This position is in NASA's Pathways Intern Employment Program (IEP) which provides students with opportunities to explore NASA careers and gain meaningful developmental work experience.
Please read the entire announcement before applying.
Summary
This position is in NASA's Pathways Intern Employment Program (IEP) which provides students with opportunities to explore NASA careers and gain meaningful developmental work experience.
This vacancy is open to PhD students pursuing Aeronautical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Astronautical Engineering, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Computational Science and Engineering,...
...Polymer Engineering, Photonics, Physics, Planetary Science, Polymer Chemistry, Software Engineering, or Systems Engineering majors.
Work under the guidance of senior engineers/scientists to support NASA mission operations in groundbreaking design, development, test and evaluation, and/or research work of aerospace technologies that align to your academic studies and interests.
Specific duties will be dependent upon the assigned occupational specialty in preparation for more difficult tasks as a professional trainee after graduation.
Disciplines include, but are not limited to: Fluid and Flight Mechanics, Materials and Structures, Propulsion and Power, Flight Systems, Data Systems and Analysis, and Operations.
Foster a culture of engagement, diversity, inclusiveness, excellence and innovation. Champion NASA's commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility to create an environment that promotes a commitment to safety, integrity, and teamwork.
This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
At the time you apply for this announcement, you must be a degree or certificate seeking student who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited educational institution on at least a half time basis as defined by the institution.
At the time you apply for this announcement, you must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.9 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
The expected start date is January 13, 2025.
You must be able to work a minimum of 480 hours after your start date and before you complete your academic program requirements.
Applicants must have a graduation date on or after April 04, 2025.
If you are selected, you must maintain your enrollment at your current educational institution during periods you are not working at NASA. You must also maintain a GPA of at least 2.9 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
If you are selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Participant Agreement which outlines the conditions of employment.
If you are selected, you will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation or higher level clearance. The level of investigation/clearance may differ and be required based on the duties/location-NASA Center requirements.
Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Risk Designation for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
Salary Range reflects the lowest and highest salary for the advertised duty locations. Actual salary will be dependent on the NASA duty location for which you are selected.
Rotational assignments are at management's discretion.
You will be able to apply for a maximum of 4 duty locations.
If you are selected, you must be at least 16 years old at the time of your start date.
All Pathways interns are expected to report onsite at the time of hire for their first rotation and must work a total of 14 weeks onsite before becoming eligible for remote opportunities.
Qualifications
Starting GS grade levels are determined by education level COMPLETED at this time:
For GS-11: Completed at least one year* of doctorate-level study.
*An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study.
Documentation must be provided which adequately supports your answers to the eligibility questions. If enrolled in a dual degree program, your supporting documents must show how your credit hours apply to each degree and, if applicable, which degree(s) you have completed.
Education
To be eligible for this position, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree with a major in one of the following required fields:
Aeronautical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Astronautical Engineering
Biology
Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Computational Science and Engineering
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Electronics Engineering
Engineering Mechanics
Engineering Physics
Human Factors Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Materials Engineering
Materials Science
Molecular Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechatronics
Microbiology
Metallurgical Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Organic Chemistry
Optical Sciences
Optical Engineering
Polymer Engineering
Photonics
Physics
Planetary Science
Polymer Chemistry
Software Engineering
Systems Engineering
Degrees in engineering technology are not qualifying for this position.
Engineering programs from institutions within the United States: You must be enrolled in a degree program at a college or university school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum. Degrees must be received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation. To find out if a degree meets this requirement, go to the ABET website.
Engineering programs from institutions outside the United States: Engineering programs from educational institutions outside the United States must be recognized by an ABET Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), often known as accords. These are non-governmental agreements among organizations that accredit academic degree programs. MRAs recognize the substantial equivalence of mature accreditation systems and programs accredited by signatory organizations within their jurisdictions. For a listing of Signatories, please visit, https://www.abet.org/global-presence/mutual-recognition-agreements/is-your-program-recognized/.
Science programs from institutions within the United States: Science and other related degree programs within the United States must be from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
Science and other related degree programs from institutions outside the United States: If you are currently enrolled in a degree program at a foreign college or university, your degree may need to be evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs, in order for you to be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position. Your degree must be deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit must be given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
College Transcript: Applicants must submit a copy of their most recent college transcript that lists the school's name, student's name, degree program, major, GPA, college courses, course title, and number of credit hours completed. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, however should you be selected, official transcripts will be required prior to your appointment date.
Accepted for Enrollment: If you have been accepted for enrollment in an institution but have not yet begun coursework, you must submit an Acceptance Letter from the institution AND your most recent academic transcript from your previous program.
Additional information
PLEASE TAKE CARE IN PREPARING AND SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION.
When completing the Questionnaires, please pay close attention to the selections and inputs you are making. Entries regarding your eligibility made in error cannot be modified after the application is submitted and you will lose consideration if you are determined to be ineligible based on the answers to the questionnaire.
This announcement is for positions at the following Centers: Ames Research Center, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Johnson Space Center, Langley Research Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center.
If we find that you do not meet Center-specific eligibility requirements after referral to the hiring manager, you may not receive further consideration.
Interns may be promoted to higher grades based on the amount of education completed and acceptable performance. However, promotions are not guaranteed. Special rate tables may apply for graduate students.
You will serve a trial period for the duration of the Intern appointment.
