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CHOOSING A SUMMER INTERNSHIP OR RESEARCH PROJECT

Choosing a summer internship or research project can seem like a daunting task. This page is designed as a resource to aid you in finding a project suitable for you. However, it is not meant to be the only resource you turn to in finding summer work.

Faculty members are probably your most useful resource and you should go to them with questions about which programs to apply to.

Once you have been accepted to a program (or several!), you should ask past and current students about the advisor you will be working with

You need an advisor that you can work well with, and is dedicated to working with you. While other considerations such as pay and housing are also important, it is no exaggeration to say that the right advisor can make or break a program.

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nasa opportunities for college students

NASA Undergraduate Student Research Project Summer 2010 Sessions

 NASA's Undergraduate Student Research Project is currently accepting applications for 10-week summer 2010 internships. These internships offer students the opportunity to work alongside NASA scientists and engineers at NASA's field centers, laboratories and test facilities.

 Applicants must be sophomores, juniors or seniors with a 3.0 GPA. They must have an academic major or course work concentration in engineering, math, computer science, or physical or life sciences. Participants work on practical problems that will be applied in aerospace or on future NASA missions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

Applications for the summer 2010 session are due Jan. 22, 2010.

For more information and to apply online, visit http://usrp.usra.edu.

 

2009-2010 NASA University Design Contest in Exploration Systems

NASA invites college students to get involved with NASA's return to the moon by helping to design the tools and instruments needed for the next-generation manned moon rover. Student projects will tackle real problems to be solved for a successful manned lunar mission.

Examples of problems include:

• Navigation in the darkness around the moon's south pole.
  
• Sample retrieval and on-site analysis.
  
• Radiation detection and avoidance.
  
• Communication with lunar outpost, with orbiters and with Earth.
  
• Video capture of sorties for transmission back to Earth.
  
• Astronaut rescue and recovery.
  

Lunar regolith mitigation strategies for rover and space suits.

The contest is open to U.S. citizens enrolled full-time in an accredited post-secondary institution in the U.S., including universities, colleges, trade schools, community colleges and professional schools. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged, across departments and institutions.

An e-mail notice of intent is due by Dec. 15, 2009. Final entries are due on or before May 15, 2010.

For more information about the contest and to register online, visit http://moontasks.larc.nasa.gov .
Questions about the contest should be directed to Dr. Elizabeth Ward at Elizabeth.B.Ward@nasa.gov.

2009-2010 Life and Work on the Moon Art and Design Contest

NASA invites high school and college students from all areas of study, including the arts, industrial design, architecture and computer design, to submit their work on the theme "Life and Work on the Moon."

Artists are encouraged to collaborate with science and engineering students. Such collaboration is not required but would help to ensure that the work’s subject is valid for the moon’s harsh environment.

Entries will be accepted in three categories: two-dimensional, three-dimensional and digital, including video. For the first time, entries in literature (poetry and short stories) will also be accepted. Judges will evaluate entries not only on their artistic qualities, but also on whether they depict a valid scenario.

Prizes include awards and exhibit opportunities. International students are encouraged to participate, but they are not eligible for cash prizes or student internships.

Entries are due no later than April 15, 2010.

For more information about the contest and to register online, visit http://artcontest.larc.nasa.gov/.
Questions about the contest should be directed to Dr. Elizabeth Ward at Elizabeth.B.Ward@nasa.gov.

NASA Lunabotics Mining Competition

NASA is challenging undergraduate and graduate student teams to design and build an excavator that could be used on the moon.

Design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a college or university affiliation. Teams must also include two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities may work in collaboration, and multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

A university faculty advisor or student team may propose to receive up to $5,000 to support a student team. The team can use these funds to design and build a lunar regolith excavator. They may also use the money for travel expenses to compete in the Lunabotics Mining Competition at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 25-28, 2010.

Approved proposals will be funded on a first come, first served basis. Proposals must be received no later than Feb. 28, 2010.

For more information about the competition, visit http://www.nasa.gov/lunabotics .

Please e-mail any questions about this opportunity to Susan Sawyer at Susan.G.Sawyer@nasa.gov.

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association for women in science scholarships

The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Educational Awards Committee is pleased to offer awards to support women planning a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Established by AWIS in 1974 as the Educational Foundation, funds are provided by contributions from AWIS members and other donors.

Awards are spread among the STEM fields, and for 2010 will be weighted in favor of those disciplines where women are still significantly underrepresented (Computer Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences). The awards are available to female undergraduate and predoctoral students. 

