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Dotzauer, Janet A.
8:59 AM (3 hours ago)
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Please refer all questions to links below.
When can students start applying? Right now!
What is the deadline for students to submit applications? April 1, 2019
Do Students have to fill out a completely new application in Salesforce, or can they port it over? Yes, students must complete a new application
What is the link to Salesforce? Intern.nasa.gov
Do you know the starting and ending dates for high school and college/graduate students?
High School: June 24, 2019 – August 2, 2019
College: June 3, 2019 – August 9, 2019
Do you know the summer stipend amounts for high school college, and graduate students?
High School (6 weeks): $2400
College Undergrad (10 weeks): $7300
College GRAD (10 weeks): $9000
Will students still have five calendar days to either accept or reject the offer through their Salesforce account; will the offer still automatically expire after five calendar days? yes
If you would like to subscribe to an announcement-only list about NASA internships for persons with disabilities, please send an E-mail to with 'subscribe' in the Subject field, OR by visiting the list page at http://www.freelists.org/list/nasainterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. WHERE DO I APPLY FOR AN INTERNSHIP?
You can apply at: https://www.intern.nasa.gov
2. WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT FELLOWSHIPS AND
SCHOLARSHIPS?
For more information on fellowships and scholarships visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/fellowship-programs
3. WHEN ARE THE INTERNSHIP SESSION DATES? (Session dates may differ
per agreement with mentor and approval through Program Manager)
Spring 2019 (college): 01/07/2019 – 04/26/19
Summer 2019 (college): 06/03/2019 - 08/09/2019
Summer 2019 (high school): 06/24/2019 – 08/02/2019
Fall 2019 (college): 08/26/2019 – 12/13/2019
4. HOW MUCH WILL I BE PAID?
Fall/Spring Internship – 16 Weeks
Undergraduates: $11,680
Graduates: $14,400
Summer Internship – 10 Weeks
Undergraduates: $7,300
Graduates: $9,000
5. WHAT ARE THE APPLICANT CRITERIA?
. GPA – 3.0 at the time of application
. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Will be required to show proof of US
citizenship if selected for an internship.
. Accepted to or enrolled full-time in an accredited U.S. college or university.
. 16 years of age or older by the date that the internship begins.
. Letter of recommendation to be submitted on your application to
intern.nasa.gov.
6. I AM ABOUT TO GRADUATE COLLEGE; CAN I STILL APPLY?
Yes, you can be considered for an internship for one session within six months of
graduation. However, you will be considered as an undergraduate intern.
7. HOW MANY NASA INTERNSHIPS MAY I PARTICIPATE IN?
An intern may apply and obtain up to three consecutive full-time internships or
six part-time internships as long as she/he meets the eligibility requirements.
However, the internship selection process is very competitive and interns are
never guaranteed an internship based on a prior NASA internship. After taking
a session off after up to three consecutives full-time or six consecutive part-time
internship sessions, an intern is eligible for consideration for other internship
opportunities.
8. WILL THIS INTERNSHIP LEAD TO AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE PATHWAYS
PROGRAM?
NASA Internships are opportunities available for one single session and are
short-term opportunities designed to advance projects to the next level and
provide valuable work experience to the student. Pathways is separate from
NIFS. Pathways information is available at
https://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/default.htm
9. IS HOUSING PROVIDED FOR INTERNS?
Interns must provide for their own housing and relocation expenses. Upon
acceptance, interns may be forwarded a Housing Guide that may be helpful in
identifying housing options in the area.
10. WHAT KIND OF MAJORS DOES NASA LOOK FOR?
Primarily we look for STEM Majors (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics). Additionally, some projects will call for Communications, Public
Affairs, Journalism, Graphics, Business and Finance.
11. WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS DOES NASA HAVE?
Project needs change each session according to the organization’s needs.
Some skills that NASA routinely needs are (list is not exhaustive).