Interns may be considered for conversion to a Term or Permanent appointment within 180 days of completion of degree requirements provided they:
Successfully completed an academic course of study with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.9 (on a 4.0 scale);
Complete a minimum of 480 hours of work experience before completing degree requirements;
Meet the qualification requirements for the position to which they are converted (including any required coursework); and
Maintain acceptable performance.
Eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that NASA will offer conversion to a Term or Perm job.
The Intern may be converted to a position with promotion potential to the GS-13 level.
As identical vacancies are identified, additional selections may be made.
Depending on position assignment, position may or may not be in a bargaining unit. To learn more about bargaining units at NASA please click here NASA Unions (Bargaining Units) | NASA.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this position based on the eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your referral status, we will rely on your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Your eligibility will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire.
You will be assessed on the following competencies:
Accountability
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading
Self-Management (Achievement)
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Overstating your responses may result in your removal from consideration.
Under NASA's category rating process, applicants will be assessed on the position competencies and placed in one of three categories identified and defined below:
Best Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
Highly Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria.
Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Names of all qualified candidates in the Best Qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found - in which case only those names will be initially certified). Candidates within the Best Qualified category who are eligible for veteran preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.
NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: Agency-FCCJ@NASA.gov.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
College Transcript or Acceptance Letter (please see below for more information)
Veterans' preference documentation, if applicable: If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For spouses claiming derived veterans' preference, proof of marriage is also required. For more information on veterans' preference and possible other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit FedshireVets.
Please note: if any of the following types of information are included on your resume and transcripts, your application package will be disqualified:
Classified or government sensitive information.
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself
Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Encrypted and digitally signed documents.
If your resume contains any of the above information, you must redact that information prior to the submission of your application. Do not submit an OF-306 with your application.
College Transcript: Applicants must submit a copy of their most recent college transcript that lists the school's name, student's name, degree program, major, GPA, college courses, course title, and number of credit hours completed. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, however should you be selected, official transcripts will be required prior to your appointment date. If your college transcript does not list all of this information, you must provide supplemental documentation from your educational institution that specifies the information missing from your transcript.
Accepted for Enrollment: If you have been accepted for enrollment in an institution but have not yet begun coursework, you must submit an Acceptance Letter from the institution AND your most recent academic transcript from your previous program. Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.
Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, you will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application process. Once logged in to your account, click on the "Apply" link.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. We strongly encourage you to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder when creating your resume. Using the resume builder will help you ensure your resume includes important information related to your qualifications and eligibility for this position. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. During the application process you can review, edit, delete and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the 'Include Personal Information' section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the vacancy questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify all required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application documents, questionnaire responses, and questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. To make an allowed update to your application, return to your USAJOBS account by clicking here. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
NASA's online application process provides step by step guidance to ensure you provide all needed information. If you are unable to apply online, please contact NSSC-CONTACTCENTER@MAIL.NASA.GOV for assistance. Be advised - application materials faxed, emailed, and/or mailed to NASA - Agency Widewill not be accepted for this announcement.
NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.
NASA - Agency Wide
300 E st SW
Washington, DC 20546
US
Next steps
Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email and be provided regular status updates through USAJOBS. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are found qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the hiring manager.
If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing a scheduled appointment, we may rescind a tentative job offer.
An official, written job offer will be issued once all requirements have been verified.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
College Transcript or Acceptance Letter (please see below for more information)
Veterans' preference documentation, if applicable: If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For spouses claiming derived veterans' preference, proof of marriage is also required. For more information on veterans' preference and possible other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit FedshireVets.
Please note: if any of the following types of information are included on your resume and transcripts, your application package will be disqualified:
Classified or government sensitive information.
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself
Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Encrypted and digitally signed documents.
If your resume contains any of the above information, you must redact that information prior to the submission of your application. Do not submit an OF-306 with your application.
College Transcript: Applicants must submit a copy of their most recent college transcript that lists the school's name, student's name, degree program, major, GPA, college courses, course title, and number of credit hours completed. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, however should you be selected, official transcripts will be required prior to your appointment date. If your college transcript does not list all of this information, you must provide supplemental documentation from your educational institution that specifies the information missing from your transcript.
Accepted for Enrollment: If you have been accepted for enrollment in an institution but have not yet begun coursework, you must submit an Acceptance Letter from the institution AND your most recent academic transcript from your previous program. Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.
Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, you will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application process. Once logged in to your account, click on the "Apply" link.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. We strongly encourage you to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder when creating your resume. Using the resume builder will help you ensure your resume includes important information related to your qualifications and eligibility for this position. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. During the application process you can review, edit, delete and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the 'Include Personal Information' section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the vacancy questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify all required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application documents, questionnaire responses, and questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. To make an allowed update to your application, return to your USAJOBS account by clicking here. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
NASA's online application process provides step by step guidance to ensure you provide all needed information. If you are unable to apply online, please contact NSSC-CONTACTCENTER@MAIL.NASA.GOV for assistance. Be advised - application materials faxed, emailed, and/or mailed to NASA - Agency Widewill not be accepted for this announcement.
NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.
NASA - Agency Wide
300 E st SW
Washington, DC 20546
US
Next steps
Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email and be provided regular status updates through USAJOBS. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are found qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the hiring manager.
If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing a scheduled appointment, we may rescind a tentative job offer.
An official, written job offer will be issued once all requirements have been verified.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
