2020-2021 Competition Season
NASA Exploration Ground Systems Program
EGS point of contact: Tiffany Lindsley: ksc-egs-robotics@mail.nasa.gov
The NASA Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program is excited to announce a funding opportunity for teams participating in the 2020 FIRST® LEGO League (FLL), FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) and 2020 FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) Season! The primary objective of the EGS grant is to motivate, educate and inform students of the importance and application of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is also EGS’s goal to inspire students, teachers, and the general public about NASA, the EGS Program and how the world benefits from United States space exploration activities. Details for the following grant opportunities are described below:
The following grant requirements apply to all of the sponsorship opportunities. Additional requirements are specified within the grant specific sections. All teams selected by NASA EGS must agree to all grant requirements. Teams not complying with all grant requirements may be required to provide reimbursement of funds applied toward their team during the competition year and will not be considered for future NASA EGS grants.
1. Teams must be located within Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County, Florida to be eligible for NASA EGS Grants. A team is considered to be located within Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County if:
a. The school or organization (public, private or homeschool) that the team is affiliated with is within the county boundaries.
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b. The location of the primary meeting place for the team is within the county boundaries and the team is not affiliated with a school.
2. EGS Robotics Grant funding is based on availability and number of teams which apply. We strive to fund as many teams as possible, however funding is not guaranteed to each team who applies or in the amount in which they request.
3. “NASA EGS” must be identified as a team sponsor with FIRST.
4. Teams must work directly with FIRST on any and all questions related to registration, applying for tournaments, account issues or working within the FIRST system. EGS has no access to these systems and will not be able to forward on inquiries to FIRST. FIRST POCs are in place within the existing structure to answer questions.
5. Each team must be registered as a team on the FIRST website prior to submitting an application. Teams that are not registered will not be awarded a grant. This includes having your assigned FIRST team number and your final team name upon the submittal of your grant application. No grants will be awarded without the registered team number.
6. All teams MUST be sponsored and coach by an adult registered with FIRST. All grant submittals MUST be by the coach or sponsor of the team. Students MAY not submit grant applications even if they are assisting or acting as a team coach.
7. Each FLL team must be registered for their qualifying tournament by 9/30/20. On October 1, 2020 a query of all scheduled qualifying tournaments will be pulled by FIRST. At this time if your team is not registered, a grant will not be awarded to pay for the qualifying fee. Pre-qualifiers are not paid for by the NASA EGS grant.
8. The NASA EGS logo must be displayed in locations where sponsor logos are normally displayed (e.g., robots, pits, fliers, websites, etc.). It is understood that FLL teams cannot put stickers on their robots. NASA EGS will provide electronic versions of the logos. NASA EGS will also make available banners by request.
9. Teams must compete with a completed robot at a minimum of one official FIRST event. If the sponsorship is associated with a specific event, the team must attend all days of the specific event for which the sponsorship was awarded.
10. Sponsorship may not be transferred to another team.
11. Teams who have already paid for their registration fees or competition fees will not be reimbursed.
12. Teams may keep any funds not used during the 2020 season and use them during the following year (not applicable if team does not compete). If a team disbands prior to using the sponsored money, the team must return the grant funds to EGS.
13. If the team is affiliated with a Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County School, all property purchased using EGS grant funds are now property of the school. If a team disbands or decides not to compete for any reason the school must provide clear rationale for keeping the property for future FIRST use OR reimburse funds or property to EGS for use by other teams.
14. Teams that are tax exempt must provide tax-exempt certificates to EGS upon notification of selection. EGS will request the form when teams are notified of award.
15. Applications for FLL Registration Grants, Rookie Team Grants and FLL Competitive Edge Grants are due by September 1, 2020 . The Champion’s Grant applications will be available on September 30, 2020 through the end of competition season for travel outside of the State of Florida. EGS Champions Grant applications must be received as soon as possible after the team has won a bid to the next level of game play and no later than one week prior to the event.
16. Applications for FTC Registration Grants, Rookie Team Grants and FTC Competitive Edge Grants are due by December 1, 2020. The Champion’s Grant applications will be available on September 30, 2020 for travel outside of the State of Florida. Applications received at a later date will not be considered. The Champion’s Grant applications will be available until the end of the competition season for travel outside of the State of Florida. EGS Champions Grant applications must be received as soon as possible after the team has won a bid to the next level of game play and no later than one week prior to the event.
17. Applications for FRC Competitive Edge Grants are due by February 1, 2021. The Champion’s Grant applications will be available through the end of the competition season for travel outside of the State of Florida. Applications received at a later date will not be considered. EGS Champion’s Grant applications must be received as soon as possible after the team has won a bid to the next level of game play and no later than one week prior to the event.
