Fullerton College is a National Center of Academic Excellence for Cyber Defense
The Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency have designated Fullerton College’s Cybersecurity program as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).

NASA JPL Student Independent Research Internship

NASA-JPL is now seeking interested students for the Student Independent Research Internship (SIRI) program! As part of your internship, you will be partnered with JPL scientists or engineers, who serve as the students’ mentors. Students complete designated projects outlined by their mentors, gaining educational experience in their fields of study while also contributing to NASA and JPL missions and science. Students will also participate in several enrichment activities, including tours, lectures and career advisement, arranged by the JPL Education Office.

To be eligible for SIRI, you must meet the following requirements:

  • STEM major currently enrolled in a community college
  • Must not have already earned an advanced degree in a STEM field (master’s, doctorate, professional degree)
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0+
  • Age of 18+
  • US citizen or Permanent Resident
  • Able to earn independent study or course credit for the SIRI experience (CIS 295).  Please check with FC Faculty Sponsor, Professor Carlin at acarlin@fullcoll.edu
  • Able to intern for 10-15 hours per week on the JPL premises (**Subject to change)
  • Commit for a 15-week internship period
  • Must be willing to participate in monthly intern workshops at JPL, and prepare progress plans, reports, and final presentation

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and consistent with the California ‘Safer at Home’ order and NASA requirements, JPL has implemented restricted access to the JPL worksite for all personnel, with the exception of mission-essential personnel.  The JPL internship program has been modified for the foreseeable future to offer internships that can be accomplished remotely. As such, students who apply for internships at this time are expected to have and be willing to use the following equipment/resources:

  • an appropriate remote work location (residence is permitted)
  • a personal laptop/computer
  • smart phone
  • reliable internet connection

Please note the following:

  • SIRI is an unpaid internship experience, and students will not receive compensation for travel to and from JPL.
  • Please note that student interns and postdocs will no longer receive JPL parking permits, and JPL will only issue carpool parking permits to students/postdocs. Those who have valid disabled parking permits will be accommodated.  Students may contact the SIRI Coordinator resources to inquire about carpool, vanpool, public transportation, or other alternatives. 
  • Students must remain enrolled in their independent study credit hours for the duration of the internship.
  • Students may only participate in SIRI for one semester.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLYING 

1 To be considered for a SIRI internship, first download the list of open opportunities from the SIRI website (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/intern/apply/student-independent-research-intern/). Please read these announcements very carefully to determine which projects are best aligned with your research interests, skills, and academic background. Students are permitted to apply for a maximum of TWO (2) opportunities. Please note: The preferred major(s) for each AO can be found at the bottom of the records, beginning with “primary discipline.”

2.Once you have determined the opportunities for which you will apply, please complete a resume that follows the resumé template on the SIRI website. You are welcome to include additional information beyond what is listed on the template, but please limit your resume to no more than two pages.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE PREPARE A SEPARATE RESUME FOR EACH OPPORTUNITY, AND ONE (1) ELECTRONIC COPY OF YOUR UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT. DO NOT ATTACH THE TRANSCRIPT TO THE RESUMES. SAVE EACH RESUME/TRANSCRIPT USING A FILENAME THAT CONTAINS YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND THE AO NUMBER (i.e. “First_Last_AO1234″). The AO number can be found at the very top of each announcement of opportunity.

3. All resumes and transcripts must be sent to Fullerton College Professor Anna Carlin at acarlin@fullcoll.edu for her consideration before applying.  Do not send your resumes directly to JPL.  Should Professor Carlin decide to nominate you for one or more internships, your materials will be forwarded to JPL.  Students are selected for internships by JPL scientists and engineers. Please note that this is a competitive process and meeting the eligibility requirements for SIRI does not guarantee an internship offer. Available projects are subject to change without notice.

If you have questions or concerns about the SIRI program, please feel free to contact Roslyn Soto via email or at the telephone provided below.

Roslyn Soto
SIRI Program
Roslyn.Soto@jpl.nasa.gov
818-354-1214 – office
626-243-8824 – cell/text