2027 SIParCS Graduate Student Internships

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)

Boulder (CO)

On-site

USD 32,000 - 46,000

Full time

8 days ago

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Job summary

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) invites applications for the SIParCS Summer Internship program in Boulder, Colorado. This fixed-term, on-site internship runs 11 weeks from May 17 to July 30, 2027, with 40 hours per week and a focus on HPC-related R&D within CISL.

Applicants should be current undergraduates or graduates, available for the full period, and able to work in the U.S. This paid internship (hourly rate) includes application materials and mentorship, with

Qualifications

Must be enrolled in a U.S. university during internship.
Availability May 10–July 30, 2027; 40 hours/week.
On-site participation in Boulder, CO; 11 weeks.
Authorized to work in the U.S.; CPT/OPT rules may apply.

Responsibilities

Conduct original research under the guidance of a science mentor.
Give a presentation based on your research.
Participate professionally in SIParCS activities.

Skills

Collaboration

Communication

Data analysis

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Graduate student eligibility

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Position Type: Term - Casual (Fixed Term)

Visa Sponsored Job: No

Relocation Assistance Eligible: No

Hiring Range: Hiring Hourly Rate: $28.32/hr

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.

Application Closes at 11:59pm Mountain Time on: 2027-01-19

About the Role

The Summer Internships in Parallel Computational Science (SIParCS) program at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) offers graduate students and undergraduates who have completed their sophomore year significant hands‑on R&D opportunities in high‑performance computing (HPC) and related fields that use HPC for scientific discovery and modeling. This program embeds students as summer interns in the Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL), an organization within NSF NCAR charged with provisioning supercomputing and data systems to the geosciences research community, as well as conducting research and development in computational science, data analysis, scientific visualization and numerical modeling. These twin roles of service and research in CISL support NSF NCAR's broad scientific mission of discovery in the atmospheric and related sciences.

The 2027 summer internships are 11 weeks in duration. Applicants must be available to work 40 hours per week from May 17, 2027 through July 30, 2027 for participation in the program. NSF NCAR has 3 unpaid holidays for interns during the summer internship (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day).

Program requirements, beyond working on projects, include attending appropriate technical seminars, attending skills‑enhancing workshops, preparing a poster, and giving an oral presentation of results at the end of the summer.

For Summer 2027, we are planning for an in‑person internship program where interns come on‑site to our Boulder, Colorado campuses and meetings may be held in person or hybridly over Zoom or Google Meet.

Job Description

Application Deadline: This position will be posted until 11:59 pm MST on Tuesday, January 19, 2027

Required application materials: (preferably in PDF Format)

Application Materials Must Include:

#1 Write a personal statement that is no longer than two (2) pages that clearly addresses each of the following 7 questions. (Use 1-inch margins, a font no smaller than 11 points). The personal statement questions carry considerable weight for the application; please be thoughtful with your responses and answer all 7 questions. Please visit https://www.cisl.ucar.edu/outreach/internships/how_to_apply for detailed instructions.

NSF NCAR and SIParCS embrace a collaborative, supportive, and positive work environment. SIParCS is dedicated to developing the technical and professional skills of the future high‑performance computing and scientific communities and sharing our science with a broader audience.

(1) Describe a situation when you helped build or sustain a collaborative, positive, supportive community. What strategies or lessons did you use to collaborate, lead, or solve problems? The situation does not have to be related to science, research, or education. If you haven't had this experience, explain what you believe makes a positive and supportive community and how you would contribute to one in the future, including any strategies you'd use to collaborate, lead, and problem‑solve.
(2) How could your approach to community and leadership enhance the experience for your fellow interns and strengthen the SIParCS program as a whole?
(3) How does participating in SIParCS complement your current interests and future career goals?

Mentorship: SIParCS interns work with their mentors on a specified project and are responsible for communicating with their mentoring team, organizing meetings, asking for help, etc.

(4) Describe an experience where you took initiative, guided and supported peers, and/or collaborated to achieve goals. Please include how you will apply these skills to work with your mentoring team.
(5) What do you hope to gain from receiving mentorship as part of the SIParCS program?

