service websites for BHAS <BHAS.htm> and for Hidden Valley Observatory <BHASHiddenValleyObservatory.htm>.
SDSGC will continue supporting StarDate's PBS radio broadcast in South Dakota as part of the McDonald Observatory astronomy program.
Press releases and various informational presentations about Consortium activities, noteworthy celestial events, aerospace programs, etc. will continue to be published and released to the public.
Maintaining SDSGC's extensive website <> provides an excellent service available to the public.
5. Fellowships and Scholarships
The Consortium will continue to support research and educational endeavors of faculty and graduate/undergraduate students at its member institutions. At least two Summer Faculty Fellowships to EROS Data Center will be supported. Likewise, we will continue to provide fellowships to faculty and/or students at all six Tribal College affiliates in South Dakota. A number of graduate and undergraduate fellowships and scholarships will also be provided. The total awards in these areas will be approximately $60,190.
6. Administration
The Consortium will be represented in 2001 at all the National Council of Space Grant Directors' meetings, the Space Grant Western Regional Meeting, and the National Space Grant Conference.
Dr. Sherry Farwell, Dean of Graduate Education and Sponsored Programs at SDSM&T, will continue as the Consortium Director. To coordinate and manage our various efforts in more effective ways, Mr. Tom Durkin will continue to serve as SDSGC's full-time Deputy Director and Outreach Coordinator at SDSM&T. Dr. Kevin Dalsted will continue as the Associate Director at SDSU. Dr. Daniel Swets remains the Associate Director at Augustana College. Randy McKinley will serve as the new EROS Data Center Coordinator for Space Grant Consortium activities. With the help of teleconferencing and the Digital Dakota Network (DDN) interactive TV technology with nodes located throughout the state, we plan to continue meeting at least quarterly to more effectively coordinate and evaluate program progress. The leadership of the SDSGC will build on our success to date and explore new ways to stimulate further participation by the Tribal College affiliates in the Consortium’s activities. We will continue focusing on competitive allotment of SDSGC funds and the goal of nurturing projects that can attract external support.