NASA
is looking to increase the number of students with disabilities
pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers
through our internship programs. NASA has a two-percent hiring goal for
employment of people with disabilities and internships are a good way to
get experience. Students can apply for summer 2014 internships,
starting on Friday, November 1, 2013. The deadline for submitting
applications is Friday, March 14, 2014, and we will begin extending
offers to students as early as Monday, February 3, 2014. We encourage
you to apply early because the best opportunities are likely to be
filled early. Plus, your likelihood of being selected decreases the
longer you wait. You can register for an account and look for
internships anytime at the One Stop Shopping Initiative (OSSI): NASA
Internships, Fellowships, and Scholarships (NIFS) at
http://intern.nasa.gov/. Summer 2014 internships run from early June
until early August for college students and from late June until early
August for high school students. All student interns get paid. For
example, last Summer, at Goddard college students received a stipend of
$6000 and high school students $1800. As an intern, you are responsible
for your own housing.
NASA
internships for college and high school students are also offered
during Spring, Fall and Year Long Sessions. Students can apply for
Spring 2014 internship opportunities now! The website and the
application process are the same for all NASA internships, regardless of
the time of year. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday,
October 11, 2013, and we will begin extending offers to students as
early as Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Students who are selected for
spring internships will receive an offer letter by E-mail sometime after
October 11, 2013. Students will not be able to see Summer 2014
opportunities until November 1.
NASA
has internships for high school students and for rising freshmen
through doctoral students in STEM fields. A rising freshman is a high
school student who has been accepted to an accredited institution of
higher learning, i.e., a college or university, at the time of the
internship. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, with a minimum GPA of 2.8
for college and 3.0 for high school; however, applicants must understand
that the competition for internships is keen. High school students must
be at least sixteen years old at the time the internship begins.
Internships
are available at all NASA centers nationwide. Students can submit a
completed application whether they apply to an opportunity or not.
However, applying to opportunities has the advantage of allowing
applicants to be considered by mentors who work in disciplines of
interest and at a particular center. Applicants may apply to as many as
fifteen opportunities. For example, an opportunity having to do with
the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will be at the Goddard Space Flight
Center in Maryland because SDO is located there. Not applying to an
opportunity means that prospective interns will be hoping that a mentor
happens to read their applications rather than directing their
applications to mentors in fields and at centers of interest.
Students
who are selected for summer internships will receive an offer letter by
E-mail sometime after February 3, 2014. They will then have five days
to either accept or reject the offer through their OSSI: NIFS account.
The offer will automatically expire after five days if no action is
taken.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions about applying for NASA internships:
Frequently Asked Questions About OSSI:NIFS for Student Applicants
* What
does NASA do? In aeronautics, NASA enables a safer, more secure,
efficient, and environmentally friendly air transportation system. In
human exploration, NASA operates the International Space Station (ISS)
and prepares for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. In science,
NASA explores the Earth-Sun system, our own solar system, and the
universe beyond. In engineering, NASA designs the aircraft, spacecraft,
and scientific instruments that make all of this possible.
* In
what fields are NASA's internship opportunities? NASA has internships
in aerospace, chemical, environmental, materials, mechanical, civil,
electrical, thermal, systems, optical, robotic and computer hardware and
software engineering. Engineers also work in the fields of composites,
cryogenics, microelectronics, signal processing, high performance
computing , and nanotechnology . Our computer engineers develop
artificial intelligence systems, and conduct research into data
information and visualization systems technology . NASA computer
scientists develop models that help us learn about gravitational
astrophysics, study the Earth's oceans, study the Earth's atmosphere,
and study the biospheres of other planets. Earth and planetary
scientists study the physics and chemistry of the Earth's oceans, the
Earth's atmosphere, and the biospheres of other planets and exoplanets,
using these models. Astrophysicists use satellites, aircraft, balloons
and sounding rockets to conduct research into high energy astrophysics,
astroparticle physics, stellar physics, heliophysics, and cosmology.
Some of the other areas of study at NASA are radiation, space weather,
geodynamics, planetary magnetospheres, geospace physics, and
climatology. Remote sensing is crucial to all of this research. Our
engineers and scientists work with radio, thermal, infrared, optical,
ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma ray, laser, particle, acoustic and many other
types of sensors and detectors.
* Where
are NASA internship opportunities located? Internship opportunities
are located at NASA centers and field installations all over the
country: Ames Research Center, Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View,
California; Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Los
Angeles County, California; Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio;
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York City, New York; Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland; Independent Verification and
Validation Facility, Fairmont, West Virginia; Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, California; Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas; Kennedy
Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida; Langley Research Center, Hampton,
Virginia; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama; Michoud
Assembly Facility, New Orleans, Louisiana; NASA Headquarters,
Washington, DC; NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center,
Mississippi; Stennis Space Center, near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi;
Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia; White Sands Complex,
Las Cruces, New Mexico; and White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, New
Mexico.
