Amazing Role Models
Watch one or more of these inspirational videos of women in the geosciences and learn how they are using their science & their humanity to make the world a better place. Have a great video to suggest? Please send us an email so we can share it with others
Inspirational Geoscientists
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It Takes a Village
There are many grassroots organizations that are working to make the STEM community a more welcoming place for all. Follow them on social media and/or go to their websites to find out what they are up to, get notified of jobs and professional development opportunities, and find community.
500 Queer Scientists is a visibility campaign for LGBTQ+ people and their allies working in STEM and STEM-supporting jobs — a group that collectively represents a powerful force of scientific progress and discovery.
Black in Environment’s mission is to build community for Black people in environmental spaces and highlight the scholarship, activist and engagement of Black environmentalists globally. Black in Environment exists to (1) Increase visibility of Black environmentalists, (2) Build community, (3) Impart positive change across the globe. Black in Environment aims to counter the false narrative that Black people do not care about the environment by highlighting multigenerational Black people in the environmental movement.
Unlearning Racism in Geoscience is working to (1) deepen the community’s knowledge of the effects of racism on the participation and retention of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people in Geoscience, (2) draw on existing literature, expert opinions, and personal experiences to develop anti-racist policies and strategies, and (3) share, discuss, and modify anti-racist policies and strategies within a dynamic community network and on a national stage.
The Earth Science Women’s Network is a grassroots, non-profit, member driven organization. Our mission is to build a resilient community that lifts all scientists and moves the geosciences forward.
The National Association of Black Geoscientists, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was founded in 1981 with the purpose of building community – enabling Black Geoscientists to connect, communicate, and network with other minority professionals.
Since then, the organization has evolved into a hub that attracts geoscientists from diverse fields, offering them opportunities to partake in career and educational endeavors, present cutting-edge research, build connections, advance professionally, and provide mentorship to aspiring Black Geoscientists.
GEMS provides mentorship support for undergraduate and early-stage graduate students in the geosciences. GEMS believes that all students wishing to pursue an advanced degree should have access to resources and support.
In order to address existing mentorship gaps, particularly for students from historically excluded groups in the geosciences and academia, GEMS matches students with faculty, postdoctoral, research staff and graduate student mentors. In addition, GEMS hopes to provide materials, webinars, and Q&A sessions on how to apply to graduate school.
GEMS aims to increase the accessibility of graduate programs and funding for all students, which they recognize is only one component of a larger effort needed to diversify the geosciences.
GEMS is sponsored by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, NAGT.
Network to Expand your Community!
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Examples
So you’re interested in undergraduate research opportunities?
Fantastic!
- Many opportunities may be available at your home institution – definitely check out professors’ websites to see if anything piques your interest! if so, reach out!
- Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation. These NSF-sponsored programs typically run for 8-10 weeks are for U.S. citizens at universities, all over the US, in nearly every scientific discipline.
- Summer research opportunities at universities and/or with research scientists are often posted on discipline specific listservs – you can either subscribe or go to the website & browse listings.
- Many federal laboratories and private-sector companies offer summer research opportunities as well.
The WHY & HOW behind applying to undergraduate research opportunities:
Dr. Melissa Burt, director of an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program at Colorado State University and a PROGRESS team member, led a webinar how to apply for REU programs. In this webinar we discussed the types of research opportunities available to students, what to expect during a summer research experience, and how to put together a strong and convincing application package. We shared information about a range of different programs across the country and had time to answer any questions.
Need help on your resume? Dr. Manda Adams (National Science Foundation) provides information about how to build your resume to best sell yourself & tailor it for each opportunity.
Additional Advice
- Some very candid advice from an anonymous research scientist in he life sciences
An article written by a professor after reading too many poor applications
AAAS offers this excellent guide written by Peter J. Fiske on writing and organizing your resumé—a great resource for any job application
REU participant slots can be highly desirable and sometimes extremely competitive; each hosting organization or school has only a limited number of available positions. These applications should be taken seriously. Jonathan Hodge at Grand Valley State University in Michigan has created a list of excellent tips for attaining an REU:
REU and Summer Research Opportunities
Below is a listing of typical REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) and summer programs that are regularly offered, but the actual offerings vary from year to year depending on NSF funding (COVID-19, etc.). Be sure to read each listing carefully for eligibility, application guidelines, & deadlines. Please note that the lists are not complete, but they can provide you a good place to start, you should also check out the National Science Foundation (NSF) REU website regularly for updates.
- STEMUndergrads.science.gov
- Argonne National Lab
- Department of Energy Science
- Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
- Department of Energy Scholarships and Internships
- Geological Society of America
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) - Los Alamos National Lab
- Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI)
- Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration and NASA Internships
- National Center for Atmospheric Research
- National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
- National Park Service GeoScientists-in-the-Park program
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Renewable Energy Lab
- National Science Foundation (NSF) REU
- National Weather Center REU
- Oak Ridge Science Semester
- ORISE: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- Pacific Northwest National Lab
- Research Experiences in Solid Earth Sciences for Students (RESESS) by UNAVCO
- Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
- Sandia National Lab
- Sierra Club Internship Opportunities
- State Water Resources Research
- Institute Program
- US Geological Survey
This is really just the beginning! Find more opportunities with federal agencies at both Science.gov and USA Jobs.
To separate full-time positions from temporary research opportunities, be sure to search for student internships.
