NASA Data Science Analysis and Scholarly Research Paper Writing Internship

The NASA Data Science Analysis and Scholarly Research Paper Writing Internship is a three-month research program run by George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government and Department of Physics and Astronomy in Fairfax, Virginia, for high school students. Students analyze a subset of more than 6,000 TESS exoplanet candidates to judge whether they are real planets or false positives, with optional James Webb Space Telescope data, using Python, Jupyter notebooks, GitHub and AstroImageJ. They write a scholarly research paper and may present it at a conference. The 2026 program ran June 13 to August 29, with live Zoom sessions on Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m. Eastern plus recorded lectures, optional telescope observing sessions and an optional site visit. It is hybrid and mainly virtual. The program charges a fee, and need-based scholarships are available. Students earn a certificate of completion.

The program is for high school students in grades 9 through 12. Applicants request the application and fee information by email and submit a single file with their résumé, research experience, awards and application. Faculty match students to projects by interests and skills. Seats are first-come, first-served, and the cohort is capped at 50 students. International students may apply, but the program cannot sponsor visas.