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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking enthusiastic undergraduate students to serve as guest researchers for
the premier Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. The SURF Program is designed to inspire undergraduate
students to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) through a unique research experience that supports
the NIST mission. To learn more about the program, visit https://www.nist.gov/surf.
12/03/2019 to 02/09/2020
$5,500 - $5,500 student stipend paid
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Many vacancies in the following location:
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Not required
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Internships - This is a continuous 11-week appointment scheduled May 18, 2020 to July 31, 2020. Students are appointed as guest researchers not federal employees.
Full-time - Participants are expected to report to duty Monday though Friday during the hours of 8:30 AM-5:00 PM. Note: Due to the length of the program, students are not permitted to take vacation or attend summer school.
Competitive
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No
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SURF-2020-0002
553295100
Current undergraduate (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior) students enrolled at a 2-year or 4-year institution of higher education in the U.S. or its territories. Note: Freshmen and graduating seniors (defined as seniors participating in Spring Commencement) are encouraged to apply to the program.
The SURF Program provides research opportunities for students to work with internationally known NIST scientists, to expose them to cutting-edge research and promote the
pursuit of graduate degrees in science and engineering. SURF gives students an opportunity to:
Imagine Yourself in the NIST Laboratories
NIST seeks students from a broad range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines including (but not limited to) biochemistry, biology, biophysics,
chemistry, computer science, engineering, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron research, physics, and/or statistics. Students work under the guidance of a
research mentor in the NIST operating units (OU). The following OU's participate in the SURF program at Boulder: Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL), Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), Material Measurement Laboratory (MML), and Physical
Measurement Laboratory (PML). As part of the application process, all students are required to identify and select the top six research opportunities where they would like to be considered for a possible placement. For
a detailed description of the research opportunities, students are encouraged to review descriptions at https://www.nist.gov/surf/surf-boulder/research-opportunities.
While duties and responsibilities may vary by laboratory, all accepted students must:
To be eligible for a fellowship all of the following requirements must be met:
We are looking for students who are interested in gaining valuable, hands-on experience, working with cutting edge technology in
one of the world’s leading research organizations. Additional preference will be given to students who possess the following
qualities:
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the indicated qualifications.
Once the announcement has closed, questionnaire responses, and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, questionnaire responses, and supporting documentation will be forwarded for additional review. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.
Your qualifications will also be evaluated on the following criteria:
Your application must include:
1. Responses to the on-line questions.
2. Two (2) letters of recommendation from individuals (preferably professors, department heads, previous internship mentor, or academic adviser) familiar with the applicant’s education, training, experience, aptitude, or promise relevant to the SURF Program are suggested.
Note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify their letter writers through the online application system. Letter writers will receive instructions on the content of their letters and they must upload their letters via the online application module by the closing of the vacancy announcement.
3. Resume which includes professional and research experience.
4. One (1) copy of undergraduate transcript (an unofficial copies are acceptable). Submitted transcripts must have all Social Security
numbers and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) prior to uploading into the application
system.
5. Proof of U.S. citizenship. Acceptable form of proof of U.S. Citizenship includes, but is not limited to, 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. Note: Social security cards and driver license do not meet the requirements for proof of U.S. citizenship.
6.Proof of health insurance coverage by including a copy of a valid insurance card.
7. Personal statement- The personal statement is the opportunity for NIST staff to learn more about the student and why he/she should be
selected for a fellowship in the SURF Program. Students are encouraged to compose a personal statement which includes the following:
Students must submit all required documentation during the application process to be considered for review. Incomplete applications will not
be considered for review in the SURF Program. It is highly recommended you preview the on-line questions for this announcement before you
start the application process. [The sentence "To preview the questions please click here (hyperlinked)" is entered here by the automated
system, and is visible on all announcements]
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation, select the Application
specified in the "Required Documents" section of the announcement.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts. Note:You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
2. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the
application.
3. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
4. To verify the status of your application, log in to your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application
Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your
application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded
documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
5. To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on
the position title, and then select "Update Application."
As a reminder, this vacancy has an applicant limit and may close before the closing date. Thus, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the on-line application and supporting documents ahead of the announcement closing date. Note: If the applicant limit is not reached, you must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Problems Completing Your Application
If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact Dr. Brandi Toliver by email at brandi.toliver@nist.gov.
You must complete this application and submit any required documents by 11:59 PM at the close of the announcement or before the applicant limit is reached. Applications submitted successfully will receive a control number. If you do not receive a control number, then your application was not submitted.
Note: Paper applications will not be accepted.
An initial review of applications received by the closing date will be conducted to determine the undergraduate student's eligibility and
application completeness. Applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or non-responsive based will be eliminated from further
review.
At any time between February 15, 2020 and April 15,2020, eligible students may receive an offer (by e-mail) for a fellowship. 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. NIST anticipates notifying all students by e-mail of their application status no later than April 15, 2020.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/553295100. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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