. Programming: C++, JAVA, HTML
. CAD, PRO-E, Matlab, 3D Modeling
. Networking
. Machine Shop, fabricating, design, prototyping
. 3D printing
. Social Media
. Technical Writing
. Database Administration
. Heliophysics
. Earth Science
. Solar System
. Astrophysics
12. DO I HAVE TO APPLY TO A SPECIFIC PROJECT?
No, you do not have to apply to a specific project. By submitting your
application, you are in the general applicant pool. However, the visibility (and
selection odds) of your application is increased by applying to a specific project.
We look at candidates that have applied to a specific project before looking in
the larger, general applicant pool. Be sure if you apply to a specific project, you
have the skills they are asking for.
You can apply to 15 projects per session.
13. HOW CAN I MAKE MY APPLICATION STAND OUT?
We are not able to review every application in the general applicant pool. Think
“filters,” using key words may boost the chances of your application being
viewed by a mentor. Remember the projects are usually specific. If you are a
mechanical engineering major, do not just say you have lab experience. Specify
your experience with equipment, testing and analyses that you performed in a
lab.
Important sections of your application are:
. Computer Skills – Be thorough, as this is what filters will catch. Avoid
exhaustive paragraphs.
. Special Skills – List any skill you are proficient in that you feel may be
helpful (social media, foreign languages, machine shop, graphic artist,
acoustical analysis, heat transfer, gas spectroscopy, chromatography,
anthropometry, technical writing, photography, etc.). List anything that will
separate you from other candidates. Use key words.
. How your interests fit with a NASA opportunity – State how you can
advance this project to the next level. What is it about you that
distinguishes your skills from others that inspires NASA to select you? Be
concise. Describe your experiences and how your skill set will benefit
NASA now and in the future.
14. IF I AM PURSUING MY MASTER’S OR DOCTORATE DEGREE, MAY I STILL
APPLY FOR AN INTERNSHIP?
Yes, so long as you meet the eligibility requirements you can apply for an
internship opportunity.
15. HOW WILL FULL-TIME FALL/SPRING INTERNSHIP SESSIONS AFFECT MY
FULL-TIME SCHOOL SCHEDULE?
Students are responsible for finding a sensible solution to balance the needs of
their internship opportunities and academic plans after receiving an offer to join
the internship program at NASA. It is common for students to enroll in a lighter
school load during their internship session, take online classes through their
institution, or defer for one semester in order to participate. The student should
inform their mentor of any academic plans during their internship at NASA.
16. WHAT IS THE INTERVIEW PROCESS LIKE?
While interviews are not a required component of the internship application and
review process, some NASA centers may choose to conduct face-to-face or
phone interviews. In this case, you will be contacted directly by the mentor via
email or phone. There is no timeline for this action.
Be prepared for phone contact from NASA. If you are using a home phone
accessible by other family members, let them know you have applied to the
NASA internship program. Be prepared to explain why you are the best
candidate to fill the opportunity by knowing how your unique skills align with the
project.
17. DO I NEED PRIOR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE TO GET AN INTERNSHIP
WITH NASA?
No, not necessarily. All applicants are evaluated on merit, skills and the relevant
experience to the specific opportunities. Answering the essay questions
thoroughly is very important, as comprehensive responses enable the mentors
and internship program coordinators to differentiate applicants whose passion
and skill suit the opportunity best.
18. DO I NEED A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION?
Yes, applicants must submit at least one letter of recommendation however, 2-3
letters are common. Your letter(s) of recommendation can weigh a great amount
in the final decision. Assure that your recommender is someone who can speak
highly of your skills, work ethic and leadership.
19. I AM AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT, WHAT OPPORTUNITES AT NASA
ARE AVAILABLE TO ME?
You can search for opportunities here:
https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/international-
internships-for-students.html
20. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY APPLICATION IS BEING CONSIDERED, I HAVE
APPLIED BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK?
