The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) will host a Research Experience for Undergraduates in the summer of 2023. Ten undergraduate students will be invited to Huntsville, Alabama for 10 weeks to engage in cutting edge heliophysics research with astrophysicists from UAH or NASA. Students in this program will be paired with mentors specializing in heliophysics research from the solar interior to the heliopause: including theory, modeling, computer simulations, data analysis, and instrument design. At the end of the 10-week program, participants will be required to present their research experience. Partial funding (up to $1000) will be provided to attend the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU Meeting Information) or the American Astronomical Society Meeting (AAS Meeting Information)

The program will run from May 22 - July 28, 2023. Students must be available for the entire 10 weeks in order to participate in the program.

Students will be provided a $6000 stipend for the summer. The stipend will include food and living expenses during the program.  Additionally, a travel allowance and housing on the UAH campus (shared rooms) will be provided. A linen package will not be provided for the dorms.  You will need to supply your own sheets and towels.

Heliophysics researchers from The University of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center are both housed in the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) located on the UAH campus in Huntsville, Alabama.

Eligibility

Applicants should be full-time, undergraduate students with a GPA of 2.75 or better and majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields. Students must be US citizens or green card holders in order to be considered for this program. You must be at least 19 years of age at the beginning of the program in order to be eligible. Rising sophomores, women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Location

Huntsville, "The Rocket City", is an oasis of technology and research in northern Alabama, where cutting edge research has been taking place since the space race. It is home to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and NASA Marshall Space and three 4-year universities. Huntsville is consistently named as one of the best places in the country to live by a variety of publications and thus attracts people from all over the world. In addition to the Space and Rocket Center, visitors can enjoy hiking on nearby Monte Sano, caving, camping, museums, historical landmarks and a variety of sanctuaries and parks.

Apply

The application procedure consists of two parts. The first part is a Google Form which you may access by clicking here. It consists of identity and education-related information, information regarding two (2) recommenders as well as several essay questions. We recommend that you type your responses to the essay questions in a separate document and copy and paste them into your application. For the second part, you will need to send your resume (maximum 2 pages) and academic records (for example, transcripts) in PDF format to heliophysicsreu@uah.edu by the application deadline, March 13, 2023 by midnight.  You are responsible to check with your references beforehand whether they want to provide a reference for you and let them know that they will need to submit their reference letter to heliophysicsreu@uah.edu by the application deadline, March 13, 2023 by midnight. Please note that both parts of the application procedure should be complete and two (2) letters of recommendation must be received by the application deadline. Otherwise, your application is deemed incomplete. Academic records must be in English and must display the name of the institution, name of the student, completed coursework and grades. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If selected, you will be required to submit your official transcripts.

If you have any questions, please contact heliophysicsreu@uah.edu.