Sponsorship opportunities are described below. Additional, grant specific, requirements are included in the descriptions.
Note: All grant opportunities are contingent upon the availability of Congressionally appropriated funds.
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The Rookie Team Grant is intended to promote the growth of FLL teams in Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County by furnishing new teams with some of the required equipment and by covering registration fees. A team is considered a rookie team if it is entering FLL for the first time. If there is any question about rookie status, EGS will default to the criterion provided by FIRST.
The grant will cover the following items for rookie FLL teams:
Ordering Change from Previous EGS Grants: Registration fees will be paid directly to FIRST. The Challenge Set and EV3 Robot costs will be paid to the team via a check by from First Baptist Church of Merritt Island (Non-profit used to disburse funds). Each team will be responsible for purchasing the EV3 Robot Kit and Challenge Set with the allotted funds. Teams are required to send an email (to the EGS email – NOT FIRST) of the equipment purchased for verification that funds were used for their intended purpose. If teams order additional equipment over the allotted amount EGS will not provide additional funds.
Additionally, FLL Rookie Team Grant winners will receive the FLL Registration Grant as outlined below.
The Rookie Team Grant is available to all new FLL teams in Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams applying for a Rookie Team Grant may also apply for the FLL Florida Champions Grant. Rookie teams do not need to apply for the FLL Registration grant as these fees are included in the Rookie Grant sponsorship.
The FLL Registration Grant is intended to support local team participation in FIRST events by lowering the financial burden of competing. The grant will cover the FIRST team national registration fee and the registration fee for one Qualifying Tournament. The Tournament fees will be paid as explained in Item #5 above.
The grant will cover the following items:
The grant will provide funds directly to FIRST for the FIRST national registration fee.
Teams receiving a Rockwell Collins grant for registration are not eligible for the FIRST national registration fee portion of the EGS FLL Registration Grant.
The Registration Grant is available to all FLL teams in Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams applying for the FLL Registration Grant may also apply for the FLL Florida Champions Grant and/or FLL Competitive Edge Grant.
The Champions Grant is intended to enable local FLL teams to participate in competitions beyond FLL Qualifying Tournaments. Teams may apply to the FLL Champions Grant for such fees as event registration and travel expenses for eligible events.
The Champions Grant applications will be considered for the following events:
Registration fees will be paid directly to the organization hosting the event. Teams may apply for the FLL Champions Grant each time they win a bid to the next level of game play. For example, if an FLL team makes it to Regionals and World Championships; they may apply for the FLL Champions Grant twice.
In addition to registration fees, the FLL Champions Grant is set up to potentially provide teams that win their way into a World Championships with additional grant money to help offset travel costs. Teams should not rely on the Champions Grant as the sole funding source for travel expenses. Travel expenses include airfare, hotel rooms, gasoline for team vehicles (e.g., school vans, personal vehicles used for towing team equipment), charter buses, shipping for team equipment, etc. Contact EGS if there are any questions about eligibility of expenses.
The Champions Grant is available to all FLL teams within Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams may apply for the FLL Champions Grant regardless of whether or not they have applied for the FLL Rookie Team Grant, FLL Registration Grant, and/or FLL Competitive Edge Grant.
Competition is the perfect construct for cultivating a desire to excel. Competition using robotics motivates students to excel in science, technology, engineering and math which will provide the next generation of innovators and leaders with the tools that are required to face the world's challenges. The FLL Competitive Edge Grant is intended to promote a high degree of competitiveness from teams coming from Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County at the regional, state and national levels. The Competitive Edge Grant aims to achieve this by ensuring that FLL teams have access to the equipment and resources needed to field a competitive team.
The FLL Competitive Edge Grant provides teams with an opportunity to inform EGS of the equipment and resources that the team needs. Teams must propose specific items, including cost, which would benefit their teams the most. Justification for why the equipment is necessary and how it will enable competitiveness is mandatory for this grant which will be used to select grant winners and award amounts. Teams must propose a single award amount for their specific needs.
Specific examples of equipment that might be proposed include but are not limited to:
Teams are encouraged to participate in other fundraising activities and propose shared costs between the team and EGS. For example, an FLL team may want a new EV3 Core Set and they have fundraised $150. The team could propose that EGS cover the remaining $200. Teams must have their share of the funds prior to proposing cost sharing arrangements.
EGS will be looking to award teams that will get the most benefit for the least amount. This is a chance to inform EGS of what you really need and why you need it.
