DATES:

The 10-week summer program typically starts at the end of May and continues through mid-August (The 2008 program will run from May 27-August 8).

STIPEND:

Protégés work 40 hours a week and earn a competitive wage, which increases with each year of participation.

HOUSING:

Furnished apartments are provided at no cost to protégés.

TRANSPORTATION:

Round-trip airfare is provided to summer working locations from anywhere within the United States and Puerto Rico. Protégés receive a regional bus pass that meets local transportation needs.

RESEARCH & WRITING:

- Protégés spend their initial summer at NCAR or UOP in Boulder, Colorado, while subsequent summers may be spent at NCAR, UOP, or one of several DOE, NASA, or NOAA national laboratories;

- Protégés participate in ongoing research projects that may result in publishable papers and/or conference presentations;

- Protégés participate in an eight-week scientific writing and communication workshop;

- Protégés participate in seminars with peers and scientists; benefit from long-term mentoring from respected scientists & professionals;

- Protégés learn about education and career opportunities, and are encouraged to apply to graduate programs.

CONFERENCES & FUNDING:

Protégés are funded to attend national scientific conferences to present their research. Successful protégés are also eligible to receive funding for undergraduate and graduate education.

Enhancing the scientific community

SOARS, Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science, is an undergraduate-to-graduate bridge program designed to broaden participation in the atmospheric and related sciences. The program is equal parts research internship, learning community, and mentoring program. SOARS offers comprehensive financial support for summer research and graduate school for up to four years.

Atmospheric Science includes research ranging from processes that are as small as how individual water molecules condense on to dust and pollutants suspended in the air to examining how solar flares 2 1/2 times larger than the earth itself influence the upper atmosphere of the entire planet. Some of the exciting areas of research in our science include understanding a rapidly changing climate and the impact on the Earth system, including humans; severe weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes and floods; and the changing chemical composition of the atmosphere.

SOARS invites students from many disciplines, including meteorology, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, ecology, and the social sciences, to apply their expertise to understanding the Earth's atmosphere. In particular, SOARS seeks to involve more students from groups that are historically under-represented in the sciences, including Black or African-American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, female, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities. SOARS welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.

> download a pdf Overview about SOARS

What to expect as a protégé

As a protégé, you will be invited to Boulder to work with a team of scientists and mentors on a project matched to your interests and skills. You will perform original research, prepare a scientific paper, and present your research at a colloquium. You will be supported by up to 4 mentors, including a research mentor, writing mentor, community mentor, and a peer mentor (a protégé who has participated in the program in previous years). Finally, you will be part of a diverse community of peers working together to become the next generation of scientific leaders.

As a protégé, you are eligible to participate in the program for up to four summers.