Organization: U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
Reference Code: DOI-USGS-2026-31
How to Apply
To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.
A complete application consists of:
- An application
- Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
- A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
- Two educational or professional recommendations.
All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.
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Description
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
USGS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) located in Tacoma, Washington.
The USGS mission is to monitor, analyze, and predict current and evolving dynamics of complex human and natural Earth-system interactions and to deliver actionable intelligence at scales and timeframes relevant to decision makers. As the Nation’s largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, USGS collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides science about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems.
Research Project: Headwater streams account for the majority of the stream channel network and are a predominant source of streamflow, nutrients, and materials to downstream waters. Yet accurate estimates of streamflow in this upstream region of the network remain limited for a variety of reasons including sparse and limited streamflow observations and limitations in coarse covariate datasets as predictors of continuous streamflow. USGS is well positioned to meaningfully advance estimation of headwater streamflow by making use of existing internal and external data, hydrographic frameworks, and modeling approaches. As a first step, this project will assemble streamflow measurements that are not currently published online in the USGS National Water Dashboard (approximately 70 datasets across CONUS) that have been identified in Sando et al. (2026). These streamflow data include both continuous and discrete data measurements from diverse sources including states, universities and community science records.
You will gain experience and collaborate on the compilation of the streamflow datasets into a standardized format and georeferenced to flowlines in the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). Project activities include training on the following:
- Developing reproducible code in R or python to download and process streamflow datasets from url.
- Developing a unified streamflow database that allows for querying and filtering.
- Developing a workflow for accurate georeferencing of streamflow observation locations to the NHD flowline network.
Learning Objectives: The objective of this internship is to provide you with experience in organizing large datasets of timeseries and spatial data (vector and gridded) through reproducible code writing and workflow development. You will also have the opportunity to learn directly from USGS scientists at other Centers who are on the Water Mission Area on this project.
Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Kristin Jaeger (kjaeger@usgs.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 15, 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for 10 weeks, but may be renewed upon recommendation of DOI and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.
Participant Stipend: Stipend rates may vary based on numerous factors, including opportunity, location, education, and experience. If you are interviewed, you can inquire about the exact stipend rate at that time and if selected, your appointment offer will include the monthly stipend rate.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and USGS. Participants do not become employees of USGS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Questions: If you have questions about the application process please email USGS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past four years, or anticipated to be received by 6/1/2029.
Point of Contact: Rachel
Eligibility Requirements
- Degree: Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree received within the last 48 months or anticipated to be received by 6/1/2029 12:00:00 AM.
- Discipline(s):
- Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
- Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
- Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
- Earth and Geosciences (21 )
- Engineering (29 )
- Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
- Life Health and Medical Sciences (51 )
- Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
- Physics (16 )
- Science & Engineering-related (2 )
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (29 )
