​​​​Undergraduate Student Research Opportunities

​Below are a few STEM Research & Enrichment Programs that SCC is currently promoting:

Cal State Fullerton's Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) 

• An 8-week, full time, summer research experience working with CSUF faculty and graduate students in CSUF labs and out in the field. 
• PAID Experience - each student receives a $5,000 stipend for their efforts and participation.
• Research projects in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Geology, Mathematics and Physics.
• At the end of the 8-week program, each student will participate in a Research Symposium, sharing your research project and findings with the community.
• Application Period:  Typically November - March each academic year.
• For more information on this opportunity, visit CSUF's Project RAISE URE website by clicking hereLinks to an external site..
  
  

Chapman University's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Earth & Environmental Sciences (SURFEES)

• An 8-week, full time, summer research experience working with Chapman University faculty and graduate students in the Schmid College of Science and Technology labs and out in the field. 
• PAID Experience - each student receives a $4,800 fellowship award for their efforts and participation.  Participants also have the option to live on the Chapman Campus in student dorms for the duration of the program.
• Research projects focused on Biology, Chemistry, Food Science and Geoscience. 
• At the end of the 8-week program, each student will participate in a Research Symposium, sharing your research project and findings with the community.
• Application period:  Typically January - March each academic year.
• For more information, visit the Chapman University SURFEES website by clicking hereLinks to an external site.. 

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UC Irvine's Skills Training in Advanced Research & Technology (START) Summer Program 

• An 8-week summer research and internship opportunity through UCI's Center for Advanced Design and Manufacturing of Integrated Microfluidics (CADMIM), and sponsored by the National Science Foundation. 
• PAID experience - each student selected will earn a $4,400 stipend for participating. 
• Focus on Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology. 
• Application info:  Students are pre-screened by SCC Science faculty prior to going through the application process with UCI.
  

Other Undergraduate Research Opportunities

There are also many undergraduate research opportunities out there open to all students (aka - not directly affiliated with SCC).  So surf the web and see what's out there!

We are always actively looking to expand our undergraduate research partnerships with local universities.  So be sure to join STEM Academy so you receive the latest information on partnerships and opportunities. ​

Students at SCC may be interested in participating in one of the several STEM-related Research and Enrichment Programs at local universities, as well as public and private industry partners, including:               

• UC Undergraduate Research Opportunities - click here​.
  
• CSU Undergraduate Research Opportunities - click here.
  
• NASA Internships:  A list of several NASA internship sites across the country - click here.
• NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL):  Summer research, enrichment, and internship programs at JPL, located in Pasadena, CA - click here.
  
• U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Science:  Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internships - click here.  
• Various research opportunities provided by the National Science Foundation - click here.
• Association of American Medical Colleges  Summer Enrichment Program database - click here​.
  

Internship & Enrichment Programs supported by SCC's STEM Academy

NASA JPL Student Independent Research Internship (SIRI)

• Students paired with JPL research scientists for project-based learning experiences.
• Competitive recruitment each year for Fall and Spring internship placements.
• Open to participants who have not completed a STEM degree. 
  
• Students will receive independent study credit for this experience from SCC.
• Minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA. The cumulative GPA must originate from the institution where the student has a current active status.
• Open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs).
• Students must be over the age of 18 and have graduated from high school. (Students who are dual enrolled at a high school and community college are not eligible.)
• Students must be available 15 hours per week during the internship period (approximately 15 weeks).
• For more information and to visit the NASA JPL SIRI program website, click here. (Links to an external site.). 

NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) 

A multi-dimensional NASA program aimed at engaging community college students pursuing STEM majors/degrees in both online and hands-on enrichment opportunities related to Aerospace.  

Students who are chosen for this competitive enrichment experience may have the ability to participate in three separate "missions" associated with the program. 

Mission 1: Discover leads students through a 5-week self-paced set of online modules that provide the participant with guidance and support from trained professional educators, attend subject matter expert lectures, and engage with interactive online NASA media content, quizzes and a final exam.

Those who successfully complete the first Mission *may* be chosen for Mission 2: Engage - and invited to participate in a hands-on engineering design competition, interact with likeminded students in a team environment, and develop powerful connections with NASA's mission and network of professionals.  Mission 2 has a virtual option (online program with tasks such as developing a hypothetical mission to the Moon), an on-campus option where students visit a NASA partner campus for hands-on training with a robotics engineer, and/or a NASA Career simulation in which students work in teams with NASA professionals to fully develop a mock mission to the Moon. 

Finally, those who complete Mission 2 *may* be chosen for Mission 3: Explore - and be invited to one of the several official NASA sites across the country to help contribute ideas and solutions to current challenges, gaining job shadowing with NASA professionals and explore to university campuses. 

Check out this information video developed by NCAS:

For more information and to apply for NCAS, visit the NCAS website by clicking here.

​Other NASA-related programs: 

• ​​NASA L'SPACE Program - a free, online, interactive program open to undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career with NASA or other space organizations. 
  
  
• NASA JPL Summer Internship Program - offers 10-week, full-time, summer internship opportunities at JPL to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

OC Biotech Educational Consortium - Biotechnology Internships through SCC Biotech!

​Active students in SCC's Biotechnology program have the opportunity to secure placement at one of Orange County's leading Biotechnology companies for unpaid internships.  Students who have completed a majority of SCC's Biotechnology classes have the ability, on a case by case basis and dependent on current opportunities, to be selected for hands-on internships within the OC Biotech industry collective.  

For more information on SCC's Biotechnology program, click here.

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STEM Scholarship Opportunities at SCC! 

Students in SCC's STEM Academy have access to special Scholarship opportunities every year while attending SCC! 

Here are just a few Scholarship Opportunities that SCC has offered our STEM students in the past: 

Southern CA Edison STEM Scholarship - Approximately $20,000 in scholarship awards annually* to STEM students through a generous donation/grant support from Southern CA Edison and Edison International (*= pending grant availability each year).
• Barbara Hovanitz Memorial Scholarship
• Biology Department Scholarship
• E.W.O. Family STEM Scholarship
• George James & Sofia Voulimeneas Memorial Scholarship  
• Irving A. Wilde Memorial Scholarship
• Math Department STEM Scholarship
• and more! 
  

STEM Scholarship opportunities such as these are offered through SCC's main Scholarship Application each January - so be sure to apply when the SCC Scholarship Application opens each year!  Click here to visit SCC's Scholarship website for more scholarship resources.

FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid

SCC has a dedicated Financial Aid office in room E-104, with staff who are committed to promoting student financial access.  Federal and State grants, work-study programs, and student loans options make funding your STEM education a reality.  For more information, visit the SCC Financial Aid website by clicking here.​

Check back Soon - we will be adding additional information on STEM-related opportunities as they become available!​