PA Space Grant Consortium Research Internship Program

About the program

The NASA PA Space Grant Research Internship Program is an annual research-focused program for students attending Penn State – University Park supported by the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium (PSGC). The program offers first-year students a one-school-year, faculty-mentored internship in a research laboratory.

During the internship, students have the opportunity to collaborate with a research team, learn the language of research, and conduct experiments. Interns often work closely with graduate students and lab managers to collect data for their project and present their results at the annual WMF research symposium. Student applicants are matched with faculty mentors based on research interests and application information.

The PA Space Grant Research Internship Program has three ‘pathways‘ to apply: WISER, MURE, and FURP. All three pathways feed into one central internship program, and a student must qualify for one or more of the pathways described below to be eligible. We often refer to the internship program as WISER|MURE|FURP (or WMF for short).

Contact

Visit the internship program site. 

For information or questions about the WISER|MURE|FURP program, email Dr. Erin DiMaggio (PSGC undergraduate programs director) at dimaggio@psu.edu. For questions about general programs, scholarships, and other internships through PA Space grant, email spacegrant@psu.edu

Eligibility

WISER: Women in Science and Engineering Research

WISER is open to all first-year students but focuses on supporting outstanding women interested in pursuing research on campus.

MURE: Minority Undergraduate Research Experience

MURE supports underrepresented minority students interested in pursuing research on campus that are in their first-year, sophomore, or junior years. Minority students are defined as African-American, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander. Students of Asian descent are not considered minority students by NASA.

FURP: First-year Undergraduate Research Program

FURP is open to all first-year students interested in research; those with economic hardship are encouraged to apply.

In summary, the internship is available to first-year students who are U.S. citizens planning to pursue a degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related field. Minority students (as defined above) may also apply in their sophomore and junior years. Women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities or hardship are encouraged to apply.

Learn more.