Teams must provide EGS (NOT FIRST) with a detailed account of how EGS grant money was spent no later than May 31, 2021. The detailed account must include purchased item names, expense amounts, purchase dates and copies of receipts.
The FLL Competitive Edge Grant is available to all FLL teams within Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams may apply for the FLL Competitive Edge Grant regardless of whether or not they have applied for FLL Registration Grant and/or FLL Champions Grant, but not if they have applied for the FLL Rookie Team Grant.
The FTC Rookie Team Grant is intended to promote the growth of FTC teams in Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County by furnishing new teams with some of the required equipment and by covering some registration fees. A team is considered a rookie team if it is entering FTC for the first time. If there is any question about rookie status, EGS will default to the criterion provided by FIRST.
The grant will cover the following items for rookie FTC teams:
Ordering Change from Previous EGS Grants: Registration fees will be paid directly to FIRST. The Competition Kit, shipping and tax costs will be paid to the team via a check by from First Baptist Church of Merritt Island (non-profit used to disburse funds). Each team will be responsible for purchasing the Competition Kit, Control and Communications Set, and Electronics Module Set with the allotted funds. Teams are required to send an email (to the EGS email – NOTFIRST) of the equipment purchased for verification that funds were used for their intended purpose. If teams order additional equipment over the allotted amount EGS will not provide additional funds.
Additionally, Rookie Team Grant winners will receive the FTC Registration Grant as outlined below.
The Rookie Team Grant is available to all FTC teams in Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams applying for FTC Rookie Team Grant may also apply for the FTC Florida Champions Grant, but may not apply for the FTC Registration Grant or FTC Competitive Edge Grant.
The FTC Registration Grant is intended to support local team participation in FIRST events by lowering the financial burden of competing. The grant will cover the FIRST team national registration fee and the League Registration Fees.
The grant will provide funds directly to FIRST for the FIRST national team registration fee. If teams have already paid the FIRST national team registration fee, the grant money will be provided directly to the team and may be spent on FIRST related expenses (e.g., parts, tools, computers, equipment, other registration fees, shirts, spirit supplies, outreach activities, travel, etc.). Contact EGS if there are any questions about eligibility of expenses. Teams must provide EGS with a detailed account of how EGS grant money was spent no later than May 31, 2020. The detailed account must include purchased item names, expense amounts, purchase dates and copies of receipts.
The FTC Registration Grant is available to all FTC teams in Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams applying for the FTC Registration Grant may also apply for the FTC Florida Champions Grant and/or FTC Competitive Edge Grant.
The FTC Champions Grant is intended to enable local FTC teams to participate in competitions beyond FTC Leagues. The FTC Champions Grant will cover event registration fees and potentially assist covering in travel expenses for eligible events.
The Champions Grant will cover the registration fee for the following events:
Registration fees will be paid directly to the organization hosting the event. Teams may apply for the FTC Champions Grant each time they win a bid to the next level of game play. For example, if an FTC team makes it to Florida Championships and World Championships, they may apply for the FTC Champions Grant two times.
In addition to covering registration fees, the FTC Champions Grant is set up to potentially provide teams that win their way into World Championships with additional grant money to help offset travel costs. Teams should not rely on the Champions Grant as the sole funding source for travel expenses.
If awarded, teams may use the travel costs portion of the FTC Champions Grant on travel expenses for the out of state event. Travel expenses include airfare, hotel rooms, gasoline for team vehicles (e.g., school vans, personal vehicles used for towing team equipment), charter buses, shipping for team equipment, etc. Contact EGS if there are any questions about eligibility of expenses. Teams must provide EGS with a detailed account of how EGS grant money was spent no later than May 31, 2021. The detailed account must include purchased item names, expense amounts, purchase dates and copies of receipts.
The FTC Champions Grant is available to all FTC teams within Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams may apply for the FTC Champions Grant regardless of whether or not they have applied for the FTC Rookie Team Grant, FTC Registration Grant, and/or FTC Competitive Edge Grant.
Competition is the perfect construct for cultivating a desire to excel; competition using robotics motivates students to excel in science, technology, engineering and math which will provide the next generation of innovators and leaders with the tools that are required to face the world's challenges. The FTC Competitive Edge Grant is intended to promote a high degree of competitiveness from teams coming from Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County at the regional, state and national levels. The FTC Competitive Edge Grant aims to achieve this by ensuring that FTC teams have access to the equipment and resources needed to field a competitive team.
