NASA'S Gateways to Blue Skies Competition
2026 Competition Details Coming Later This Summer!
The Gateways to Blue Skies Competition expands engagement between universities and NASA’s University Innovation Project, industry, and government partners by providing an opportunity for multidisciplinary teams of students from all academic levels (i.e., freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate) and majors to tackle significant climate-related challenges and opportunities that can be addressed by the aviation industry through a new project theme each year.
Competition News

2025 Blue Skies Winners Announced!
May 21, 2025 - The South Dakota State University team, with their project titled “Soil Testing and Plant Leaf Extraction Drone,” took first place at the fourth annual Gateways to Blue Skies Competition.

2025 Blue Skies Finalists Announced!
March 14, 2025 - Eight teams have been selected as finalists as part of the 2025 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition. Teams will present their design concepts to a panel of NASA & industry judges this May.

Announcing the 2025 Blue Skies Competition!
August 6, 2024 - The 2025 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition: AgAir (Aviation Solutions for Agriculture) is now open! Proposals should focus on ways new or improved aviation solutions could assist the agriculture industry.
GATEWAYS TO BLUE SKIES
Competition Overview
Blue Skies expands engagement between universities and NASA’s University Innovation Project, industry, and government partners by providing an opportunity for multidisciplinary teams of students from all academic levels (i.e., freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate) and majors to tackle significant challenges and opportunities for the aviation industry through a new project theme each year. The competition is guided by a push toward new technologies as well as environmentally and socially conscious aviation.
Initial participation involves a conceptual study, submission of a 5-7 page proposal and creation of a video summarizing the team’s proposal. Finalist teams (up to 8) write a final research paper, create an infographic summarizing concepts, and present in front of NASA and industry experts at a culminating forum held at a NASA Center at the end of May or early June. Internship opportunities with NASA’s ARMD serve as the competition prize for members of the winning team.
The Gateways to Blue Skies competition is open to full-time or part-time undergraduate and graduate students at an accredited U.S.-based community college, college, or university. Teams may include senior capstone students, clubs, multi-university teams, and/or multidisciplinary teams. Multidisciplinary teams and teams from Minority Serving Institutions are highly encouraged to apply!
UNIVERSITY TEAMS MUST INCLUDE:
- At a minimum, teams must contain one faculty advisor with a college/university affiliation at a lead U.S.-based institution, and 2 U.S. citizen (or lawful permanent resident) students from that lead U.S.-based university who work on the project and present at the culminating Blue Skies Forum.
- Team size is limited to a maximum of 6 student team members.
- A faculty advisor is encouraged to attend the Forum with each team.
SPECIAL ELIGIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
- An individual may join more than one team. A faculty advisor may advise more than one team.
- A university may submit more than one proposal.
- Team members may not be a federal employee acting within the scope of employment (this includes co-op students with civil servant status)
- The expectation is that Blue Skies projects are student-led initiatives (i.e., students are doing the work).
- Faculty take on the role as mentors, and if a team is selected as a finalist, help manage any monetary awards sent to the university.
- The expectation is that Blue Skies projects originate in the academic environment, versus from a business or professional endeavor.
SPECIAL NOTES REGARDING FOREIGN NATIONALS:
- Foreign Nationals (FNs) attending the proposing U.S.-based university can participate on a Blue Skies Competition Team, with notable exclusions. Due to NASA security restrictions and policies, FNs will not be able to attend culminating Blue Skies Forum events that take place on-site at a NASA Center (including tours).
- FNs are ineligible for the internship prize. There will be no exceptions to this policy.
- FNs can, however, participate in any portions of the culminating Blue Skies Forum that take place off-Center. Note that Blue Skies Competition forums typically take place at a NASA Center with limited activities off-Center.
FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES: INELIGIBLE
- Eligibility is limited to universities in the United States. Foreign universities are not eligible to participate in the Blue Skies Competition.
Up to 8 finalist teams will be selected to present their 2025 Blue Skies concepts at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in May 2025. Each team will be awarded $8,000 to fund each team’s full forum participation. NOTE: Blue Skies funding may not be used to directly support travel or stipends for federal employees acting within the scope of employment (including co-op students with civil servant status). Awards will be issued following the selection of finalist teams in April 2025.
NASA ARMD is setting aside up to 6 internships for students on teams that advance to the Blue Skies Forum, with first opportunities being presented to members of the winning team. Internships must be taken within the academic year following the Forum.
Selections will be made first to students on the winning team(s) and will be based on the cumulative merit of each student’s individual internship application and availability for fall, spring, or summer internships.
Fall: Late August/early September to mid-December (16 weeks) Spring: Mid-January to early May (16 weeks) Summer: Late-May/early June to August (10 weeks)
ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTSNASA internships* have additional eligibility requirements:
- U.S. Citizenship
- Cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- Undergrad and graduate students must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program at an accredited college or university.
- Applicants transitioning between undergraduate and graduate pursuits are eligible IF they have graduated within 6 months.
- *Read full eligibility requirements at the link above.