GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH IN FEDERAL LABS: A USGS/NSF COLLABORATION

The U. S. Geological Survey, along with other federal agencies, recently piloted two new internship programs with the National Science Foundation. The Graduate Research Internship (GRIP) and Graduate Student Preparedness (GSP) programs place NSF supported Ph.D. students in federal research labs for 2-12 months. This interagency cooperative agreement is part of an effort across Federal Government to promote collaboration in STEM education. Interested graduate students apply for supplemental funding either to their Graduate Research Fellows (GRIP) grant or to their advisor’s NSF grant (GSP).

The focus of the GRIP and GSP programs is professional development of the student. Students are expected to seek out a federal mentor and write the supplemental funding request. The internship is designed to add a dimension to the graduate students' education that is not available at their home institution (e.g. access to new data or research techniques, or a new scientific perspective). Exposure to the federal research environment, where research projects are placed in the context of the agency mission, is an important part of this professional development. At the USGS, this is a workforce development program; we hope that students who experience our workplace will consider applying for full-time employment when they graduate.

About twenty graduate students have been supported to work with USGS scientists. The first interns started in spring 2016. They come from 16 different universities and are spread out across 14 USGS locations in 11 states. They plan to be at the USGS for three to twelve months. One student’s experience illustrates the benefit of the program. Kendra Kaiser has been studying the spatial variability of greenhouse gas fluxes across complex terrains at Duke University. Through her GRIP opportunity in Boise ID, she is researching the watershed characteristics of steam intermittency and response to drought conditions. The internship has allowed her to focus on a different aspect of hydrology, and it incorporates both outreach and management tools. She has gained new research skills, mentors, and professional contacts in the USGS and the US Forest Service. Thus, at their best, these NSF/USGS internships are helping students gain new skills, grow their professional networks, and consider different career pathways.