USAJOBS - Job Announcement

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Clarification from the agency

Current full-time undergraduate (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior) degree-seeking students enrolled at accredited 2-year or 4-year colleges or universities in the U.S. or U.S. territories. Note: Freshmen and graduating seniors (defined as seniors participating in the Winter or Spring Commencement) are encouraged to apply to the program.

Duties

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The SURF program provides research opportunities for students to work with internationally known NIST scientists, to expose them to cutting-edge research and promote the pursuit of advanced degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). SURF gives students an opportunity to:

Gain substantive career experience related to academic interests
Acquire lifelong leadership, management, and analytical skills
Learn about a career in public service
Build professional relationships, contacts, and networks
Observe the daily operations and working environment of a premier federal laboratory

Imagine Yourself in the NIST Laboratories

NIST seeks students from a broad range of STEM disciplines, including but not limited to biochemistry, biology, biophysics, chemistry, computer science, engineering, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron research, physics, and statistics. Students work under the guidance of a research mentor in NIST Operating Units (OUs). The following OU participates in the SURF Hawaii program:

Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)

For this in-person fellowship, all students must work at the NIST laboratory in Waimanalo, Hawaii for the entire appointment.

While duties and responsibilities may vary by laboratory, all students must:

Work with their mentor on a designated research project
Attend a technical seminar series
Participate in professional development
Compose and submit an abstract halfway through the program summarizing research accomplishments
Deliver an oral presentation during the final week of the program

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Applicants must meet all the following requirements to be eligible for a fellowship:

Provide proof that they are a U.S. citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident
- Birth certificate or current passport or unexpired green card is required
- Driver's license or state identification is not acceptable
Provide proof of health insurance
At least 18 years of age by June 3, 2024
Able to pass a background check
Receive payments by direct deposit

Qualifications

We are looking for students interested in gaining valuable, hands-on experience working with cutting-edge technology in one of the world’s leading research organizations. Additional preference will be given to students who possess the following qualities:

Strong computer and laboratory skills
A high level of motivation and a positive inquisitive workplace demeanor
Interest in conducting technical research in a federal laboratory in Waimanalo, Hawaii
Interest in pursuing a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.)
Ability to commit to eleven (11) full continuous weeks, or a minimum of nine (9) full weeks (Monday through Friday) during the summer; due to the short length of the program, students are not eligible for paid time off.

Additionally, we encourage applications from groups underrepresented in STEM, including those who self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, a person with a disability, and/or LGBTQI+. We also consider the impact participating in SURF will have on an applicant's future career in research.

Education

Currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior) degree-seeking student at an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university in the U.S. or U.S. territories
Strongly preferred to be an undergraduate majoring in a STEM discipline including but not limited to marine science, environmental science, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering (including nuclear), geology, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, or physics with rigorous academic coursework relevant to grade level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
Good academic standing (3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale preferred)
You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated, unofficial transcripts that display current enrollment status are acceptable
Submit all materials by the closing date of the announcement

Additional information

If selected, you are required to complete a background investigation suitability check
Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/)

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, your questionnaire responses and supporting documents will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your questionnaire responses and supporting documents will be forwarded to a committee for additional review. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Note: The number of offers to participate in the program is contingent upon the availability of funds and projects in the host laboratory.

Your qualifications will also be evaluated on the following criteria:

Fit of the undergraduate student’s stated interest and commitment to priorities and objectives of NIST and the SURF program
Fit of the undergraduate student’s interests and abilities to the available NIST research projects and when appropriate, to the research priorities of NIST scientists and engineers in the specified laboratory program
Relevance of the student’s course of study to the program objectives of the specified NIST laboratory in which that SURF program resides
Evaluation of academic accomplishments. Note: A cumulative minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is recommended for all completed courses taken as an undergraduate student at the current institution and at any institutions attended as an undergraduate student during the 5 years preceding the start of the most recent enrollment (This does not include college or university courses taken while solely a high school student.)
Quality of accomplishments to date
Assessment of whether the laboratory experience is an opportunity for the student which may encourage future postgraduate training, especially if the applicant has not had a similar opportunity previously

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

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Your application must include (NOTE: Items 3-7 must be uploaded through the documents selection section. PDF is the preferred format for all submitted documents.):

1. Responses to the online questions. For question #3, please refer to this link: SURF_MSI List.

2. Two (2) letters of recommendation from references, preferably professors, department heads, previous internship mentors, or academic advisers familiar with the applicant’s education, training, experience, aptitude, and promise relevant to the SURF Program. We recommend entering references' personal email addresses into the application portal to avoid firewall issues.

