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SOARS - Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science


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Academic Level:
For most summer research programs, this is your upcoming status as of the fall. Always check with the individual program's website for details.

Undergraduates - First Year
Undergraduates - Sophomore
Undergraduates - Junior

Note: this opportunity encourages applications from community college students.

Description:
NSF Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (NSF SOARS) is an undergraduate-to-graduate bridge and career pathways program designed to promote and support research, mentoring, and community in the atmospheric and Earth system sciences.

The NSF SOARS program is built on the three pillars of Research, Mentoring, and Community. NSF SOARS Proteges can participate for up to four summers conducting research in atmospheric and Earth system sciences (ESS). NSF SOARS offers comprehensive financial support for summer research, and conference travel. Over 90% of NSF SOARS Proteges advance to graduate school, and many have entered the workforce with a Master's degree, and/or continued on to receive a PhD.

Research in the atmospheric sciences ranges from processes, such as how individual water molecules condense on dust or how pollutants are suspended in the air, to examining how solar flares influence Earth's upper atmosphere. Some of the exciting areas of research in Earth system science include understanding a rapidly changing environments and its impact on the Earth and its inhabitants, severe weather events like deep hail, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, and the changing chemical composition of the atmosphere.

NSF SOARS invites students from multiple STEM disciplines -- including chemistry, ecology, engineering, geography, mathematics, meteorology, physics, and the social sciences -- to deepen their expertise in understanding the Earth's Atmosphere. The NSF SOARS program offers support for all students to achieve success in higher education and in the ESS workforce, with the goal of this workforce actively contributing to finding solutions to our most pressing scientific and societal challenges and supporting economic growth in this country.
Recently updated.

 • Note: Funding pending
Participating Institution(s):
(Click an institution to see all programs it hosts or sponsors)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) (Lead)

Program Materials:
 • Program Website 

This Program can be Described by:
Academic Disciplines:
Applied Mathematics
Atmospheric Sciences
Chemistry
Computer Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Geography
Marine Sciences & Oceanography
Physics
Statistics
STEM Fields

Keywords:
Atmospheric Dynamics
Earth System Science
Meteorology
Ocean Dynamics
Polar Science
Remote Sensing
Scientific Computing
Space Weather
Tropical Meteorology
Weather Extremes

Learn More and Apply!

This program is funded by:
National Science Foundation (NSF)


Page last updated 6/26/2025
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