The FTC Competitive Edge Grant provides teams with an opportunity to inform EGS of the equipment and resource that the team needs. Teams can propose specific items, including cost, which would benefit their teams the most. Justification for why the equipment is necessary and how it will enable competitiveness is mandatory for this grant; it will be used to select grant winners and award amounts. Teams must propose a single award amount for their specific needs.
Specific examples of equipment that might be proposed include but are not limited to:
Teams are encouraged to participate in other fundraising activities and propose shared costs between the team and EGS. For example, an FTC team may want a small $1000 manual mill to manufacture custom parts and they have fundraised $500. The team could propose that EGS cover the remaining $500. Teams must have their share of the funds prior to proposing cost sharing arrangements. This is a chance to inform EGS of what you really need and why you need it.
Teams must provide EGS with a detailed account of how EGS grant money was spent no later than May 31, 2021. The detailed account must include purchased item names, expense amounts, purchase dates and copies of receipts.
The Competitive Edge Grant is available to all FTC teams within Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams may apply for the FTC Competitive Edge Grant regardless of whether or not they have applied for the FTC Registration Grant and/or Champions Grant, but not if they have applied for the FTC Rookie Team Grant.
Competition is the perfect construct for cultivating a desire to excel; competition using robotics motivates students to excel in science, technology, engineering and math which will provide the next generation of innovators and leaders with the tools that are required to face the world's challenges. The FRC Competitive Edge Grant is intended to promote a high degree of competitiveness from teams coming from Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County at the national level. The Competitive Edge Grant aims to achieve this by ensuring that FRC teams have access to the equipment and resources needed to field a competitive team.
The FRC Competitive Edge Grant provides teams with an opportunity to inform EGS of the equipment and resource that the team needs. Teams can propose specific items, including cost, which would benefit their teams the most. Justification for why the equipment is necessary and how it will enable competitiveness is mandatory for this grant; it will be used to select grant winners and award amounts. Teams must propose a single award amount for their specific needs.
Specific examples of equipment that might be proposed include but are not limited to:
Teams are encouraged to participate in other fundraising activities and propose shared costs between the team and EGS. For example, an FRC team may want a small $1000 manual mill to manufacture custom parts and they have fundraised $500. The team could propose that EGS cover the remaining $500. Teams must have their share of the funds prior to proposing cost sharing arrangements. This is a chance to inform EGS of what you really need and why you need it.
Teams must provide EGS with a detailed account of how EGS grant money was spent no later than May 31, 2021. The detailed account must include purchased item names, expense amounts, purchase dates and copies of receipts.
The FRC Competitive Edge Grant is available to all FRC teams within Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County.
The FRC Champions Grant is intended to enable local FRC teams to participate in competitions beyond FRC Leagues. The FRC Champions Grant will cover event registration fees and potentially assist covering in travel expenses for eligible events.
The Champions Grant will cover the registration fee for the following events:
Registration fees will be paid directly to the organization hosting the event. Teams may apply for the FRC Champions Grant each time they win a bid to the next level of game play. For example, if an FRC team makes it to Florida Championships and World Championships, they may apply for the FRC Champions Grant two times.
In addition to covering registration fees, the FRC Champions Grant is set up to potentially provide teams that win their way into World Championships with additional grant money to help offset travel costs. Teams should not rely on the Champions Grant as the sole funding source for travel expenses.
If awarded, teams may use the travel costs portion of the FRC Champions Grant on travel expenses for the out of state event. Travel expenses include airfare, hotel rooms, gasoline for team vehicles (e.g., school vans, personal vehicles used for towing team equipment), charter buses, shipping for team equipment, etc. Contact EGS if there are any questions about eligibility of expenses. Teams must provide EGS with a detailed account of how EGS grant money was spent no later than May 31, 2021. The detailed account must include purchased item names, expense amounts, purchase dates and copies of receipts.
The FRC Champions Grant is available to all FRC teams within Brevard, Orange, or Seminole County. Teams may apply for the FRC Champions Grant regardless of whether or not they have applied for the FRC Rookie Team Grant, FRC Registration Grant, and/or FRC Competitive Edge Grant.
Fill out Form 1 for Rookie and Registration Grants for all team types.
Fill out Form 2 if you are an existing team (not rookie team) applying for a Competitive Edge Grant for all team types. For Champions Grant fill out Form 2 and in the “Item Name” cite the travel event in which you are applying for. Champions grants cannot be applied for until the team has won a competition in which they will require further travel funds outside of the State of Florida.
Fill out Form 3 if you are applying for any grant. This Form is the Commitment Letter.
All completed forms should be scanned and emailed to Tiffany Lindsley at ksc-egs-robotics@mail.nasa.gov .