* The OSSI Frequently Asked Questions link is https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/faq/index.cfm?subAction=VIEW
* What
does OSSI:NIFS stand for? OSSI:NIFS is the One Stop Shopping
Initiative for NASA Internships, Fellowships, and Scholarships.
* Is
there an OSSI:NIFS help desk? The help desk E-mail is
<MSFC-DL-HelpdeskMSFC@mail.nasa.gov>. The help desk phone is
1-866-419-6297. The help desk hours of operation are 24/7.
* How
do I apply? Here is how to apply. The application is online. You
need to go to <http://intern.nasa.gov>. Then click on
internships. Next click on the register-as-a-student Button. You then
need to continue by registering, completing your interest profile, and
application. Then, you must search for specific internship
opportunities at specific NASA centers and field installations and apply
for them. Letters of recommendation are uploaded by the recommender.
Your application will not be completed until at least one letter of
recommendation is uploaded. This means that you will not be able to
apply to, although you will be able to view, specific opportunities
until you have at least one letter of recommendation uploaded to the
OSSI:NIFS system. The "getting Started" link, visible after you login,
should help you as you go through the aforementioned process. Nothing
is accepted by snail mail.
* Are NASA internships for college and high school students also offered during Spring, Fall and Year Long Sessions? Yes
* Are the website and the application process the same for all NASA internships, regardless of the time of year? Yes
* I
am not currently a student because I either graduated or am taking some
time out from school; am I eligible to apply? You must be accepted to
an accredited institution of higher learning, i.e., a college or
university, at the time of the internship. So, if you don't plan to
continue with your formal education next Summer or Fall, I'm sorry to
tell you that you would not be eligible to apply for a NASA internship.
* Can
good letters of recommendation really help me land a NASA internship?
You will have a better chance of being selected for an internship if
you have your recommenders tailor their letters for the specific
opportunities that you will be applying to. This is because your
recommenders will be explaining to the mentors why your skills will be a
good match.
* How
long does a recommender have to submit her/his letter of
recommendation? Recommenders receive an E-mail from the OSSI:NIFS
system after an applicant enters a recommenders name and other
information. This E-mail gives instructions and a link for uploading
the letter to an applicant's account. The link is specific with a user
name and password. Warning! The link is disabled 20 calendar days
after it is sent to the recommender. The applicant must enter the
recommender's information again after the 20 calendar days has expired.
* How
do I upload a transcript? What if I want to update the transcript?
After logging into your account, click on "My Applications." Then,
click on "Education." Go to your college, and click on the "Upload"
button, and upload a transcript. Then, save the record. If you want
to update the transcript, repeat the aforementioned process, and the old
transcript will be overwritten by the new transcript. This change will
affect all of the internship opportunities that you applied or will
apply to.
* How
do I disclose my disability status if I am a student with a disability?
There is a place in the online application process to voluntarily
disclose disability status. It is located under "My Applications."
Then, click on "General Information." This information is used in
order to determine the degree to which members of each disability,
ethnic, and racial group are reached by this internship/fellowship
program. Additionally, NASA uses information about disability status to
provide reasonable accommodation if requested. NASA requests that the
student select the appropriate responses. While providing this
information is optional, you must select decline to answer if you do not
want to provide it. Mentors will not be able to view this information
when considering students for opportunities. For more information,
please visit the following website:
http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
* Why
can't I find any internship opportunities specifically for students
with disabilities? There are no NASA internships specifically for
students with disabilities. Students with disabilities compete with
other students for our internships. We are making a concerted effort to
recruit students with disabilities into our mainstream internship
programs.
* Why
do I see so few internship opportunities when I search for them? The
OSSI:NIFS system only displays internship opportunities that request
students at the grade level that you entered, i.e. the grade level that
you will be at the time the internship begins. The way to work around
this is to search for opportunities before you log in at
<https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/guest/searchOpps/>. A
pre-login search will eliminate the grade-level limitation on your
search. When you find an opportunity that you wish to apply to, open it
and apply. You will be prompted to log in at this point. Do so, and
you will be able to apply or add it to your saved opportunities of
interest.
* What
is the deadline for applying? The deadline for submitting applications
is Friday, March 15, 2013, and we will begin extending offers to
students as early as February 2, 2013.
* What
is the minimum GPA in order to qualify for a NASA internship? A
minimum GPA of 2.8 is required for college students and 3.0 for high
school students. However, applicants must understand that the
competition for internships is keen.
* What
is the minimum age for an intern? High school students must be at
least sixteen years old at the time the internship begins. There is no
upper age limit for college students.
* When
and for how long do Summer 2013 internships run? Summer 2013
internships run from June 3 until August 9 for college students and from
June 24 until August 2 for high school students.
