2023 EarthScope International Undergraduate Internship for Seismology and Geodesy Skills Building
May 29th – August 18th, 2023

Applications are due April 24th, 2023 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Are you an undergraduate student living outside the United States interested in a part-time internship in seismology or geodesy with an EarthScope institution-based research mentor during Summer 2023?

The EarthScope International Development Steering Committee (IDSC), which supports international capacity building initiatives, is organizing a virtual summer internship program for international undergraduate students with interests in seismology and geodesy. These interns will be sponsored to attend the Seismology Skill Building Workshop (SSBW), which now includes an optional module on geodetic data analysis, and to undertake a research mini-project in collaboration with mentors from the geophysics community. The expected time commitment for the internship is 15 hours per week over a period of 10 weeks. Interns will be paired with two mentors from the EarthScope community for the summer: one a current graduate student or postdoc and the other a faculty member scientist or other established researcher. Interns will meet with each of their mentors a few times each week via video chat to ensure steady progress on their research mini-project. Interns will be provided a stipend of $270/week for 10 weeks ($2700 total) for 15 hours of work per week. Funding will also be provided for interns to purchase high-speed internet access. Stipends will be awarded in increments based on progress in the SSBW and research project.

Interns must also identify and work with a local mentor from their institution who is familiar with the intern and the resources at their home institution. After the application process, these mentors will be contacted to discuss their awareness of the intern’s participation in this program. Mentors are responsible for checking in with the interns a few times during the internship and if needed helping the intern secure fast internet or additional computing resources. For this assistance, local mentors will be paid an honorarium of $300.

The goals of this program are to enable international undergraduate students who might not otherwise be able access research opportunities in seismology and geodesy to: 

  1. Participate in the Skill Building Workshop, with a stipend and support provided for high-quality internet access, 
  2. Undertake a meaningful research project in seismology or geodesy on a part-time basis, 
  3. Gain access to high-quality mentorship and support from scientists in the domestic geoscience community, 
  4. Get help in preparing to apply for graduate programs, and 
  5. Make connections and form networks in the wider EarthScope geoscience community. 

This program is part of the portfolio of IDSC activities that aim to expand international engagement and capacity building in seismology and geodesy.

We are particularly interested in supporting students who have limited research or internship opportunities in seismology or geodesy in their home countries, and/or who would not otherwise have the opportunity to carry out an independent research project with a scientist from the geoscience community represented by EarthScope.

Students who apply must be available and willing to commit 15 hours per week to the internship during the 2023 northern hemisphere summer (29 May - 18 August). To apply for this program, please click the Student Application tab at the top of this page. If accepted, students must also register for the SSBW. The application deadline is April 24, 2023. If you have questions, please reach out to idsc@earthscope.org.

Disclaimer: Selected internship participants will need to complete a United States Internal Revenue Service W8 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf) form. Assistance can be provided by EarthScope for students who are selected. Students from countries that do not have a tax treaty (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/Tax_Treaty_Table%203.pdf) with the U.S. may be subject to withholding and need to file taxes to recover these funds.

Please complete this google form to submit your application.