2027 SIParCS Undergraduate Student Internships

UCAR - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research; Boulder (CO); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

UCAR - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research’s SIParCS program offers 11 weeks of hands-on R&D in HPC for undergraduates and graduates. Interns work on-site in Boulder, CO, May 17, 2027 through July 30, 2027, for 40 hours per week, with in-person or hybrid meetings as needed. Applicants must be enrolled in a U.S.

university and be eligible to work in the U.S. The program requires seminars, workshops, a poster, and an oral presentation at the end of the summer; CPT/OPT rules apply

Qualifications

• Must currently be enrolled in a U.S. university.
• Must be an undergraduate who has completed their freshman year.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. to be eligible for the SIParCS program.
• On-site participation in Boulder, Colorado.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Communication tools

Data analysis

Collaboration

Scientific computing

Education

Undergraduate student

Job description

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

Position Type

Term - Casual (Fixed Term)

Visa Sponsored Job

No

Relocation Assistance Eligible

No

Hiring Range

Hiring Hourly Rate: $23.41/hr

Application Closes at

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.

Application Deadline

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

What You Will Do

• 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

• Project 01. Enhancing the user experience for MELODIES MONET
• Project 02. NA-CORDEX - Actionable science for water resource practitioners
• Project 03. Scalable High Resolution Data Assimilation
• Project 04. Translating Science: Building Community and Use Cases for UXarray
• Project 05. What are CREDIT Emulators Learning?

Who We'd Love To Join Our Team

• Must currently be enrolled in a U.S. university.
• Must be an undergraduate who has completed their freshman year.
• 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 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 work full‑time (40 hours per week) during the summer program.
• 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.

Application Requirements

• Personal Statement, Questionnaire, Resume/CV, Unofficial Transcripts

Submit all required application materials by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on the deadline. Only candidates with complete applications including questionnaires, when required will be considered.

We recognize that no candidate will meet 100% of the listed qualifications. If you believe your background has prepared you for success in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Candidates selected for hire will complete background checks and/or federal screenings.

Questions

If you have questions or limitations to using the online application system, please contact Alexa Brown at [e-mail].

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 [e-mail].

Additional Information

UCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes all applicants. We do not discriminate based on race, age, sex, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. You don’t need to include age-related information, such as birth or graduation dates, in your initial application.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on an employee. Please inform your Recruiter if you need assistance completing this application or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Visa Sponsorship: UCAR can sponsor H-1B status only for candidates already in the U.S. who hold H-1B status or another status that allows a change to H-1B within the country. We cannot sponsor new H-1B visas that require consular processing abroad.

Compliance and Location: All roles must comply with U.S. export control regulations and work location requirements. Hybrid staff work on-site 3 days per week or equivalent, based on their flexible work arrangement. UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use: AI tools are permitted, but we strongly encourage candidates to submit primarily original work.

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