Applications for the 2023 Out Astronaut Phase-1 Contest are now closed
Eligibility:
The Out Astronaut Contest is a three-phase competition that is open to those who are part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community and are involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. We are looking for individuals who openly embrace their role in the LGBTQ community, want to serve as role models to LGBTQ youth, and become representatives of their community as pioneers of astronautical science. Contestants shall also meet the following requirements:
- Age at time of application: 18-39 years
- Residency: US, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, or Central America
- Bachelors Degree or currently enrolled in an accredited degree program
- Ability to obtain an FAA Class III Flight Physical (or equivalent)
Read more on applicant and contestant rights at the Applicant Bill of Rights
Phase One:
GOAL: Hold annual competitions to encourage LGBTQ-identi fied individuals in the STEM fields to share their stories publicly and in doing so create visibility and representation.
The International Institute for Astronautical Sciences has committed a full scholarship for one individual’s tuition to attend the next AST 101 (Advanced PoSSUM Academy) program at Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida, including lodging and round-trip flight and other travel costs for winning candidate.
| Contest | Begin Date | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Application Period Deadline | 31 July 2023 | |
| Voting Period | 1 August 2023 | 23 August 2023 |
| Finalist Down-select Process | 23 August 2023 | 30 August 2023 |
| Award Announcement | 1 September 2023 |
Phase One Evaluation Criteria:
Determining the Contest Winners:
Out Astronaut’s Executive Team and LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee will divide the task of selecting 12 finalists from the pool of applicants based on their written and video submissions. Each finalist will be determined based on an assessment of three criteria: 1) the contestant’s interests and experience in science, technology, engineering, and/or math, 2) the merit of the design of their planned LGBTQ+ engagement project, and 3) the candidate’s potential to be an LGBTQ+ role model and astronautics professional. The award winner will receive a scholarship covering travel, lodging, and tuition for attending IIAS’s ‘Fundamentals of Astronautics’ course at Florida Tech in Melbourne, FL.
Phase One Award Breakdown:
The award winner selected from this group will receive an all-expense paid trip to attend IIAS’s ‘Fundamentals of Astronautics’ course at Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida.
Are you Ready to Apply?
Phase Two:
GOAL: Educate Out Astronaut ‘scientist-astronaut candidates’ that have won initial competitions to a level of credibility in scientific fields related to astronautics through the International Institute of Astroanutical Sciences, parent organization of Project PoSSUM. It is essential that our candidates are respected as scientists and/or science enablers rather than as passengers or tourists.
The Out Astronaut Project is currently seeking donations and sponsorship to support Phase Two of the project. This phase will fund four Phase One winners to attend the year-long IIAS Applied Astronautics Program. In addition to tuition, the winning candidates will receive round-trip airfare, lodging, and other travel expenses. We need to raise $75K to make this happen.
Want to Help?
Phase Three:
GOAL: Fly one quali ed OUT Scientist-Astronaut Candidate to space on a commercial suborbital spacecraft (e.g. Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic) to conduct experiments and see the investigations through to publication.
In Phase Three, the Out Astronaut Project will seek sponsorship to support our LGBTQ+ scientist-astronaut candidate(s) to fly to space and do meaningful research of global importance.