Job Description Summary:

The Summer Internships in Parallel Computational Science (SIParCS) program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) offers graduate students and undergraduates who have completed their sophomore year significant hands-on R&D opportunities in high performance computing (HPC) and related fields that use HPC for scientific discovery and modeling. This program embeds students as summer interns in the Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL), an organization within NCAR charged with provisioning supercomputing and data systems to the geosciences research community, as well as conducting research and development in computational science, data analysis, scientific visualization and numerical modeling. These twin roles of service and research in CISL support NCAR's broad scientific mission of discovery in the atmospheric and related sciences.

The 2026 summer internships are 11 weeks in duration. Applicants must be available to work 40 hours per week from May 18, 2026 through July 31, 2026 for participation in the program. NCAR has 3 unpaid holidays for interns during the summer internship (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day).

Program requirements, beyond working on projects, include attending appropriate technical seminars, attending skills-enhancing workshops, preparing a poster, and giving an oral presentation of results at the end of the summer.

For Summer 2026, we are planning for an in-person internship program where interns come on-site to our Boulder, Colorado campuses and meetings may be held virtually over Zoom or Google Meet.

Position Details:

Visa Sponsored Job:

No

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

No

Job Location:

Boulder, Colorado

Position Type & Term:

Full time, Term - Casual (Fixed Term)

Compensation Min - Mid Range:

Hourly Rate: $23.41

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role.*

Application Notes

Application Deadline:

• This position will be posted until 11:59 pm MT on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Required application materials: (preferably in PDF Format)

Application Instructions:

Before you begin the online application process, please prepare your application materials in one (1) PDF document.  Name the PDF “LastName_FirstName_siparcs”  Example: Hopper_Grace_siparcs.pdf  Application materials must be in the order numbered below.  Please apply to no more than two (2) SIParCS projects.

Application Materials Must Include:

Attach one (1) PDF document with the three required components to your online application. Name the PDF “LastName_FirstName_siparcs”  Example: Hopper_Grace_siparcs.pdf  Required materials, in order are:

 

#1. Write a personal statement that is no longer than two (2) pages that clearly addresses each of the following 7 questions. (Use 1-inch margins, a font no smaller than 11 points). The personal statement questions carry considerable weight for the application, please be thoughtful with your responses and answer all 7 questions. Please visit https://www.cisl.ucar.edu/outreach/internships/how_to_apply for detailed instructions.

 

NSF NCAR and SIParCS embrace a collaborative, supportive, and positive work environment. SIParCS is dedicated to developing the technical and professional skills of the future high performance computing and scientific communities and sharing our science with a broader audience. 

• 1. Describe a situation when you helped build or sustain a collaborative, positive, supportive community. What strategies or lessons did you use to collaborate, lead, or solve problems? The situation does not have to be related to science, research, or education.  If you haven’t had this experience, explain what you believe makes a positive and supportive community and how you would contribute to one in the future, including any strategies you'd use to collaborate, lead, and problem-solve.
• 2. How could your approach to community and leadership enhance the experience for your fellow interns and strengthen the SIParCS program as a whole?
• 3.  How does participating in SIParCS complement your current interests and future career goals?

 

Mentorship: SIParCS interns work with their mentors on a specified project and are r