November 25, 2024
COMMERCIAL SPACE FEDERATION AND
MATTHEW ISAKOWITZ FOUNDATION PROGRAMS
ANNOUNCE NEW SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARD
The Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship will go to college students who demonstrate the passion and attributes to shape the future of the burgeoning commercial space industry through space policies
The Matthew Isakowitz Rising Star Award will recognize early career individuals with exceptional promise of furthering the commercial space industry
WASHINGTON DC—Today, the Commercial Space Federation (CSF) in partnership with the Matthew Isakowitz Foundation Programs (MIFP) announced two new opportunities for recognizing standout individuals passionate about commercial space: the Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship and the Matthew Isakowitz Rising Star Award. Both have been established to honor the legacy of an extraordinary individual whose enthusiasm for space exploration led to great strides in the industry and inspired all who knew him.
“We are excited to offer these new opportunities for supporting promising college students and early career professionals,” said Sirisha Bandla, CSF Chair of the Board of Directors. “It is an honor to host an award and scholarship named for one of CSF’s earliest employees, Matthew Isakowitz, who was a key leader in expanding the organization’s reach and encouraging many—including myself—to pursue our dreams of democratizing space for all.”
These two initiatives are the latest efforts spearheaded by Matthew’s family and several volunteer coordinators following the success of the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program—a summer internship, executive mentorship, and networking program for the next generation of commercial space leaders–which took place from 2017 to 2024. The carefully curated experience helped launch many more future leaders and innovators into the field, with the 200 alumni fellows going on to land commercial space jobs, pursue advanced academic degrees, start new companies, work on major space policy, invest in startups, and more, all while continuing to be part of the lifelong Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship network.
“We are very honored to be partnered with the Commercial Space Federation, an organization so instrumental in opening the space frontier to entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Steve and Monica Isakowitz, on behalf of the Isakowitz Family. “We look forward to working with CSF to launch new careers in space, just like CSF did for Matthew. We also want to thank Josh Ingersoll, a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow from the class of 2019, who will be leading this effort day-to-day.”
The Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship is an annual scholarship for college students who demonstrate the passion and attributes to shape the future of the growing commercial space industry through space policies, an area that Matthew was instrumental in impacting from its earliest days. Eligible recipients include college junior, senior, or graduate students attending a US-based university or community college. The application consists of a resume submission and essay responses. An interview is required of finalists, with a select number chosen as winners. They will receive a $1,000 scholarship award, consideration by CSF and its member companies for a summer internship in the DC area, and unique opportunities to network with industry leaders and major policy makers. Applications are expected to open in December 2024, with recipients selected in February 2025.
The Matthew Isakowitz Rising Star Award recognizes early career individuals with exceptional promise of furthering the commercial space industry and becoming future industry icons. Recipients will have demonstrated leadership, initiative, and innovation—for example, by founding a company, enabling new markets, or driving the next wave of breakthrough technologies or novel applications. The honor will be presented at the annual Commercial Space Conference hosted by CSF in Washington DC, and recipients will be recognized on the CSF website. The first winner is expected to be chosen in February 2025.
More information about the scholarship and award is available at matthewisakowitzfoundation.org.
About Matthew Isakowitz
Matthew Isakowitz (1987–2017) was an extraordinary young man whose passion for opening the commercial space frontier was only matched by his kindness and generosity to those around him. Matthew began exercising his passion in high school by serving on the XPRIZE Foundation during the flight of SpaceShipOne, the first privately piloted spacecraft. In college, he worked on NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto at the Applied Physics Lab, human space travel at Space Adventures, and the Dragon capsule at SpaceX. His career took flight as Associate Director of the Commercial Space Federation from 2009–2012, an organization that contributed to the transformation of commercial space pioneers—such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic—into the notable players they are today. Afterwards, Matthew continued to push humanity’s frontiers as an entrepreneur and engineer at Planetary Resources and Astranis. Matthew attended Princeton University, where he was granted early acceptance to Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He also earned a Masters Degree in International Science and Technology Policy from George Washington University. The Matthew Isakowitz Foundation Programs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks to instill the next generation with Matthew’s enthusiasm for bettering humankind through space exploration. matthewisakowitzfoundation.org
About Commercial Space Federation
The Commercial Space Federation is the leading voice for the commercial space industry. Founded in 2006, CSF and its 85+ members are laying the foundation for a sustainable space economy and democratizing access to space for scientists, students, civilians, and businesses. CSF members are responsible for the creation of thousands of high-tech jobs driven by billions of dollars in investment. Through the promotion of technology innovation, CSF is guiding the expansion of Earth’s economic sphere, bolstering U.S. leadership in aerospace, and inspiring America’s next generation of engineers and explorers.
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