The deadline for application is January 29, 2010.  For more information, visit AWIS Educational Awards.

 

IBM Master the Mainframe Contest

IBM is currently rolling out its fifth annual Master the Mainframe Contest this fall semester, with over $27,000 in prizes up for grabs. The major focus of the contest is to introduce students to an area of the computer field that they may not have had much experience with, and which is currently in a long-term hiring phase as the current generation of mainframe systems programmers begins to retire. If you think any of your students might be interested in checking it out (IBM designed the contest to be NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY), registration is now open from the contest homepage: http://ibm.com/university/contest.

Students who do well in the contest will also be invited to put their resumes into IBM's Student Opportunity System,https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/university/students/sos/professors.html, a recruiting tool available to all of IBM's clients and business partners. Professors and teachers may also use this site for resources for their students and classrooms.

The contest begins on Monday, October 5, and allows students to log into a mainframe system from their home or computer lab.

If you have any questions about the contest, you can reach the IBM Academic Initiative System z program at zskills@us.ibm.com.

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The Cleveland botanical garden research opportunities

The Cleveland Botanical Garden is engaged in a few projects that require some significant quantitative and mathematical modeling experience.  Although we cannot offer significant funding, we can promise a rich educational experience.  These projects have multiple parts and we would like to have numerous qualified candidates working with us.  Please see our project descriptions below:

Ecological footprint calculation (we have collected the raw numbers on energy, waste, procurement).  We need to develop a structure that will do the following:

1. characterize our baseline footprint
2. allow modeling our plans to lower the footprint (both the carbon footprint, materials footprint and ecological footprint) over the next 5 years
3. track our progress

Ecological economics- develop a series of models of how urban agriculture and/or vacant land management practices add significantly to ecological services and net worth in the community.  This includes:

1. watershed protection: modeling the quality and/or quantity of runoff from urban green spaces; estimating differences in runoff among different surface types; estimating changes in runoff created by urban green spaces and the resultant economic impacts on storm water management
2. biological diversity: estimating the amount and quality of habitat created; predicting effects of increased plant/animal diversity on urban food chains  
3. net increase in property value resulting from ecological services provided by urban green spaces; the effect of property value changes on community development patterns

Students and faculty who are interested in working with CBG, please contact Geri Unger, Director of Education and Research at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, gunger@cbgarden.org.

Professional Development

Fisher/UNITECH Virtual Job Fair for Engineers

The site provides employment opportunity listings and has an Event Agenda (PDF) which provides an overview of all the content available within the virtual environment.
http://funtech.veplatform.com/uc/registration-short-form.php

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On-going Opportunities

Astronomy

Cerro Tololo observatory in Chile
Program runs from January to March (southern summer)
http://www.ctio.noao.edu/REU/reu.html

Carnegie Observatories
http://www.ociw.edu/fellowships/
Postdoctoral fellowships in astronomy. Fellows are allowed to pursue the research topics of their choice and have access to all of Carnegie's observing facilities in Chile. Please direct all questions regarding these fellowships to Dr. John S. Mulchaey at cfellow@ociw.edu.

Geology

National Museum of Natural History Research Training Program
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/

A ten-week in-residence summer research and study curriculum exclusively for currently enrolled undergraduate students.

NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program
Click here for website and more details

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is seeking undergraduate students from diverse communities across the United States interested in unique hands-on experiences with NASA scientists and engineers. USRP internships are available year-round at all NASA facilities. Selected students receive a stipend and round-trip travel allowance. Students may apply for 15 week spring session, 10-week summer session, or 15-week fall session.

Lunar and Planetary Science Summer Intern Program
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpiintern/

The Lunar and Planetary Institute invites undergraduates with at least 50 semester hours of credit to experience cutting-edge research in the planetary sciences. As a Summer Intern, you will work one-on-one with a scientist at the LPI or at the NASA Johnson Space Center on a research project of current interest in planetary science. The Summer Intern Program allows participants to experience a real research environment, to learn from top-notch planetary scientists, and to preview careers in research.

United States Geological Survey
http://www.usgs.gov/ohr/student/

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers diverse employment opportunities for students in biology, hydrology, computer science, cartography, geology, administration, and many other fields.

Mathematics

SIAM
http://www.siam.org/

The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics has pages including professional opportunities, listings of upcoming conferences, and resources for students including travel awards.

