U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

General Information Product 80

September 2008

Internships, Employment Opportunities, and Research Grants

Printed on recycled paper

As an unbiased, multidisciplinary science organization that focuses on biology, geography, geology, geospatial 

information, and water, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is dedicated to the timely, relevant, and impartial study 

of the landscape, our natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten us. Opportunities for undergraduate 

and graduate students and faculty to participate in USGS science are available through the selected programs 

described below. Please note: U.S. citizenship is required for all positions, although some noncitizens may be 

eligible in rare circumstances.

Undergraduate and Graduate Opportunities

NAGT–USGS Cooperative Summer Field Training Program

The USGS partners with the National Association of 

Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) to provide summer internship 

opportunities for college students who have completed a 

field-based course. Established in 1965, this program is one 

of the longest continuously running earth science internships in the country. Field camp directors nominate their top 

students. This nominated group is then invited to apply for 

summer positions with the USGS doing field, laboratory, or 

scientific office work. Over 1,500 students have participated 

in this program from its inception, with many participants 

proceeding on to have distinguished careers with the USGS, 

with academia, or with industry. Additional information is 

available at http://education.usgs.gov/docs/NAGT2008.pdf.

National Institutes for Water Resources-USGS Student 

Internship Program

The State Water Resources Research Institutes, organized as the National Institutes for Water Resources, collaborate with the USGS in operating a student internship 

program. Located in each State, the District of Columbia, 

the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam, these 54 

institutes provide undergraduate and graduate students with 

career-enhancing field, laboratory, and research experience 

through participation in USGS activities as interns. Interns 

are employees of participating universities and colleges. 

Funding is derived from USGS projects or programs that 

desire to support student interns as part of the mix of efforts 

required to carry out program or project activities. For more 

information, go to http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/internship.html.

National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program/EDMAP 

Program

Established to recognize the importance of geologic 

mapping for our Nation’s well-being, a primary objective 

of the EDMAP component of the National Cooperative 

Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) is to train the next 

generation of geologic mappers. Faculty advisors, together 

with graduate students or upper level undergraduate students, 

submit a proposal that requests support for mapping projects. 

Each student is expected to produce a new geologic map at a 

scale of 1:24,000 or larger that covers a 7.5-minute quadrangle or part of a quadrangle. Projects are funded on a year-byyear basis and are matched 1:1 by the universities. Each year 

since 1996, the NCGMP has funded EDMAP projects at 30 

to 40 colleges and universities in 20 to 30 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These projects include 

both bedrock and surficial geologic mapping. Fifty-eight 

students and 38 faculty members are currently participating in these projects. Additional information is available at 

http://ncgmp.usgs.gov/ncgmpabout/edmap.

Federal Career Intern Program

The USGS Federal Career Intern Program is designed to 

enable managers to recruit and attract exceptional individuals 

into a variety of occupations. The program was created under 

Executive Order 13162. In general, individuals hired into the 

program will receive excepted-service appointments not to 

exceed 2 years, unless extended by the USGS with the concurrence of the Office of Personnel Management, for up to 1 

additional year. Interns will be hired at grades GS–5 through 

GS–9. The intern program must include a 2-year training 

component designed and approved by the USGS. Individuals 

who successfully complete the program are eligible for conversion to career or career-conditional appointments with the 
USGS. For more information, see http://www.usgs.gov/ohr/

fcip/index.html.

USGS Student Interns in Support of Native American 

Relations Program

The goal of this program is to encourage students to 

pursue careers in geological, biological, hydrological, geographical, geospatial information management, or related sciences that may be helpful in natural resources management 

for Native American Tribes. Applicants are not required 

to be Native American; the USGS considers any research 

proposal that potentially benefits American Indian or Alaska 

Native governments. Students who are interested in participating in this internship opportunity should review the USGS 

projects described in the series of annual reports on the Web 

at http://www.usgs.gov/indian/pubspage.html. The most 

recent published reports will provide examples of potential 

opportunities. To be considered, students should contact the 

person listed in the report for the project of interest and ask 

whether that USGS employee would be willing to have a student intern. If an intern position is available, then the student 

and the USGS sponsor should submit a proposal during the 

solicitation period, usually in November and December. As 

many as six to eight interns are funded each year.