- Chevron
- Smithsonian
- Vaisala
- Encana
- Geoscience Internships via the SimplyHired job search engine
- Geology internships via InternMatch search engine
- Schlumberger
- American Geosciences Institute (AGI) Scholarship Programs
- American Meteorological Society (AMS)
- The Geological Society of America (GSA)
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Check out some of these summer research programs:
- Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP)
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Research Training Program
- The Student Conservation Association
- UNAVCO Geo-Launchpad: Internship for Community College Students in Colorado
Undergraduate research opportunities are often listed by universities and sometimes include links to opportunities beyond the university. Here are a few examples:
- Caltech’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
- Colorado State University, REU Site in Climate Science
- Colorado State University CHILL Radar Facility
- Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Summer internships in Earth and Ocean Sciences
- Duke Marine Sciences REU
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- North Carolina State University
- Northwestern University
- Penn State REU in Climate Science
- Rice University, Earth Sciences
- Stanford University
- Texas A&M Atmospheric Science in the Gulf Coast Region
- University of Colorado Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR)
- University of Michigan
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- University of North Carolina – Charlotte
- University of Oklahoma/National Weather Center REU
- University of South Carolina – Space Grant
- University of South Carolina has a great searchable database for opportunities all over the U.S. and abroad.
- Williams College
Network to Expand your Community!
Most professional organizations offer substantially discounted membership dues and meeting fees for students (some continue these discounted rates for several years post graduation). Membership is a great investment for your long-term career.
2013 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Joint Assembly Meeting exhibit hall
Discipline Focused Scientific Societies
Participating in local, national, and international networks, despite potential negative connotations, offers valuable connections with colleagues, peers, mentors, and friends. These networks expand your exposure to diverse research and grant opportunities, including those tailored for undergraduates.
- American Association of Petroleum Geologists
- American Institute of Professional Geologists
- American Geophysical Union
- American Geosciences Institute
- American Meteorological Society
- American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
- Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists
- Geological Society of America
- Ecological Society of America
Federal Laboratories & Agencies:
Many National Labs have undergraduate research programs. You can work during the summer or for a semester. Some examples:
- STEMUndergrads.science.gov
- Argonne National Lab
- Department of Energy Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
- Department of Energy Scholarships and Internships
- Geological Society of America
- Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)
- Los Alamos National Lab
- Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration and NASA Internships
- National Center for Atmospheric Research
- National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
- National Park Service GeoScientists-in-the-Park program
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Renewable Energy Lab
- National Science Foundation (NSF) REU
- National Weather Center REU
- Oak Ridge Science Semester
- ORISE: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- Pacific Northwest National Lab
- Research Experiences in Solid Earth Sciences for Students (RESESS) by UNAVCO
- Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
- Sandia National Lab
- Sierra Club Internship Opportunities
- State Water Resources Research Institute Program
- US Geological Survey
This is really just the beginning! Find more opportunities with federal agencies at both Science.gov and USA Jobs
Private Sector:
To separate full-time positions from temporary research opportunities, be sure to search for student internships.
Geoscience unions and scientific journals are great sources for opportunities:
Check out some of these summer research programs:
University Setting:
Undergraduate research opportunities are often listed by universities and sometimes include links to opportunities beyond the university. Here are a few examples:
- Caltech’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
- Colorado State University, REU Site in Climate Science
- Colorado State University CHILL Radar Facility
- Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Summer internships in Earth and Ocean Sciences
- Duke Marine Sciences REU
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- North Carolina State University
- Northwestern University
- Penn State REU in Climate Science
- Rice University, Earth Sciences
- Stanford University
- Texas A&M Atmospheric Science in the Gulf Coast Region
- University of Colorado Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR)
- University of Michigan
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- University of North Carolina – Charlotte
- University of Oklahoma/National Weather Center REU
- University of South Carolina – Space Grant
- Williams College
You can also search by discipline:
- NSF REU page list for the Astronomical Sciences
- NSF REU page list for the Atmospheric Sciences
- Hollings undergraduate scholarship program for NOAA labs
- University of Oklahoma/National Weather Center REU in meteorology
- SOARS at the National Center for Atmospheric Research
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Computational and Information Systems Laboratory
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Software engineering for data science (Unidata Program)
- Texas A&M Atmospheric Science in the Gulf Coast Region
- Penn State REU in Climate Science
- NSF REU page, search for ‘geophysics’
- Applied Research in Earth Sciences
- NSF REU page list for the Earth Sciences
- Keck Geology consortium summer projects
- Geocorps
- Research Experiences in Solid Earth Sciences for Students (RESESS) by UNAVCO
- Geology Field Camps–listings from all over the world
- NSF REU page list for the ocean sciences
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution student fellowship program
- Hollings undergraduate scholarship program for NOAA labs
- NOAA Chesapeake Bay Summer Internships
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Keck Geology consortium summer projects
- STEM Diversity Programs
- Research Experiences in Solid Earth Sciences for Students (RESESS) by UNAVCO
- National Science Foundation Human Resource Development
- Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP):
- University of Michigan
Astronomy
- NSF REU page list for the Astronomical Sciences
Atmospheric or Climate Science
- NSF REU page list for the Atmospheric Sciences
- Hollings undergraduate scholarship program for NOAA labs
- University of Oklahoma/National Weather Center REU in meteorology
- SOARS at the National Center for Atmospheric Research
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Computational and Information Systems Laboratory
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Software engineering for data science (Unidata Program)
- Texas A&M Atmospheric Science in the Gulf Coast Region
- Penn State REU in Climate Science
Geophysics
- NSF REU page, search for ‘geophysics’
- Applied Research in Earth Sciences
Geology
Oceanography
Opportunities for historically excluded & undervalued groups:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Keck Geology consortium summer projects
- STEM Diversity Programs
- Research Experiences in Solid Earth Sciences for Students (RESESS) by UNAVCO
- National Science Foundation Human Resource Development
- Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP):
- University of Michigan