Students may apply to up to two (2) SIParCS projects.

(6a) Identify the project and why you are interested in this chosen project.
(6b) If you're applying to a second project, identify the project and why you are interested in this chosen project. Clearly address your distinct interest for each project.

(7) Share your non‑technical interests, collaborations, and skills that are not covered in your resume, CV, or transcript.

#2 CV or Resume

#3 Copy of most recent undergraduate AND graduate university transcript (unofficial transcripts are ok).

For the Online Application Process:

(1) To begin the application process, at the bottom of this page click "New Resume/CV." The next page presents options for you to submit your materials. Select "Upload a resume/CV document," then select "Continue."

(2) You will then be prompted to submit your resume or CV. At this point, upload your complete application as one (1) PDF document. Click "Choose File" to find your file on your computer. Click on the document, select "Open," and then select "Continue."

(3) Continue the application process as prompted. Step 4 of the online application process will ask you if you want to upload additional documentation; ignore this step. Complete the rest of the online application information.

References: A letter of reference or reference contact information is not required as part of the SIParCS application.

Questions: If you have questions or limitations to using the online application system, please contact Alexa Brown at hiring@ucar.edu.

More information on the SIParCS program may be found at http://www.cisl.ucar.edu/siparcs. If you have questions regarding the SIParCS program, please contact siparcs@ucar.edu.

Background checks are conducted for candidate(s) selected for hire. Learn more.

What You Will Do

Here is a brief summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role.

As a SIParCS intern, you will:

Conduct original research under the guidance of your science mentor;
Give a presentation based on your research;
Participate professionally in all SIParCS activities

Project Descriptions by Title (Detailed project descriptions can be found here: http://www.cisl.ucar.edu/siparcs)

Project 06. A Study of Quantum Applications within Earth System Modeling (ESM)

Project 07. Can Data Assimilation of Spatially and Temporally Dense Surface Pressure Observations Reveal the State of the Entire Troposphere?

Project 08. Decentralized Federated Learning Sensornets for Community Resilience and Actionable Science

Project 09. EcoMAP: Ecological Mapping and AI‑Assisted Species Profiling

Project 10. Emulators and GPUs for Data Assimilation

Project 11. Ensemble vs. Regional Refinement: Satellite Data Assimilation for Urban Air Quality Forecasting

Project 12. Exploring Agentic Software Engineering and Spec‑Driven Development for Scientific Software

Project 13. Exploring AI‑Assisted Interfaces for Search and Discovery using Scientific Embeddings

Project 14. Large GPU Ensembles and Rare‑Event Sampling for Weather and Climate

Project 15. MPAS‑A and Evaluating AI‑assisted Coding Methods

Project 16. Using agentic AI to accelerate the modernization of a large scientific codebase

Who We'd Love To Join Our Team

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria:

Education and Experience:

Must have attained a bachelor's degree at the time of application.
Must currently be enrolled in a U.S. university.
Must be a graduate or doctoral student.
Must be authorized to work in the U.S. to be eligible for the SIParCS program.
- For F visa students accepted to the SIParCS program, CPT work authorization issued through a U.S. Designated School Official (DSO) or OPT issued through both a DSO and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be required.
On-site participation in Boulder, Colorado.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Ability to work 40 hours/week from May 10 - July 30, 2027 (dates to be confirmed). End date may be flexible.
- NSF NCAR has 3 unpaid holidays for interns during the summer internship (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, 4th of July).
Ability to work with a broad group of peers.
Skill in the use of software for communication purposes (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email).
Ability and willingness to learn and use scientific computing tools and programs.
Good oral and written communication skills.
Basic problem‑solving skills.
Ability to analyze data and draw conclusions.
Basic knowledge, through coursework, of mathematics, computer science, or engineering.
Ability to interact with mentors and peers in a manner that supports collaboration and inquiry.
Ability and willingness to work within guidelines and policies of the organization and assigned work groups.