NASA is actively recruiting for undergraduate student participants and graduate student mentors for the annual Student Airborne Research  program (SARP). 

Undergraduate Students 

This paid, 8-week summer internship offers advanced undergraduate STEM majors an opportunity to participate in interdisciplinary research by working with NASA scientists and experts in the field.

Program Overview:

• Who: U.S. citizens who are preferably third-year undergraduate students at a 4-year, U.S.-accredited university, with a strong academic background in physical, chemical, or biological sciences, or engineering.
• What: Participants will work in teams to study land, atmospheric, or oceanographic processes using various research platforms (aircraft, mobile labs, water vessels, and more). The program includes foundational lectures, field research, data collection, and analysis, culminating in individual research projects and presentations.
• Where: Multiple field research sites during June – August 2025.
• When: Applications open December 1, 2024, and close January 31, 2025.
• Program Link: NASA SARP Website
• Application Link: SARP Undergraduate Application

Benefits to Students:

• Exposure to NASA's Earth Science research and cutting-edge field methods.
• Opportunity for students to gain real-world research experience, which will be valuable for graduate school applications and future STEM careers.
• A unique interdisciplinary approach to Earth System Science, working across land, atmospheric, and oceanographic research areas.
• Paid internship with full immersion in a collaborative, research-focused environment.

Graduate Students

This is an opportunity for graduate students interested mentoring in Earth System Science: the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). SARP is a summer internship for rising senior undergraduates. It offers hands-on research experience using NASA's airborne science labs, covering areas like atmospheric chemistry, air quality, forest ecology, and ocean biology.

Graduate students with a strong background in either scientific coding, atmospheric chemistry, ocean remote sensing, or terrestrial ecology that would be interested in a paid opportunity to mentor our undergraduate participants at SARP this summer would be highly encouraged to apply. 

Mentors support students with their research projects and help foster a collaborative community within the research groups. This mentorship opportunity allows graduate students to increase their  leadership, research and communication skills.  

The application materials are attached, and applications are required to be submitted by February 9, 2025.