Author: Julie Ross

We are happy to announce that the NSF SOARS 2027 First-Year Protege Applications are now open until January 19, 2027. 

You can find the application via the NSF SOARS website: https://soars.ucar.edu/apply. 

NSF SOARS is an undergraduate-to-graduate bridge and career pathways program designed to promote and support research, mentoring, and community in the atmospheric and Earth system sciences. Students are invited from multiple STEM disciplines including: chemistry, computer science, ecology, engineering, environmental studies, geography, mathematics, meteorology, oceanography, physics, science education, social sciences, and other related fields.

Program Benefits:

• Mentoring: NSF SOARS is best known for its comprehensive, multi-dimensional mentoring model, a key contributor to the continued success of its Proteges.
• Multiple-Year Support: Successful Proteges can participate in NSF SOARS for up to four years.
• Stipend: NSF SOARS Proteges work 40 hours a week for 11-weeks and earn a competitive wage.
• Housing and Transportation: The program provides furnished apartments, round-trip airfare, and a bus pass.
• Conferences: Proteges are funded to attend national scientific conferences to present their summer research.
• Tuition Assistance: Successful Proteges are eligible to receive funding for undergraduate education.

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Must be enrolled in a degree-granting institution
• Must not have received a Bachelor’s degree in STEM and at least one more semester left of undergrad.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident 

2027 Los Alamos Dynamics Summer School

Early application deadline: November 14, 2026

Final application deadline: January 2, 2027

This summer, Los Alamos National Laboratory will be hosting the twenty-eighth edition of the Los Alamos Dynamics Summer School (LADSS): a 10-week research and education program held in Los Alamos, NM.  We have attached a PDF flyer that provides information about the summer school. Links to more information are available at https://ladss.lanl.gov, including payment information for the fellowship appointment and instructions on how to apply. 

We are seeking students with academic focuses in engineering (including mechanical, aerospace, structural, civil, electrical, and nuclear), as well as those in computer science, physics, and applied math. Current junior or senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students are invited to apply. Please pass this solicitation on to prospective students and directly encourage those which you feel are well-suited for the program to apply. Offer letters will be given to accepted applicants on a rolling basis throughout the early application period, so we encourage students to apply early to have the greatest chance of securing a position in the program.

LADSS aims to motivate U.S. citizens to attend graduate school and provide exposure to the diverse technical work performed at LANL. Therefore, the students you solicit must be U.S. citizens (dual citizenship accepted), and they should be of sufficient academic standing to be credible candidates for graduate school. As a reference point, the 400+ students that have taken part in the first twenty-seven schools had undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.0 – 4.0, with a mean undergraduate GPA of approximately 3.8.

Feedback has shown that most applicants are students that have been referred to the program individually by faculty members or former program participants, so we appreciate your continued support and the time you take to talk with some of your top students about this opportunity.

Also, please pass this solicitation on to other faculty that may have students who are interested in this educational/work opportunity. If you have any questions about the summer school, please contact us at ladss@lanl.gov and we will be happy to answer them. Thanks for your help recruiting students for the Los Alamos Dynamics Summer School!