ORONO – Maine Space Grant Consortium has awarded six projects under its Higher Education Program. Area projects receiving grants are:

. Dr. Bruce Segee, University of Maine, “Leveraging the Maine Laptop Initiative for Cluster Computing and Visualization in the Middle School Classroom.”

. Dr. Yifeng Zhu, UM, “Building a System-on-chip Laboratory at the University of Maine.”

. The Island Astronomy Institute, with the College of the Atlantic, “Perspectives on Astronomy Collaborative for Undergraduate and Educational Studies.”

. Dr. S. Monroe Duboise, University of Southern Maine, “Interdisciplinary Explorations of the Nature of Life on Earth and Beyond: An Astrobiology Seminar Series for USM.”

. Dr. John Anderson, COA, “Microhabitat Sensing in Marine Environments.”

. Dr. Brian Hodgkin, USM, with Mark Ford, Massabesic High School, “Attending the Student Space Hardware Conference.”

Applicants include academic institutions, nonprofit organizations and private companies in collaboration with academic institutions or nonprofits. The purpose of the program is to enhance higher education capabilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines in Maine.

MSGC is running another Higher Education Program competition. Nonbinding letters of intent are due April 18, full proposals due May 8.

NASA’s presence in Maine is the Maine Space Grant Consortium, a nonprofit organization governed by a board representing Maine colleges, universities, research laboratories, state agencies, businesses, schools and nonprofit organizations. The consortium’s mission supports that of NASA by strengthening Maine’s aerospace-related research and educational assets important to the agency. Funding is from state and federal dollars. Information about the Maine Space Grant Consortium is available at www.msgc.org or (877) 397-7223.