Supporting the Next Generation of Space Scientists
Lux Consulting Group marks 15 years of partnership with the Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund and NASA Academy Alumni Association.
For 15 years, Lux Consulting Group has been proud to support the Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund for the Advancement of Space Science Education and the NASA Academy Alumni Association, helping administer a program that creates opportunities for emerging scientists and engineers to share their research with the broader scientific community.
The Soffen Fund Travel Grant program provides financial assistance to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing studies in fields relevant to NASA’s science mission directorates. Through the program, students can receive support to attend professional conferences where they present their research, engage with other scientists and engineers, and build connections that can help advance their careers.
Behind the Program
Lux provides ongoing operational support for the Travel Grant program, helping turn the Fund’s mission into a reliable application and review process.
Our work includes maintaining the grant application website, supporting students as they navigate the application process, preparing application materials for volunteer reviewers, and communicating award decisions to applicants.
It is the kind of behind-the-scenes work that is essential to a successful program: creating the infrastructure and processes that allow volunteers to focus on evaluating promising research and students to focus on pursuing their scientific goals.
Creating Opportunities for Emerging Researchers
The impact is tangible. In Spring 2026, four students received Soffen Fund Travel Grants to present their research at in-person scientific conferences.
For early-career scientists and engineers, these opportunities extend beyond presenting a paper or poster. Professional conferences offer a chance to exchange ideas, receive feedback, meet others working in their fields, and become part of the professional communities in which their careers will develop.
Lux is grateful for the opportunity to contribute our time and expertise to a program that has continued opening those doors for students year after year.
The partnership also reflects an important part of who we are as a company. Lux works with organizations committed to serving people, communities, and the environment, and our brand emphasizes collaborative, long-lasting relationships. Supporting the Soffen Fund is one way we can put those principles into practice—using our capabilities to help a meaningful program work effectively and create opportunities for others.
Interested in the Soffen Fund Travel Grant?
Learn more about the program, eligibility, and application opportunities at soffenfund.org.