USGS Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 

Program

This prestigious and competitive program provides an 

opportunity for postdoctoral fellows to conduct concentrated 

research with members of the USGS professional staff, linking current science expertise to the science strategy of the 

USGS and its programs. Often, the research is a culminating element to the fellow’s formal career preparation. Each 

year, about three dozen research opportunities spanning the 

wide range of USGS science are advertised during July and 

August. The application closing date is November to January. Positions are filled depending on the availability of 

funds. Candidates must have successfully completed a Ph.D. 

in an area described in the research opportunity by the time 

employment starts. Mendenhall Fellows are appointed to the 

USGS for 2 years. Appointments typically begin between 

October and March. Additional information is available at 

http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc.

USGS Water Science Center Programs

Many USGS Water Science Centers provide support for 

students. For example, the Oklahoma Water Science Center supports Native American student internships through 

Oklahoma State University, with the goal of placing these 

students in permanent positions after graduation from the 

university. For more information on Water Science Centers, 

go to http://water.usgs.gov/district_chief.html.

Opportunities at Specific Institutions (Representative)

• Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA.—This historically black college has been the home of a program that 

works to increase the number of women and minorities in 

earth science and engineering. Since 1986, the USGS has 

been an active partner in a consortium providing scholarship support and employment opportunities for underrepresented students studying science. In recent years, the USGS 

offered summer internships to 10 students from Fort Valley 

State University as part of the Student Temporary Employment Program. The interns were placed with USGS mentor 

scientists and provided field experience that would introduce 

them to and prepare them for careers in a variety of geoscience fields. For more information, contact Katrina Burke 

[telephone, (703) 648–5515].

• University of Puerto Rico.—The USGS has a memorandum of understanding with the University of Puerto Rico 

and is committed to providing five students each year with 

advanced work and training in geographic information 

system and remote sensing technology during the summer. 

Student resumes are solicited at job fairs at the University 

of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras campus in March and at the 

Mayaguez campus in October. USGS personnel then sort 

the resumes based on student qualities and match these students with scientific projects. The resumes are forwarded to 

the project scientists, who make final selections. For more 

information, contact Yolanda Fong-Sam [telephone, (703) 

648–7756].

• City College of New York (CCNY), Harlem, NY.—The 

USGS/CCNY Internship Program seeks to recruit high 

achieving students of diverse backgrounds (underrepresented 

minorities) in order to create a pool of highly qualified graduates for the USGS permanent workforce. Students applying 

for the program are matched with USGS scientists and placed 

in summer internships. In 2007, five students were placed in 

USGS offices and have been invited back to their project sites 

for another summer. For more information, contact Rafael 

“Willie” Rodriguez [telephone, (518) 285–5659].

• Other Partnerships.—The USGS is committed to developing the science skills of underrepresented groups by providing opportunities to pursue careers in hydrologic technology. Through partnerships with a number of community 

colleges and technical schools, the USGS provides input 

on curricula and training to school advisory boards. Such 

essential skills provide needed opportunities for both the 
USGS and State and local management agencies. Programs 

currently exist with:

• GateWay Community College, Phoenix, AZ; contact Jim 

Kircher [telephone, (303) 236–4882, ×258] or Deborah 

Lowe [telephone, (303) 236–9562];

• Vermilion Community College, Ely, MN; contact Jeff 

Stoner [telephone, (651) 379–2744] or Vanessa Chambless 

[telephone, (303) 236–9584]; and

• Western Dakota Technical Institute, Rapid City, SD; 

contact Joyce Williamson [telephone, (605) 394–3219] or 

Jennifer Farrell [telephone, (303) 236–9566].

Student Employment

The USGS offers diverse employment opportunities for 

students in biology, hydrology, computer science, cartography, geology, administration, and many other fields. The Student Educational Employment Program has two components: 

the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) and 

the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). These programs are available to students at all levels who are enrolled 

at least half-time in an accredited educational program, are 

at least 16 years old, have a 2.0 or better accumulative grade 

point average, and are a U.S. citizen (although some noncitizens may be eligible).

• STEP.—Employment opportunities under this component do 

not have to relate to a student’s particular field of study. Paid 

positions range from summer opportunities to jobs that can 

last as long as one is a student (in 1-year increments or less).

• SCEP.—This component offers paid work experience directly 

related to a student’s academic field of study. It provides 

formal periods of work and study while attending school. The 

program is designed to be a partnership among the student, 

his/her school, and the USGS. The SCEP appointment may 

lead to permanent employment after the student successfully completes his/her educational program and meets work 

requirements.

For more information on both STEP and SCEP 

employment, go to http://www.usgs.gov/ohr/student/apply/

index.html.

USAJOBS

USAJOBS is the one-stop, online shop for finding 

jobs at Federal agencies. You can create an account, store 

and update your resume, and search and apply for jobs 

in one convenient center. To see current openings at the 

USGS, go to the “Search Jobs” tab and type “USGS” in 

the Keyword Search. More information can be found at 

http://www.usajobs.gov.

