Application

Candidates must complete one single online application in order to be considered for the Zed Factor Fellowship. The application contains four main sections to be completed. The four sections are described in detail below.

1. General Information

2. Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Transcript

3. Four Essays (Required)

4. The Zed Box and Zed Song

All sections are required and must be completed and submitted by 11:59 PM PST on January 2nd, 2025 to be considered for the Fellowship. Please email us at info@zedfactorfellowship.org if you have any questions during the process.

Additional Details

RESUME/CURRICULUM VITAE & TRANSCRIPT: Zed accepts either a Resume or a Curriculum Vitae (CV) which should be no more than two pages in length and must include your overall GPA. If you’re unsure how to write a CV, take this opportunity to learn how. Please review this guide we have prepared for applicants here. You must also submit a transcript which can be an unofficial document.

We’ve prepared some detailed tips on how to create your Resume/CV if you need assistance please go here.

Click on the “Zed Fellow Application” button below to get started on your application!

Details for the Essays

ESSAYS: We require all four essays prompts to be completed and must be submitted along with your online application to be complete. Please make sure to upload your essay responses as a single PDF file titled, “Essays2025_FullNameofApplicant”. Once you submit your application you will not be able to return and edit your application. Each applicant will only be allowed one submission. We will not accept any emailed essays as they must be submitted through the online application system.

Below are the required essays for the fellowship:

1. In 200 words or less, please describe your ideal first job post-education. If you are uncertain about your ideal first job or career goals post-education, please describe what makes you passionate about the aviation and/or space industry.

2. In 200 words or less, describe someone you know personally who has inspired you and how you have tried to embody that person. 

3. Imagine you have $500 and three months to launch your community engagement project. In 200 words or less, describe how you would make the most impact with these resources.

4. In 200 words or less, describe a personal experience or challenge that shaped your interest in aerospace and how the Zed Factor Fellowship could continue to shape your interests and support your goals.

Some tips on thinking about your proposed community engagement project and helpful tips for essay question 3:

The Zed Factor Fellowship was created not only to ensure fellows who are not traditionally represented in the aerospace community, but also to bring the impact of those fellows, the learning and growth, to those fellows’ communities. All fellows are expected to give back to their communities, in a way they see fit, be it through providing mentorship to a younger community member, building a program in their high school, or finding another appropriate and compelling way to grow and expand the impact of the Zed Factor Fellowship beyond themselves.

We realize designing impactful and effective community engagement projects is both an opportunity and a challenge. We want to assist, but also realize that fellows know their communities better than anyone else.

Some thoughts to consider when thinking through how best to maximize the reach of a community engagement project:

• Who is the audience you want to reach?  What are their needs and challenges?

• How do you want the audience to feel from your project? (i.e., inspired, motivated, included, etc.)

• How can the community engagement project amplify the learnings or findings of the fellowship?

• Are there any unique relationships do you have that can contribute to the success of the community engagement project (membership in a local or national organization, mentors who can advise/assist, a special connection to a community leader)?

• What special skills can you use to create a unique and impactful community engagement project?

There are plenty of online guides on how to build a community engagement project that you can tailor to this specific circumstance. Be creative, and keep in mind how you plan to measure the impact of your community engagement project and how it can amplify your Zed Factor Fellowship experience far beyond your internship.  

The Zed Box and Zed Song

NEW THIS YEAR: The Zed Box empowers your creativity by generating a visual based image to a creative prompt using Artificial Intelligence technology. Have fun with it!

NEW THIS YEAR: The Zed Song is a simple way for us to learn what resonates with you and to see how you connect music to your identity, experience, culture, etc. Have fun with it!

Good luck!