The William M. Lapenta NOAA Student Internship Program

In recognition of the many contributions of Dr. William (Bill) Lapenta to advance NOAA science and services and his dedication to training the next generation of scientists, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established the William M. Lapenta Student Internship Program in 2019. The program builds on  the highly successful National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Internship which Bill created in 2017 and has since expanded to all NOAA Line Offices.

NOAA is offering paid summer internships targeted towards current 2nd and 3rd-year undergraduate and enrolled graduate students to work in areas that will provide robust research and/or operational experience that will prepare the student for further study in NOAA fields, for application to fellowships or for the NOAA-mission workforce. This internship program enables National Weather Service, (NWS), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Ocean Service (NOS) and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) to target the skills needed to fulfill their specific mission needs. Projects may be focused on research areas or development of operational products such as decision support tools, climate and weather forecast models, population dynamics of fish populations, ecosystem modeling, hydrology, ocean circulation models, unmanned systems, data analysis methodologies, social science, and strategies to communicate information pertaining to NOAA’s mission to the public and to stakeholders.

Eligibility

Please review the program website prior to applying.

Must be enrolled in an undergraduate (sophomore and junior status) or graduate degree program, and be a U.S. Citizen willing to undergo a security background check.

Students from all STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors and social science are welcome to apply. Other majors will be considered provided that the student’s experience is relevant to NOAA’s mission.

NOAA’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan states that:

“NOAA’s unique mission of science, service, and stewardship demands a diverse workforce to reflect, understand, and respond to the varied communities and stakeholders we serve. Equally important is an inclusive work environment that drives employee and organizational performance. NOAA recognizes that a sustained commitment to strengthening diversity and inclusion is critical to enable a future where societies and the world’s ecosystems reinforce each other and are mutually resilient in the face of sudden and prolonged change.”

Members of groups underrepresented in the sciences including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders, persons with disabilities, veterans, first-generation college students, LGBTQ+, and economically disadvantaged students are strongly encouraged to apply.

https://lapentainternship.smapply.io/