* Do
I get paid? Yes, all student interns get paid. For example, at
Goddard college students receive a stipend of $6000 and high school
students $1800.
* What
do I do for housing? You will not be assigned housing. You must find
it on your own. We do have lists of places that other students have
stayed. However, we do not recommend specific housing. You will be
expected to find and pay for your own housing out of your stipend.
* Do
I need to be a United States citizen to apply? Yes. Having a green
card does not qualify someone as a U.S. citizen for purposes of this
program. Please go to the following link to learn about internship
opportunities for foreign citizens:
https://intern.nasa.gov/content/internship-information/one-stop-shopping-initiative-ossi-student-online-a/non-us-opportunities/index.html
* I'm
having browser problems; what should I do? We can offer some
suggestions on what to do without knowing what browser of OS the student
is using. First, if they are using IE 9, please click on the
Compatibility View, located on the Address bar. If they are using IE 8,
please click on the Compatibility View, located under tools on the menu
bar. This should correct the display. If they are using Firefox 5,
try typing in the entire institution name and then tab down to get the
address to fill completely. If neither of these work, please use the
OSSI Information Center (OIC) to submit the technical inquiry at the
following link:
https://intern.nasa.gov/content/help/ossi-information-center-oic/index.html
* I'm
having trouble selecting a college; what should I do? When selecting a
college, don't put anything in the edit field for the school, and just
click search. You will then see a section at the bottom of the page
that allows you to select a school, city, and state. Put in the city
and state. Again, leave the school field blank. The website will give
you a list of schools in that city and state as links. Just click on
the school that you want, and it should be entered as your school in the
original edit field.
* I'm
a high school student, and I don't have a college to enter yet: what
should I do? Just write in a college that you think that you would like
to attend. You will be asked for your high school later on in the
application process.
* Should
I apply to all opportunities which look interesting to me at the same
time, or sequentially by my priority interest? The choice is yours.
You can apply to a maximum of 15.
* If
I apply to multiple internship opportunities at the same time, would I
only receive an offer from one? You may get an offer from more than one
opportunity. However, once you accept an offer. You cannot accept
anymore offers. You are committed.
* Do all internship opportunities reply at the same time if I apply for them concurrently? No.
* Does
NASA only have Summer internships? NASA internships for college
students are also offered during Spring, Fall, and Year-Long Sessions.
the OSSI system <http://intern.nasa.gov> is the site to look for
and apply to all NASA internships. The process is the same for all our
internships.
* Are
NASA internships only for students with disabilities? No. Students
with disabilities compete with other students for internships.
Disclosure of one's disability, during the application process, is only
seen by the Office of Education. The mentors, who select their
students, do not have access to this information. We use information
about a student's disability to provide reasonable accommodation in a
timely manner if reasonable accommodation is requested.
* For
whom does NASA have internships? NASA has internships for high school
students and for rising freshmen through doctoral students in STEM
fields. A rising freshman is a high school student who has been accepted
to an accredited institution of higher learning, i.e., a college or
university, at the time of the internship.
* Where
are NASA internships located? Internships are available at all NASA
centers and field installations nationwide. Students can submit a
completed application whether they apply to an opportunity or not.
However, applying to opportunities has the advantage of allowing
applicants to be considered by mentors who work in disciplines of
interest and at a particular center. Applicants may apply to as many as
fifteen posted opportunities. For example, an opportunity having to do
with the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will be at the Goddard Space
Flight Center in Maryland because SDO is located there. Not applying to
an opportunity means that prospective interns will be hoping that a
mentor happens to read their applications rather than directing their
applications to mentors in fields and at centers of interest.
* I
applied to various opportunities. Will there be an interview before an
offer is made? No. There will not be an interview before an offer is
made. However, a mentor may contact you if she or he wishes for more
information or to discuss your application.
* What
happens if I am selected for an internship? Students who are selected
for summer internships will receive an offer letter by E-mail sometime
after February 1, 2013. They will then have five days to either accept
or reject the offer through their OSSI: NIFS account. The offer will
automatically expire after five days if no action is taken. Offers will
be made from February 2, 2013, until all internship positions will have
been filled. This continuous process may take until early May. So,
you may receive an offer at any time during this period.
* What
happens if I am not selected for an internship? You will receive an
E-mail after all interns are selected for the session to which you
applied, i.e., Summer, Fall, Spring, year long. This E-mail will notify
you that you were not selected.
Please feel free to contact me for more information or help with applying.
Kenneth A. Silberman, Esq.
U.S. Supreme Court, Maryland, & Patent Bars B.A., M.Eng., J.D.
NASA
Engineer & Registered Patent Attorney Office of Education, Code 160
NASA/GSFC Mailstop 160, Bldg. 28, Rm. N165, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Voice: (301) 286-9281
Fax: (301) 286-1655
E-mail: kenneth.a.silberman@nasa.gov