NetLib
http://www.netlib.org/
Netlib is a collection of mathematical software, papers, and databases.

SMALL REU at Williams
http://www.williams.edu/Mathematics/small_CES.html

The SMALL Undergraduate Research Project is a nine-week summer program in which undergraduates investigate open research problems in mathematics. The largest program of its kind in the country, SMALL is supported in part by a National Science Foundation grant for Research Experiences for Undergraduates and by the Science Center of Williams College.

Statistics

American Statistical Association
http://www.amstat.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=main

NOAA Student Scholarships and Training Programs

International Biometric Society
http://www.enar.org/links.cfm

Links to Biometry/Statistics Societies

Institute of Mathematical Statistics
http://www.imstat.org/

The IMS is an international professional and scholarly society devoted to the development, dissemination, and application of statistics and probability. The Institute currently has about 4,500 members in all parts of the world. Student membership is free.

International Statistical Institute
http://isi.cbs.nl/

The International Statistical Institute (ISI) is one of the oldest international scientific associations functioning in the modern world. Its first congresses were convened in 1853, and it was formally established in 1885. The Institute is an autonomous society, which seeks to develop and improve statistical methods and their application through the promotion of international activity and co-operation.

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Useful Links

Association for Women in Mathematics
http://www.awm-math.org/

The purpose of the Association for Women in Mathematics is to encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences, and to promote equal opportunity and the equal treatment of women and girls in the mathematical sciences. Have fun investigating our web pages! - Cathy Kessel, President of the AWM

APS Committee for Women in Physics
http://www.aps.org/programs/women/index.cfm

The APS, through the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP), is committed to encouraging the recruitment, retention, and career development of women physicists at all levels. Workshops for women physicists provide valuable communication and negotiations training. The site visit program assists physics department chairs in making their atmosphere more welcoming to women. The Blewett Scholarship allows women to return to scientific research after an absence. Publications feature the accomplishments of women in physics and encourage young women to consider physics as a career.

American Astronomical Society Committee on the Status of Women
http://www.aas.org/cswa/

The Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy was established in 1979 and consists of eight rotating members with 3-year terms. Our charge is to recommend to the AAS Council practical measures that can be taken to improve the status of women in astronomy and encourage their entry into this field. We have several print and electronic publications and have held two international meetings about the status of women in astronomy. We encourage you to look around, and to submit articles and items of interest about women in science and related topics. Women are especially urged to enter their information in the Women in Astronomy database, which can be used to search for colloquium or conference speakers and job applicants.

A history of women in astronomy
http://astro.berkeley.edu/~gmarcy/women/history.html

The "computers" at the Harvard Observatory in the 1890's were women who examined glass photographic plates containing images of the sky. Among of their tasks were discovering stars that changed brightness in a periodic way and classifying hundreds of thousands of stars. Women were not allowed to use the world's largest telescopes until the 1960's.

BioOhio
http://www.bioohio.com/bio-sciences/

The mission of BioOhio is to accelerate bioscience discovery, innovation, and commercialization of global value, driving economic growth and improved quality of life in Ohio.  
BioOhio, founded in 1987 as Edison BioTechnology Center and formerly Omeris, is a non-profit organization designed to build and accelerate bioscience industry, research, and education in Ohio.

National Council for Research on Women
http://www.ncrw.org/

The National Council for Research on Women, founded in 1981, is a working alliance of 92 women's research and policy centers, more than 3,000 affiliates and a network of over 200 international centers. NCRW's mission is to enhance the connections among research, policy analysis, advocacy, and innovative programming on behalf of women and girls.

National Women's Studies Association
http://www.nwsa.org

The National Women's Studies Association leads the field of women’s studies in educational and social transformation. Established in 1977, NWSA has more than 2,000 individual and institutional members worldwide. The Association provides critical support for members pursuing bold goals on their campuses and in their communities by challenging existing power structures and working to create a world built upon principles of social justice.

Scientific American articles on women in science
Click here for list

Scientific American, the oldest continuously published magazine in the U.S., has been bringing its readers unique insights about developments in science and technology for more than 150 years.

Groups Relating to Women in Science and Engineering
http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/tap/sci-women-groups.html

A general website with a links to many varied organizations.

CWRU Women's Studies Program
http://www.case.edu/artsci/womn/

Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students to think critically and creatively by employing gender as a primary category of analysis. The program is set up to examine a variety of issues of specific interest to women and of general interest to scholars of gender studies across a variety of diverse cultural and historical settings.