NCAR Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: November 2026

NCAR's summer 2027 internships are open now. UCAR, which manages NSF NCAR and employs its interns, posted five intern requisitions on its Workday board between November 2 and November 9, 2026. NESSI closes January 4, 2027, and SIParCS (undergraduate and graduate), the CODE intern role and NSF SOARS close January 19, 2027. Undergraduates earn $23.41 an hour and SIParCS graduate students $28.32, and the main programs cover travel and housing in Boulder. In plain words: you apply now, by January 2027, and you intern in Boulder from May 17 to July 30, 2027.

Quick Facts

The row that matters most: applications for summer 2027 are open today and close on fixed dates, January 4, 2027 for NESSI and January 19, 2027 for the others.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most often in 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The Health Research & Data Analytics with ARCeH Externship practices the environmental data analysis NCAR's postings ask for, and the SQL & Database Architecture Externship with Breaking Games builds the data tooling behind scientific computing work. Explore all Externships.

What Is an NCAR Internship?

An NCAR internship is a paid 11-week summer research placement at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. NCAR is a National Science Foundation research center managed by UCAR, a university consortium, and UCAR posts and pays every internship. Interns work with NCAR scientists and engineers on weather, climate, high-performance computing, engineering and solar physics, and finish with a talk and poster at the Summer Student Conference. NSF SOARS, a UCAR program, has supported over 275 students since 1996. In December 2025 the federal government announced plans to restructure NCAR. In June 2026 a federal court issued a preliminary injunction that keeps the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center under UCAR management while UCAR's lawsuit over the planned restructuring proceeds. NCAR posted its summer-2027 internships in November 2026.

When Do NCAR Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

NCAR runs one summer intake, and its window has held steady for two cycles. For summer 2026, SIParCS applications opened on November 17, 2025 and closed on January 20, 2026 at 5 p.m. Mountain Time, per a UCAR community post. For summer 2027, the five requisitions went up between November 2 and November 9, 2026, about 6.5 months before the May 17, 2027 start. The CISL eligibility page lists January 20, 2027 as the SIParCS deadline, but the requisitions say January 19, so plan for January 19. Applications for summer 2028 are expected to open around November 2027 and close in mid to late January 2028, projected from these two cycles.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

This is a hard-deadline program, not a rolling one. Every requisition carries a fixed closing date and time (11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on January 4 or January 19, 2027), and nothing on UCAR's pages suggests late applications are taken. The real risk is the package, not the date. NESSI asks for a two-page cover letter answering five set prompts, a resume, a transcript and a reference questionnaire, each as a separate PDF, and its posting says any missing document or answer will result in a disqualification. SIParCS wants one combined PDF with a two-page statement answering seven questions. Start now, and submit NESSI first because it closes two weeks before the rest.

Which NCAR Internship Programs Should You Target?

Each program has its own requisition, eligibility and pay. Pick by your class year and work authorization first, then by topic.

The NSF Unidata summer internship, a UCAR software program, hasn't posted for 2027; its page still shows the 2026 internship. Browse every program on the NCAR internships page and the SIParCS projects page.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

These come from UCAR's own summer 2027 requisitions and program pages. The rules differ by program, so check the one you're applying to.

• Class year: NESSI takes undergraduates who are sophomores or above. SOARS needs at least one year of college done and at least one semester left after the summer; community college students are welcome and bachelor's degree holders aren't eligible. SIParCS graduate needs a bachelor's degree, or graduation in May 2027 and graduate school that fall.

• SIParCS undergraduate: the requisition says you must have completed your freshman year, while the program text says sophomore year. Confirm with the SIParCS team before you rely on freshman eligibility.

• School calendar: NESSI isn't open to students at quarter-system schools.

• GPA: NESSI asks for 3.0 or higher. SOARS asks for 2.0 or higher and an explanation if you're under 3.0.

• Work authorization: NESSI, SIParCS and CODE take students at US colleges who are authorized to work in the US; F-1 students need CPT or OPT. SOARS is limited to US citizens, permanent residents and protected individuals. UCAR doesn't sponsor visas.

• Screening: all work is performed in the US, roles must comply with US export control rules, and selected candidates go through background checks or federal screenings.

Is the GPA a Hard Cutoff?

For NESSI the posting lists 3.0 as a requirement, and its odd wording ("3.0 or higher (on a 5.0 scale)") is quoted as posted, so treat 3.0 as the floor. SOARS is the one program that addresses a lower GPA directly: the floor is 2.0, and applicants under 3.0 are asked to explain. The SIParCS and CODE postings we read lean on the personal statement and coursework rather than a GPA figure.

What Skills Does NCAR Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

We read all five live summer 2027 requisitions in full. The same lines repeat across them. Four ask for the "ability and willingness to learn and use scientific computing tools and programs," and three for the "ability to analyze data and draw conclusions." Every one asks for collaboration with mentors and peers, and four ask for good oral and written communication and problem solving. SIParCS adds basic coursework in math, computer science or engineering; NESSI wants Earth system science coursework and some basic research and programming experience.

