In December 2021, GESTAR II partnered with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Earth Science Division to advance Earth science and Goddard’s leadership by providing a competitive environment to hire and retain high-quality scientists who are on track to be leaders at NASA, in academia and in industry. GESTAR II exemplifies the power of mentorship, embracing a career development strategy that only a university research center can provide. In GESTAR II, early-career researchers and students can build outstanding resumes, launching them to become the Earth science leaders of tomorrow.

GESTAR II has a strong commitment to supporting education and outreach, and fostering collaboration between GESTAR II scientists and students at partner universities. The GESTAR II MSU undergraduate fellowship is a unique experience specifically designed to allow undergraduate students to develop their knowledge and contribute their skills towards the advancement of earth science through real world application. A list of the GESTAR II research projects that will receive undergraduate fellowship support can be found here.

This webpage provides the basic information about the GESTAR II MSU undergraduate fellowship, including eligibility and application process.

This fellowship is a paid opportunity to allow undergraduate students greater access to career development and hands-on work experience alongside a GESTAR II researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA GSFC). GESTAR II is committed to academic excellence and balance. Therefore, selected participants must be able to work a full-time, hybrid schedule at NASA GSFC beginning Summer 2024. Note: If a mentor chooses to extend the project beyond summer, this schedule will be modified to a maximum of 10 hours per week and performed remotely to accommodate academic schedules in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• • Be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior in summer 2024
• Be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program at Morgan State University (the fellowship is open to all majors)
• Possess and maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) throughout the duration of the fellowship.

Applications for the 2024-2025 GESTAR II Morgan State University Fellowship are being accepted on a rolling basis. All eligible applicants are required to complete the required application and submit supporting documents for full consideration. The link to the application is: https://bit.ly/gestariiugrads.

All majors may apply. Note, some research projects may be more suitable for specific majors. Please visit the list of available research projects for more information.

After all applications have been reviewed, select candidates will be invited to interview with research hosts who best fit their skillset. Final selections of participants will be determined by the individual GESTAR II research hosts.