Summer High-school Intern Program (SHIP) -Gaithersburg, MD (Volunteer; STEM Fields)

About the role

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks current high school juniors and seniors for the Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP). This vacancy announcement is for in-person fellowships in Gaithersburg, MD. A separate application is available on USAjobs for in-person fellowships in Boulder, CO.

Learn more at ***

What you will do

• The SHIP program provides research opportunities for students to work with internationally known NIST scientists and engineers, to expose them to cutting-edge research and explore research careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
• SHIP gives students an opportunity to: Gain substantive experience related to academic interests Learn about a career in public service Build professional relationships, contacts, and networks Observe the daily operations and working environment of a premier federal laboratory Imagine Yourself in the NIST Laboratories NIST welcomes students with interest in a broad range of STEM disciplines, including but not limited to biochemistry, biology, biophysics, chemistry, computer science, engineering, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron research, physics, and statistics.
• Students work under the guidance of a research mentor in one of the participating laboratories.
• The following laboratories participate in SHIP: Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) Engineering Laboratory (EL) Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) As part of the application process, all applicants must select a first-choice host laboratory for placement consideration.
• Applicants should carefully choose host laboratories because the completed application is considered primarily by the first-choice host laboratory.
• Descriptions of the types of research going on at NIST can be found at ***
• Due to the multidisciplinary nature of NIST's research, we encourage students to look through the different laboratory websites to discover interesting project areas.
• All students must work in person at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, MD, for the entire appointment.
• While duties and responsibilities may vary by laboratory, all students must: Work with their mentor on a designated research project Compose and submit an abstract halfway through the program summarizing their research project Create and present a poster during the final week of the program Attend a closing celebration on the last day of the program SHIP participants are invited and strongly encouraged to Attend a technical seminar series Participate in professional development and other group activities

Requirements

• Possess a strong interest in participating in scientific research Be able to commit to seven (7) consecutive full weeks of program dates Be a high school junior or senior at time of application Provide proof of U.S. citizenship Birth certificate or current passport is required Driver's license or state identification is NOT acceptable for this requirement Have an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher Have a permanent residence within 50 miles of the host NIST campus Be able to pass a background check

Education

Currently enrolled as a high school junior or senior (at time of application) at an accredited high school Unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale Submit all materials by the closing date of the announcement

How you will be evaluated

At any time between Feb 19th and April 16th, students may be contacted for a phone or in-person interview or students may receive an offer of a position. While we encourage students to investigate what type of research is currently going on at NIST, students are not required nor encouraged to contact potential mentors.

Students should be aware that actively soliciting more than two offers from different mentors will result in disqualification from the program. All students will receive information regarding the final status of their application by April 16th. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Documents you must provide

• Applicants must upload items 1-5 through the documents selection section.
• PDF is the preferred format for all submitted documents.): Resume which includes name, email, high school, unweighted GPA, and graduation date.
• Uploaded pdf is the preferred format.
• Personal statement (one page maximum) which will include: Description of scientific area(s) of interest Reason for choice of host laboratory (See *** for a list of NIST laboratories) Description of future plans after high school graduation High school transcript Official or unofficial is acceptable for application If accepted into the program, an official transcript is required Transcript must indicate that the applicant's class standing is 11th grade/a Junior, or 12th grade/a Senior Availability Form Signed by the applicant and a parent/legal guardian Confirms applicant's commitment to volunteer in-person at NIST for all days of the work week for a continuous 7-week period during the summer if a position is offered and accepted This form is available at *** Proof of U.S. citizenship Acceptable forms of proof of U.S. Citizenship include a Certified Birth Certificate, U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card, Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, Consular Report of Birth (of U.S. citizen) Abroad, or Certification of Birth Social security cards, school identification cards, and driver's licenses do not meet the requirements for proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Submitted proof of U.S. citizenship must have all Social Security numbers and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) before uploading into the application system.
• Two (2) letters of recommendation One must come from a teacher in a STEM field The second may be written by any teacher or a professional reference, such as a club advisor, coach, volunteer supervisor, or workplace supervisor.
• Applicants must notify their references through the online application system Use references' personal emails to avoid firewall issues References must submit their letter via the online application module within 3 calendar days after the vacancy closes.
• Letters for the 2027 SHIP program must be submitted by 11:59PM ET on February 12th, 2027 Please note: By design, SHIP application data entry fields are not intended for the insertion of sensitive personally identifiable information (SPII), and may contain data or detail which, in aggregate context, can be particularly sensitive or confidential.
• Please take Federal best practice precautions in not inserting any extraneous data or any data which is not explicitly requested.
• For example, since social security number and passport numbers are NOT requested, please do not enter this SPII in any SHIP data fields.
• Applicants should only provide the requested information.

Benefits

SHIP participants do not earn benefits. SHIP is a student volunteer program. It does not confer any employment status.

During their tenure at NIST, students will not be paid, and must provide their own housing and transportation.

What to expect next

If you are accepted into SHIP, additional documentation will be required. Please see *** for more information.