Grant Opportunity: SciStarter LIVE events!
Bring science to your community with monetary support to host!
SciStarter is partnering with NASA to bring people together to participate in real NASA science alongside scientists and citizen scientists through a series of virtual, interactive events.
We’re inviting libraries, museums, afterschool programs, planetariums, and other community-based organizations to apply for $500 to host in-person gatherings where participants can watch and engage with SciStarter, citizen science projects and scientists.
No prior citizen science experience is required—just an interest in bringing NASA science to your community! We’re here to support you.
Program Overview
- Choose an event. Select a date and time from the event schedule.
- Plan your gathering. Choose a location, invite your community, and use the provided event toolkit to prepare and facilitate the experience.
- Connect to the livestream. Livestream the event via Zoom for your in-person participants. SciStarter and the project team will moderate while your attendees will participate in the featured projects using their own devices, such as laptops or tablets (recommended), or smartphones.
- Track and report. Record attendance and complete a post-event survey.
Important Reminders:
- Events are recommended for ages 13 years or older.
- Attendees should simultaneously participate in featured projects on their own such as laptops or tablets (recommended), or smartphones during the event.
- Organizations may apply for a $500 mini-grant for each event they plan to host to help support their gathering.
Visit the DNSL homepage more information on how to plan and host an event or join us at our Do NASA Science LIVE Host Info Session on October 29, 2026 to learn more about the experience and ask any questions you may have. Register now at: bit.ly/DNSLinfo
Event Dates
All Dates 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET & 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. ET
- December 17, 2026
- January 21, 2027
- February, 18, 2027
- March 17, 2027
- April 1, 2027
- April 8, 2027
- April 15, 2027
- April 22, 2027
- April 29, 2027
- May 20, 2027
Grantee Expectations
Our Event Toolkits for each program walk you through the following steps:
- Be a registered SciStarter member (free to join).
- Join the Citizen and Community Science Library Network (if you’re affiliated with a library).
- List your event on SciStarter’s event page.
- Attend free webinar or view a recorded webinar to prepare for the event
- Plan, promote, and host the event; ensure the technology needed to livestream the Zoom event and support participant engagement, including access to devices, sharing instructions and materials, and submitting questions.
- Share a picture and description of the event on social media during the event and tag @SciStarter and #ActsofScience.
- Track event attendance and complete the required post-program survey.
Stipends are distributed after the post-program survey is completed. No receipts required.
How to Apply
The process is simple and only takes 5 – 10 minutes to complete. You’ll tell us a little about your organization, select the NASA science event you’d like to host, share your ideas for engaging your community, and answer a few questions about your event space and technology needs. We’ll also ask you to review the basic expectations for hosting.
Submit one application per event. You may apply to multiple events by submitting a separate application for each. Applications close three weeks before each event.