The National Astronomy Consortium (NAC)

About the NAC

The National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) is a program led by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and Associated Universities Inc., (AUI) in partnership with the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP), and a number of minority and majority universities to increase the numbers of students from underrepresented* and underserved groups and those otherwise overlooked by the traditional academic pipeline into STEM or STEM-related careers.

Primary Goal: to increase the number of students, who otherwise would have been overlooked by the traditional academic pipeline, in STEM and STEM careers by placing them in a cooperative, diverse team over the summer and beyond.

The National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) is an innovative, competitive program designed to provide research opportunities, and long-term mentoring support, to underrepresented students in STEM fields. The NAC program expands upon the traditional summer research experience by creating an expectation of long-term mentoring, along with engagement in a strong, national-level peer and mentor network. NAC students are selected for grit* and are partnered with world-class scientists, engineers, technicians, and other professionals, for research activities that extend beyond the summer into the academic year. Peer mentoring and support is an important component of the NAC, and is fostered through placement in thoughtfully-developed cohorts at leading observatories and universities.

Highlights of the NAC program include:

Click image to download the Summer 2017 flyer

Summer, and extended, research experience In 2017, NAC sites include NRAO-Charlottesville, NRAO-Socorro, Princeton University, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Summer stipend, and travel assistance Long-term mentoring Academic and professional development Year-round, monthly virtual ‘hangouts’ to maintain peer support and continue professional development Weekly cohort meetings during summer Participation in American Astronomical Society winter meeting Participation in annual NAC Workshop at Howard University Opportunities to present research to prominent members of professional societies, universities, and governmental agencies

To contact the NAC please send an email to odi@nrao.edu.

* Within the mandate and mission statement of NRAO we define under-represented groups to mean all of the following, but not limited to, people of color, women, economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students.

** Students with ‘grit’ exhibit passion for a particular long-term goal, along with powerful motivation for achieving their objectives.