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Information for Prospective NRAO Summer Students

Thank you for you interest in the Summer Student Research Assistantship Program at The NRAO. This document contains information for prospective summer students and important information for incoming summer students. It covers general NRAO policies, and includes links to other useful information. Of particular interest are the links to the site specific documentation at the bottom of this page. These links contain information specific to individual sites, such as local information, travel instructions, reporting instructions, and local housing information. If you have questions, please email sstudents at nrao dot edu.

Overview

The NRAO has supported a Summer Student program at our various sites since 1959. There are three types of Summer Student programs: The NRAO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is for undergraduates who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions, and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The NRAO Undergraduate Summer Student Research Assistantship program is for undergraduate students or graduating college seniors who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions or who are eligible for a Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) from an accredited U.S. undergraduate Program. This program primarily supports students or research projects which do not meet the REU guidelines, such as graduating college seniors, some foreign undergraduate students, or projects involving pure engineering or computer programming. Finally, the NRAO Graduate Summer Student Research Assistantship is for graduate students who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions or who are eligible for a Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) from an accredited U.S. Graduate Program. In each of these programs, the student spends 10-12 weeks over the summer conducting research under the supervision of a member of the NRAO staff. Students with a background in Astronomy, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, and/or Math are preferred. A single application for both programs, as well as a more detailed job description, is available at http://www.nrao.edu/students/summer-students.shtml. The deadline for applications is generally the last week of January of each year. The NRAO also has other student programs.

Previous Research Projects

Start Dates

Official start dates for the program for 2008 are Tuesday May 26th, Monday June 1st, or Monday June 8th, and your appointment will be from 10 to 12 weeks. You should arrange for your start dates and the duration of your appointment directly with your NRAO adviser (contact information will be in your offer letter). If you cannot meet this schedule, please contact your adviser for alternative arrangements. After you settle your start dates with your adviser and make your travel arrangements (subject to the guidelines listed below).

Stipends

The remuneration you receive for your research experience is considered a "Stipend". As such, the NRAO will not report it to the Internal Revenue Service. The NRAO may provide you with a summary statement of the stipend payments. This does not constitute tax advice.

A stipend check for your first two-week appointment will be waiting for you on your assigned start date, and every two weeks thereafter. The amount of your stipend depends on your school standing (undergraduate vs. graduate), and includes an adjustment for local housing. The stipend rate for 2008 is as follows:

  • Undergraduates and Graduated Seniors: $575 per week
  • Graduate Students: $615 per week

Travel Reimbursement Policy

You will be reimbursed for your travel expenses, subject to the guidelines laid out in the NRAO travel policy. Specifically, you will be reimbursed for the actual cost of transportation, up to a maximum of $800. Automobile mileage will be reimbursed at the prevailing IRS standard mileage rate (55.0 cents per mile for 2009) with the distance being based on highway mileage tables, up to the maximum of $800 (i.e., 1455 miles round trip max). You will not be reimbursed for per diem or lodging during your trip to or from your assigned site.

Summer Housing

Students assigned to Green Bank will have housing provided on-site for a nominal monthly charge. Students assigned to other sites will need to secure a place to live over the summer. Information to help you go about this will be sent to you in a separate mailing or can be found in the site specific documentation linked to below. It is often advantageous to arrange housing prior to arriving on-site, since many sublets are from local students who leave at the end of the school term. However, if you prefer to secure housing after you arrive, the NRAO will reimburse you for temporary accommodations at a local hotel, up to a maximum of $250.

Research Assignment and Schedule

Your project adviser will have told you the topic of your research prior to your acceptance. You will spend 10-12 weeks over the summer working on this research project. You are expected to conduct your research during the normal weekly operating schedule. Justifiable alternatives can be discussed with your adviser. If you require a break in your research schedule, and your adviser agrees, a brief period of absence can be negotiated. Students who fail to report regularly, perform poorly, or who violate NRAO rules or regulations may lose their research appointment without notice.

At the end of your appointment, you will give a short (~15min) lunch talk to the scientific staff about your research, and will write up a short project summary. Examples of past year projects and summaries can be found above. You will also produce a short (~4 page) report outlining your summer research, and present this to your local Summer Student coordinator by the end of September.

Presenting Research at the AAS Meeting

The NRAO has a small amount of funds to help students attend the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in the January following their appointment, for the purpose of presenting a poster or talk about their summer research project. If in discussion with the NRAO adviser it is decided that it would be worthwhile for the student to attend this meeting, then the student should prepare a proposal, as described at http://www.nrao.edu/students/NRAOstudents_aas.shtml. To be eligible for NRAO support, the student must have submitted a project summary and written report outlining their summer research to their local Summer Student coordinator by the end of September.

Medical Insurance

Students will not be provided with health insurance. It is likely that you will be covered under your school or family's plan during the summer. It would be wise to check this and to bring any necessary medical insurance documents with you.

Acceptance Package

After you accept a summer student appointment with NRAO, you will be sent an acceptance package. This package will contain the following information:

  • Student Data Sheet (includes emergency contact information and information on visa status)
  • NRAO Travel Policy
  • Travel Accident Insurance Beneficieary Record and Plan
  • NRAO Computer Use Policy
  • Employee Acknowledgment of Receipt of Computing Policy
  • NRAO Non-Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy
  • NRAO Patent Agreement
  • NRAO Image Use Agreement
  • Self-addressed stamped envelope.

Please fill out and sign the appropriate forms, and return to us in the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope. Issuance of stipend checks is contingent upon prompt return of the forms. Soon after, you should receive a mailing from your assigned site, containing information on local housing, reporting information, etc.

Site Specific Information

The following links provide additional information specific to the individual NRAO sites to which students may be assigned. This includes local history, weather, travel, directions, maps, housing, and contact information. Maps to NRAO sites are found at http://www.nrao.edu/about/maps.shtml.

Other Information: