Department: Department of Commerce
Agency: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Announcement: SHIP-2027-0002
Pay grade: ZZ 0
Closes: Feb 9, 2027
Open to: Open to the public, Students

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 www.nist.gov/careers/summer-high-school-intern-program-research. 

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

Conditions of employment

Applicants must meet all the following requirements to be eligible for SHIP:

• 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

Qualifications

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: 

• A high level of motivation and a positive inquisitive workplace demeanor
• Interest in conducting technical research in a federal laboratory in Gaithersburg, MD
• Ability to commit to eleven (7) continuous weeks (Monday through Friday) during the summer