An official website of the United States government
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks undergraduate students for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. The Gaithersburg location offers both in-person and virtual fellowships. Additional vacancies are open for fellowships in Boulder, CO (vacancy #SURF-2025-0002) and Charleston, SC (vacancy #SURF-2025-0003). Applicants may apply to all vacancies and use the same documents for all applications. Learn more at https://www.nist.gov/surf.
Learn more about this agency10/17/2024 to 01/31/2025
$6,390 - $7,810 student stipend paid
In addition to salary, a housing & travel stipend may be awarded to selected SURF participants who meet housing & travel stipend eligibility criteria.
ZP 0
Many vacancies in the following location:
No
Yes—SURF participants working on in-person projects are required to be on campus at least three days per week. The mentor or co-mentor is required to be on campus when the SURF participant is on campus. Specific schedules are determined by the mentor, and must adhere to agency guidelines. Agency guidelines are subject to change. SURF participants working on virual projects will work remotely for the entire fellowship and won't have authorization to be on campus.
Not required
No
Internships - This is a continuous 11-week appointment scheduled May 19 to Aug 1, 2025. A June 2 start and some 9-week appts are available to accommodate specific academic schedules (quarter systems). Participants are guest researchers and not federal employees.
Full-time - Students work 8 hrs daily, M-F, 8:30am-5:00pm, or daily start & end times as agreed upon w their mentor. Students are not eligible for paid time off. For unavoidable absences, flexible hours (such as 4 ten-hour days) are allowed w mentor pre-approval
Competitive
0 - Grade 0
No
No
SURF-2025-0001
814499600
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Current students enrolled in accredited educational institutions from high school to graduate level. Includes internships, pathways and other student programs.
Current full-time undergraduate (first-year, sophomore, junior, or senior) degree-seeking students enrolled at accredited 2-year or 4-year colleges or universities in the U.S. or U.S. territories. Note: First-year and graduating seniors (defined as seniors participating in the Winter or 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 advanced degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). SURF gives students an opportunity to:
Imagine Yourself in the NIST Laboratories
NIST seeks students from 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 NIST Operating Units (OUs). The following OUs participate in the SURF Gaithersburg program:
As part of the application process, all applicants must identify and select first and second-choice host laboratories/offices for placement consideration. Applicants should carefully choose host laboratories/offices because the completed application is considered primarily by the first-choice host laboratory.
Due to the multidisciplinary nature of NIST's research, we encourage students to look through the different laboratory websites to discover interesting project areas. For example, a computer science student may find project opportunities in CTL, PML, and EL in addition to the logical choice of ITL. Similar opportunities exist for those in other disciplines. For a detailed description of SURF projects in each NIST laboratory and prior acceptance rates, students are encouraged to review laboratory descriptions and acceptance rates at https://www.nist.gov/surf/surf-gaithersburg/research-programs.
For in-person fellowships, all students must work at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, MD for the entire appointment. For virtual fellowships, all students must work remotely for the entire appointment.
While duties and responsibilities may vary by laboratory, all students must, in a format (in-person or virtual) consistent with their fellowship:
Applicants must meet all the following requirements to be eligible for a fellowship:
We are looking for students 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:
Additionally, we encourage applications from groups underrepresented in STEM, including those who self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, a person with a disability, and/or LGBTQI+. We also consider the impact participating in SURF will have on an applicant's future career in research.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, your questionnaire responses and supporting documents will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your questionnaire responses and supporting documents will be forwarded to your first and second-choice laboratories for additional review. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Note: The number of offers to participate in the program is contingent upon the availability of funds and projects in the host laboratories.
Your qualifications will also be evaluated on the following criteria:
Your application must include (NOTE: Items 3-7 must be uploaded through the documents selection section. PDF is the preferred format for all submitted documents.):
1. Responses to the online questions. For question #3, please refer to this link: SURF_MSI List.
2. Two (2) letters of recommendation from references, preferably professors, department heads, previous internship mentors, or academic advisers familiar with the applicant’s education, training, experience, aptitude, and promise relevant to the SURF Program. We recommend entering references' personal email addresses into the application portal to avoid firewall issues.
Note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify their references through the online application system. References will receive instructions on the content of their letters and they must upload their letters via the online application module no later than 4 days after the vacancy closes.
3. Resume which includes professional and research experience. Uploaded pdf is the preferred format.
4. Undergraduate transcript. You must submit college transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable) showing your name, the name of your university(s), all courses completed, and cumulative GPA. Additionally, the transcript must verify proof of your enrollment. Submitted transcripts 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.
5. Proof of U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency. 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; Acceptable form of U.S. permanent residency is an unexpired green card. Note: Social security cards and driver's licenses do not meet the requirements for proof of U.S. citizenship. Submitted proof of U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency 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.
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 that includes the following:
Students must submit all required documentation no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement to be considered for review. PDF is the preferred format for all submitted documents. Incomplete applications will not be considered for review in the SURF program. It is highly recommended you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.
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, complete the online application and submit the documents specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement no later than the announcement closing date.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the online application and supporting documents well before the announcement closing date.
Problems Completing Your Application
If you have problems completing your online application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please email surf@nist.gov.
You must complete this application and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the announcement closing date.
Note: Paper applications will not be accepted.
NIST SURF will conduct an initial review of applications received by the closing date of this announcement to determine the undergraduate student's eligibility and application completeness and will eliminate those applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or non-responsive based.
At any time between March 1, 2025, and April 15, 2025, eligible students may receive an offer (by email) for a fellowship. Students are encouraged to investigate what type of research is currently going on at NIST, and may contact potential mentors at their own discretion.
All applicants will be notified by email of their application status by April 20, 2025.
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/814499600. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