There is no formal notification process in place to alert students of their
application status. However, you may check the status of your application at
intern.nasa.gov. If you are selected to be part of the Internship Program, you
will be contacted with an offer letter from the Program Manager at
your designated NASA center. There is no concrete timeline for this process.
21. HOW LONG AFTER YOU SUBMIT AN APPLICATION DOES IT TAKE TO
HEAR IF YOU RECEIVED THE INTERNSHIP?
This will vary greatly by the center, the session and the internship project.
Submit your applications as soon as possible, it is common for applications to
be reviewed and sometimes, for selections to be made even before the
application deadline. Typically, students will hear by one month prior to the start
of the internship session if they are selected to participate in an internship.
22. I HAVE A SPECIFC QUESTION ABOUT THE NASA INTERNSHIPS,
FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM AT GODDARD, WHO
CAN I ASK?
You can send an email to: We will respond
within 48 hours.
23. I AM NOT SURE HOW TO NAVIGATE THE APPLICATION SYSTEM. IS
THERE A TUTORIAL?
Yes! We have a video that can walk you through the new system. You can view the
tutorial on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgFPngfSz10
Go with Goddard. Grow @ Goddard.
NASA Internships @ Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center Campuses:
Greenbelt Campus, MD (GB) (30 minutes from Washington, DC, Baltimore and Annapolis, MD)
Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), Wallops Island, VA (3 hours from Greenbelt Campus)
Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V), Fairmont, WV (3.5 hours from Greenbelt Campus)
Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS), New York, NY (20 minutes from Times Square, NY)
White Sands Complex (WSC), White Sands, NM (1 hour from Holloman AFB)
Goddard has internships for high school through doctoral students in STEM fields.
Apply at: https://intern.nasa.gov
Go with Goddard. Grow @ Goddard.
Goddard Space Flight Center conducts innovative and exciting work in earth science, heliophysics, astrophysics, planetary science,
engineering, communications and technology development across five campuses.
https://intern.nasa.gov
ENGINEERING
• Aerospace Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Detector Systems
• Environmental/Electronics Engineering
• Instrumentation Engineering
• Materials Engineering
• Composites Applications
• Mechanical Engineering
• Microelectronics & Signal Processing
• Optical Engineering
• Robotics
• Thermal Engineering
• Math
• Computer Science
• Physics
• Software Engineering
• Systems Engineering
• Propulsion Engineering
• Microwave Engineering
• Fiber Optics
• Navigation
• Trajectory Analysis
• Guidance Navigation Design and
Control Systems
• Sensor Actuator Design and
Development
TECHNOLOGY
• Airborne Science Research
• Balloons & Sounding Rockets
• Computer Science
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data / Information Visualization
- Data Systems Technology
- Earth & Space Data Computing
- High Performance Computing &
Communications
• Lasers
• Photonics
• Field Programmable Gate Arrays
• Small Satellite
• Information Technology
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Computer Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Systems Engineering/Design
ADMINISTRATIVE
• Accounting
• Communications
• Education
• Human Capital
• Legal
• Procurement
• = Discipline choices in OSSI: NIFS
– = Specific areas of research at Goddard
SCIENCE
• Astrophysics
- X-ray Astrophysics
- Astroparticle Physics
- Gravitational Astrophysics
- Cosmology
- Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics
• Earth Sciences
- Climate & Radiation
- Atmospheric Physics & Chemistry
- Cryospheric Sciences
- Hydrospheric Sciences
- Biospheric Sciences
- Ocean Ecology
- Atmospheric Mesoscale Processes
- Earth Geodesy and Geophysics
• Heliophysics
- Solar Physics
- Geospace Physics
- Space Weather
- Heliospheric Physics
• Cross-Disciplinary
- Astrobiology
- Exoplanets
- Atmospheric science (Earth, planets,
other bodies
MATHEMATICS AND
PHYSICS
• Applied Math
• General Math
• Applied Physics
Goddard Space Flight Center Contacts:
(GB) (GISS)
(WFF) (IV&V)
