SPS Internship Program Details

2025 SPS Internship Information

Applications Open: November 1

Applications Due: January 15

Apply here!

 

Meet the 2024 SPS Interns

Bios, photos, and journals | SPS Internships Flyer—Please Post | 2024 SPS Intern Symposium

• Program Dates: June - August 2025 (tentative) 
• Stipend: $6,500 salary with funds to support summer commuting costs (all pre-tax) and travel reimbursement (up to $600 each way, if the internship is held in person).
• Housing: Provided by SPS. (Will be roomed with other SPS students, if possible.)
• Program Sites: A full list of program placement sites can be found here. 

Apply Today!

The SPS summer internship program offers 10-week positions for undergraduate physics students in science research, education and policy with various organizations in the Washington, DC area. All internships include paid housing, a competitive stipend, support to attend a national physics meeting in the year following the internship, and transportation to and from Washington, DC.

Students are placed in organizations that use the interns' energy and diversity to engage in meaningful assignments relevant to their host organization and promote the advancement of physics and astronomy. Participating organizations assign one or more mentors from their senior staff to guide each intern’s work and overall experience. The SPS National Office administers the program, hosts joint orientation and concluding sessions, and coordinates group activities throughout the summer.

The cohort of SPS summer interns share their varied experiences with each other, live in housing near the Washington, DC area, and participate in a number of engaging supplemental activities throughout the summer.

Eligibility

• Students must be undergraduates and members of the SPS national organization. Spring/Summer 2025 bachelor's degree graduates are eligible to apply
• Students must have at least two years of college physics (or equivalent) 
• Students must be available throughout the entire program including move-in and move-out dates
• U.S. citizenship may be required for some positions and all candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. without restriction

Application Information 

To be considered for the SPS Internship Program, all applicants must complete the full SPS Internship Application in the online awards system - by January 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST. The full SPS Internship Application includes: 

• Applicant Information 
• Internship Application Form 
• Internship Preferences 
• Resume and Transcript (unofficial transcripts are accepted) 
• Personal Statement 
• 2 Letters of Recommendation 

Selection Criteria

SPS screens all applicants to find a good match between a partnering organization’s specific needs and students’ interests. Selection criteria vary by position, but general criteria include:

• Scholastic record and potential for future success
• Participation in SPS events and activities
• Relevant interest and experience
• Strength of letters of recommendation - 2 required 

Program Administration

Through the SPS National Office, the American Institute of Physics (AIP) advertises the internship opportunities nationwide and solicits and reviews all applications to find a good match for an organization's specific needs and the student's interests. The SPS National Office is responsible for fully administering the program, which involves recruiting applicants, coordinating interviews and placements, helping with travel arrangements, making housing reservations and rooming assignments, conducting an orientation session and intern symposium, arranging field trips, and serving in other roles related to the professional development and support of the interns during the internship period.

Program Structure

• All interns attend a joint orientation hosted by SPS at the American Center for Physics on the first day of the internship.
• Beginning the day after orientation, each intern commutes to his or her place of work daily. Interns work full-time on their individual assignments at their host organizations for the duration of the internship. Positions for 2025 could be an in-person full-time, hybrid, or virtual experience.
• Each intern will plan a tour of his or her host organization for the other SPS interns (if in person at work). These tours will take place intermittently throughout the summer.
• The SPS National Office hosts several educational and social activities throughout the summer for the interns, to broaden their experience.
• A service activity is required by each intern during the summer. There will be a planned activity for the cohort, but if an intern is not able to attend, they will be responsible for finding another service activity for the summer. 
• SPS interns write weekly journal entries highlighting their work and/or a particular experience associated with the internship. These entries are posted on the SPS website.
• Near the end of the internship, each intern gives a 10-minute professional presentation on their work, accomplishments, and overall internship experience to the staff of the American Institute of Physics, the intern mentors, and invited guests.
• Interns are strongly encouraged to present their work at a national physics meeting in the academic year following their internship. Financial support is provided for this opportunity.

Internship Partners and Program Support

Each year, several organizations partner with SPS to mentor and support summer interns. A list of current partners can be found here. Many of these organizations provide financial support to help offset program expenses. In addition, all of the internship, award, and scholarship programs of SPS are made possible, in part, through the generous contributions of Sigma Pi Sigma members and friends. These programs are supported by income derived from designated funds that have been provided as gifts. In this way, physics alumni, and especially Sigma Pi Sigma members, contribute to the generations of students who follow them. The applicant must make their own arrangements for visa sponsorship with a host institution in the U.S.