How Is Demand for Research Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each skill below comes from the summer 2027 requisitions and maps to a remote Externship you can finish while NCAR decides.

No Externship replaces atmospheric science coursework. These build the data, tooling and presentation side that every NCAR posting asks for.

What Is the NCAR Application and Interview Process Like?

Each program runs its own application on UCAR's Workday board. Here's what the summer 2027 postings ask for.

1. Pick your programs. Each has its own requisition. For SIParCS you can apply to at most two projects.

2. NESSI package. A cover letter of up to two pages answering five set prompts, a resume, an unofficial transcript and a questionnaire with reference contacts, each as a separate PDF named as instructed.

3. SIParCS and CODE package. One combined PDF in this order: a two-page personal statement answering seven questions, your CV or resume, and unofficial transcripts. No reference letters.

4. SOARS package. Three essays on Research, Mentoring and Community (up to 3,000 characters each), unofficial transcripts and contact details for two recommenders, one of them faculty.

5. Selection. SIParCS selection starts in early February, with interviews in mid to late February and offers from late February to mid-March, per CISL's tentative schedule. SOARS sends a status update by March 15, 2027. Selected candidates go through background checks or federal screenings.

UCAR publishes guidelines on AI tools in application materials: AI is allowed, but it encourages work that's primarily your own.

What Students on Reddit Say

Reddit discussion of NCAR internships is thin. The two threads with first-hand detail are about SOARS decision timing, lightly paraphrased below.

How Do You Stand Out for an NCAR Internship?

First, apply to the program that fits you. A quarter-system student can't do NESSI, an international student can't do SOARS, and a graduate student belongs in SIParCS graduate or CODE, so a well-matched application beats a scattered one. Second, treat the written answers as the interview. CISL says the seven SIParCS personal statement questions carry considerable weight, and SOARS is built on three pillars, Research, Mentoring and Community, which its essays mirror. Third, show you can learn computing tools and work with data, the two skills that repeat across the postings. NCAR doesn't publish class sizes or a conversion rate; SOARS protégés can return for up to four summers.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

If you're targeting science and research labs, these employers also run paid summer internships:

For more federal and lab options, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 NCAR internship?

No. The summer 2026 programs have ended, and their applications closed in January 2026; SIParCS, for example, closed January 20, 2026. The open cycle is summer 2027. NESSI takes applications until January 4, 2027, and SIParCS, CODE and NSF SOARS until January 19, 2027, all on UCAR's Workday board.

Is NCAR hiring summer 2027 interns now?

Yes. UCAR posted five summer 2027 intern requisitions between November 2 and November 9, 2026: NESSI, SIParCS undergraduate, SIParCS graduate, CODE and NSF SOARS. NESSI closes January 4, 2027 and the rest January 19, 2027. SUPER hasn't posted yet, and the NSF Unidata internship hasn't posted for 2027 either.

Are NCAR internships paid?

Yes. The 2027 rates are $23.41 an hour for undergraduates and $28.32 for SIParCS graduate students and the CODE intern. SOARS pays a $23.41 hourly stipend, up to $936.40 a week. The main programs also cover travel to Boulder and summer housing, and SUPER pays an hourly wage it doesn't publish.

Can international students apply for NCAR internships?

Some programs, yes. NESSI, SIParCS and CODE take students at US colleges who are authorized to work in the US, and F-1 students need CPT or OPT. NSF SOARS is limited to US citizens, permanent residents and protected individuals. UCAR doesn't sponsor visas, and all work is done in the US.

Can freshmen apply for an NCAR internship?

Mostly no. NESSI requires sophomore standing or above, and SOARS requires at least one year of college completed. For SIParCS undergraduate, the requisition says completed freshman year while the program text says sophomore year, so confirm with the SIParCS team before applying as a freshman. Freshmen can build data skills now instead.

Is the NCAR internship remote?

No. The postings place every intern on site in Boulder, Colorado, 40 hours a week for 11 weeks, from May 17 to July 30, 2027. NESSI interns attend on site daily. Interns live together in university apartments, and the summer ends with talks and posters at the Summer Student Conference on July 27 to 29.

Is NCAR closing?

No. In December 2025 the federal government announced plans to restructure NCAR. In June 2026 a federal court issued a preliminary injunction that keeps the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center under UCAR management while UCAR's lawsuit over the planned restructuring proceeds. NCAR posted its summer-2027 internships in November 2026, and they're open now.

When does the SUPER engineering internship open for 2027?

It isn't posted yet. NCAR's Earth Observing Laboratory says SUPER positions are posted in mid to late November each year and are typically open through mid-January, so expect the summer 2027 call within weeks. SUPER is for undergraduates at US colleges, and some projects require US citizenship or permanent residence.

Submit NESSI before January 4 and the other NCAR programs before January 19, 2027. While you wait on decisions, a remote Externship gives you a finished data project to show.