Research Opportunities

State Water Resources Research Institute Program

Currently, 54 Water Resources Research Institutes 

serve all States, the District of Columbia, and three territories of the United States. Located at designated universities 

and colleges, the institutes support over 200 research and 

information transfer projects with appropriated and matching funds. State advisory panels operate in cooperation with 

the USGS to set research priorities and select proposed 

projects. Virtually all projects provide for undergraduate and graduate student training and support. Over 500 

students received training and support under this program 

in recent years. Additional information is provided at 

http://water.usgs.gov/wrri.

Water Resources Research Act National Competitive 

Grant Program

This matching grant program, conducted in collaboration 

with the State Water Resources Research Institutes, is open 

to investigators at any institution of higher education in the 

United States. Proposals may be submitted for projects of 1 to 

3 years in duration and may request up to $250,000 in Federal 

funds. Research priorities are in the general area of water supply and availability, including the physical dimensions of supply and demand, quality trends in raw water supplies, the role 

of economics and institutions in water supply and demand, 

institutional arrangements for tracking and reporting water 

supply and availability, and institutional arrangements for coping with extreme hydrologic conditions. Further information 

about the program can be found at https://niwr.net.

Earthquake Hazards Program External Research Support

Grants by the USGS support research for the National 

Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program’s goal to mitigate 

the Nation’s earthquake losses by providing earth science 

data and assessments essential for land-use planning, engineering design, and emergency preparedness decisions. The 

program issues an annual announcement of funding opportunity for competitive proposals for grants and cooperative 

agreements to support research in earthquake hazards, the 

physics of earthquakes, earthquake occurrence, and earthquake safety policy. The application period is generally open 

from early March through mid-May each year. Applications 

are submitted through Grants.gov. More information can be 

found at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/external. The 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance contains information about recent funding amounts for these grants and cooperative agreements and can be searched at http://cfda.gov.
Mineral Resources External Research Program

This research opportunity invites proposals from universities, State agencies, industry, or other private sector organizations to conduct research that will help ensure a sustainable supply of minerals for the Nation’s future, understand 

the relation between minerals and public health, provide 

information to make informed land use decisions, and deliver 

mineral information critical to national security. For more 

information on this and previous years’ funded initiatives, 

go to http://minerals.usgs.gov/mrerp/index.html. To receive 

announcements about future grant opportunities, please send 

a request to mrerp@usgs.gov.

AmericaView Program

AmericaView is a nationwide program that focuses on 

the science of remote sensing in support of applied research, 

K-to-16 education, workforce development, and technology transfer. AmericaView is comprised of university-led, 

State-based consortia working together to build a nationwide 

network of State and local users. AmericaView supports 

its goals by further expanding communications networks, 

facilities, and capabilities for acquiring and sharing remotely 

sensed data among AmericaView members. AmericaView 

projects are funded on a number of university campuses 

and offer the possibility of research and/or employment 

to students. To view AmericaView members by State, 

go to http://www.americaview.org/currentmembers.htm. 

Further information on the program can be found at 

http://americaview.usgs.gov.

Science Impact

The USGS Geography Discipline has established external partnerships with universities to focus external innovation 

in the use of science information and to provide specialized 

skills beyond those traditional to the USGS. Current partnerships include:

Indigenous Knowledge Center for Education and Science 

Impact (IKCE SI), Sinte Gleska University, SD.

MIT–USGS Science Impact Collaborative (MUSIC), Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Science Impact Laboratory for Policy and Economics 

(SILPE), University of New Mexico.

Spatial Integration Laboratory for Urban Systems (SILUS), 

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Further information on these partnerships can be found 

at http://www.usgs.gov/science_impact.

Cooperative Research Units Program

The Cooperative Research Units Program is a unique 

collaborative relationship among States, universities, the 

Federal Government, and the Wildlife Management Institute, 

a nonprofit organization. The mission of this program is to 

provide scientific research for understanding and management 

of fish and wildlife and other natural resources. Operationally, 

the program provides technical assistance to natural resource 

managers in the application of scientific information to natural 

resource policy and management. The program also focuses 

on the development of future natural resource professionals 

through graduate education and training at host, affiliated 

universities. The program presently consists of 40 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units located on university 

campuses in 38 States. The USGS provides two to five Federal 

research scientists for each cooperative unit. Cooperating 

universities provide office space, administrative support, and 

access to university facilities. Further information on the program can be found at http://www.coopunits.org.

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