The Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System (CIMES) at Princeton University in collaboration with NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) is recruiting undergraduate students for 8-9 week research internships in atmospheric, oceanic and earth system science. Awardees will work with host scientists at Princeton University and NOAA/GFDL, a world-leading center of earth system modeling, research and prediction. 

Interns will work on a focused scientific problem under the close supervision of their GFDL/Princeton host, and benefit from resources and activities at GFDL, including interaction with scientists and graduate students, access to high performance computing and library facilities, and opportunities to participate in a wide range of seminars and GFDL social events. We particularly encourage applications from students whose participation will add to the diversity of researchers in earth system science, including students from underrepresented groups, first-generation college students, and students who have minimal previous experience engaging in scientific research.

The 2025 summer internship program will be in-person at GFDL in Princeton, New Jersey. Interns will receive a stipend of $5,600 - $6,300 for a 40-hour work week depending on the length of the internship. Starting dates and length of the internship are flexible depending on host availability. On campus room and board is typically made available to interns from early June to early August and is provided as part of the program.  Interns not living at home but using housing other than campus housing will receive a commensurate housing allowance. Local interns who choose to live at home can be considered on a case-by-case basis to receive reimbursement for daily commuting. Interns will also receive reimbursement for travel to and from Princeton at the beginning and end of the summer. 

Applicants must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at time of application and be either a US Citizen or permanent resident or have US work authorization.

The application deadline is January 15, 2025 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. The link to the application form is provided below.  

In lieu of a cover letter, applicants are asked to explain: How this internship will contribute to their long-term goals, how their academic background (including relevant courses) provides them with the skills they could apply to this internship, and whether they have had any previous research opportunities. Applicants will also be asked to provide contact information for two professional references. 

Please be advised that applicants and their references will be contacted only if there is further interest in their application. 

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. EEO is the law.

Please apply here.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

INTERNSHIP PROJECT OPTIONS:

1. Assessing Climate Risks by Modeling Heavy Rainfall Across the U.S., hosted by Dr. Zachary Labe

To better assess future climate risks and vulnerabilities for local communities across the United States, this project will use high-resolution simulations from a state-of-the-art climate model to quantify near- and short-term (up to 30 years) changes in heavy rainfall across the United States.

2. Exploring North Pacific Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions and their Impact on Pacific Northwest Hydroclimate, hosted by Drs. Thomas Delworth and Youngji Joh

This study will investigate seasonal-to-decadal interactions between the North Pacific Ocean and the atmosphere and how these dynamics influence hydroclimate events in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on the role of ocean temperature, air-sea heat/moisture exchange, and atmospheric circulations over the North Pacific, using available observations and GFDL SPEAR model data. 

3. Modeling Fine-Scale River Networks in a Changing Climate: Performance and Uncertainty in GFDL’s Land Model,hosted by Dr. Sergey Malyshev and Mr. Anthony Preucil

The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) land model is a state-of-the-art model designed to simulate complex land processes including hydrologic processes, enabling advanced coupled earth system models at GFDL. Until now, river routing in the GFDL land model has been limited to the grid-scale resolution. By incorporating the HydroBlocks model, modeling subgrid heterogeneity becomes possible, including capability to model river networks at finer spatial scales. Rivers are sensitive to changes in climate (namely temperature and precipitation), and directly impact flooding, drought, water quality and surrounding ecosystems. This project will use a novel river routing model implemented within the latest GFDL land model to evaluate model performance and assess uncertainty for river discharge in various watersheds around North America. The new model will also be used to study how rivers will respond to future warming scenarios in terms of water availability, water quality, and sustainability.

4. On the historical simulation and future projections of extreme winter cyclones in the north Atlantic coastal zone, hosted by Drs. Xiaosong Yang and Jaeyeon Lee

Bomb cyclones, characterized by rapid intensification and a dramatic drop in atmospheric pressure, are among the most extreme and impactful meteorological phenomena in the North Atlantic coastal region. Their potential for causing widespread damage through high winds, intense precipitation, and coastal flooding highlights the need to understand these cyclones, especially as climate change may alter their frequency and intensity. This project seeks to examine both the historical occurrences and future projections of bomb winter cyclones along the North Atlantic coastal zone. Utilizing the cyclone tracking outputs from GFDL SPEAR model simulations and observations, the student will evaluate model performance in simulating observed bomb cyclones. The project also involves investigating future projections under various climate scenarios to understand how global warming might influence the frequency and intensity of these bomb cyclones. A background in UNIX computing and Python or Matlab programming for handling large datasets is desired.