Note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify their references through the online application system. References will receive instructions on the content of their letters and they must upload their letters via the online application module no later than 3 days after the vacancy closes.

3. Resume which includes professional and research experience. Uploaded pdf is the preferred format.

4. Undergraduate transcript. You must submit college transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable) showing your name, the name of your university(s), all courses completed, and cumulative GPA. Additionally, the transcript must verify proof of your enrollment. Submitted transcripts must have all Social Security numbers and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) before uploading into the application system.

5. Proof of U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency. Acceptable forms of proof of U.S. Citizenship include a Certified Birth Certificate, U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card, Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, Consular Report of Birth (of U.S. citizen) Abroad, or Certification of Birth; Acceptable form of U.S. permanent residency is an unexpired green card. Note: Social security cards and driver's licenses do not meet the requirements for proof of U.S. citizenship. Submitted proof of U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency must have all Social Security numbers and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) before uploading into the application system.

6. Proof of health insurance coverage by including a copy of a valid insurance card.

7. Personal statement: The personal statement is the opportunity for NIST staff to learn more about the student and why he/she should be selected for a fellowship in the SURF Program. Students are encouraged to compose a personal statement that includes the following:

Commitment to participate in the program and work in a laboratory environment
Description of relevant coursework and/or research experience
Description of prioritized research interests
Expectation of personal benefit from participating in the program
Career goals

Students must submit all required documentation no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement to be considered for review. PDF is the preferred format for all submitted documents. Incomplete applications will not be considered for review in the SURF program. It is highly recommended you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Help

To apply for this position, complete the online application and submit the documents specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement no later than the announcement closing date.

To begin, log in to your USAJOBS account or create a new account at https://www.usajobs.gov/.
Click Apply Online to access the online application. Follow the prompts. This vacancy does not accept resumes or uploaded documents from USAJOBS. As expected, USAJOBS will notify you that this announcement does not accept USAJOBS resumes or documents. Prompts will direct you to upload documents directly into the application system. All documents are required and must be submitted for fellowship consideration. PDF is the preferred format for all documents.
Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
Upon clicking submit at the end of the application process, you will receive an on-screen notification that you have successfully submitted your application. Select Return to USAJOBS to verify your updated status in the USAJOBS Applications section.
To verify the status of your application, log in to your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, and select Track this application. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
In the status information, you can also see the status of your letters of recommendation. For example, if one letter has been received you will see “1 of 2 references received”. References have up to 3 days after the announcement closing date to submit their letters. If you notice a letter missing and it is close to the deadline, you may want to give your reference a friendly reminder. The system will also send an automated reminder 2 days before the final due date.
To return to your saved applicationwhile the announcement is open, log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login and click Applications. Click on the position title, then select Edit my application. You may update your application at any time before the closing of the announcement.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the online application and supporting documents well before the announcement closing date.

Problems Completing Your Application

If you have problems completing your online application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please email surf@nist.gov. State that you are applying to SURF Hawaii in your email.

You must complete this application and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the announcement closing date.

Note: Paper applications will not be accepted.

Agency contact information

Cara O'Malley

Phone: 000-000-0000
Email: cara.omalley@nist.gov

Address: National Institute of Standards and Technology
325 Broadway
Mail Stop 671
Boulder, Colorado 80305
United States

Next steps

NIST SURF will conduct an initial review of applications received by the closing date of this announcement to determine the undergraduate student's eligibility and application completeness and will eliminate those applications determined to be ineligible, incomplete, and/or non-responsive based.
At any time between March 1, 2024, and April 15, 2024, eligible students may receive an offer (by email) for a fellowship. Students are encouraged to investigate what type of research is currently going on at NIST, and may contact potential mentors at their own discretion.
All applicants will be notified by email of their application status by April 15, 2024.