ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - NASA has awarded the Science Museum of Minnesota a $14.5 million grant to lead a national effort to engage the public in space and earth science, the museum announced Thursday.
The five-year award will fund the new Space and Earth Informal STEM Education (SEISE) project, which aims to turn NASA’s space research into new interactive exhibits, activities and learning experiences. The St. Paul, Minn. museum will spearhead the project, along with partners from Arizona State University; the Museum of Science, Boston and the University of California-Berkley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and Space Sciences Laboratory.
“The Science Museum [of Minnesota] is a proven leader at making science concepts inspirational and easy-to-understand through programs and activities,” Alison Rempel Brown, president of the Science Museum of Minnesota, said in a statement. “We are a perfect match. I look forward to a successful partnership that inspires future scientists through fun and engaging programs.”
The contract is one of the largest ever awarded by NASA, according to a news release. NASA had previously provided funding to the Science Museum for the SPACE exhibition, which premiered at the museum in 2015 and is now on a tour of science centers across the nation.