Updates to 2026 Internship Program

We aim to announce research projects and open the application in early January, 2026. The number of available internships will depend on funding availability. Please check back in late 2025 or early 2026 for more information.

Last updated: September 15, 2026

Nine Week Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

Summer research opportunities are available for undergraduate interns through the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES). Interns are matched with a research project within one of our nine research themes and work with a CICOES, NOAA, or University of Washington scientist at the UW campus, NOAA facilities in Seattle, or in the field. Students receive a stipend of $650 per week ($5,850 for the summer). CICOES also covers the cost of travel and provides on-campus housing, a bus pass for local transportation, and funds for on-campus dining halls.

The Intern Program in a Nutshell

As a CICOES REU student, you will work closely with a mentor, often within the context of a research team, to conduct a research project related to your interests. Depending on the project, the summer may involve hands-on experience with computational techniques, field work, lab work, or all of the above. (View the list of projects.)

At the end of the summer, interns create a research poster showing the results of their work under the direction of their mentors. They also create a two-minute video to introduce themselves and provide an overview of their research and overall experience. Each intern presents their poster and video in the final week of the program during a symposium that is open to the CICOES community as well as interns’ family and friends.

Students also participate in weekly seminars, a group outreach event for elementary students, and social activities including a trip to Mount Rainier National Park.

CICOES has existed since 1977 (formerly known as JISAO) for the purpose of fostering research collaboration between UW and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Our research is at the forefront of investigations on climate change, ocean acidification, fisheries assessments, and tsunami forecasting. The impact of our environmental research is felt by communities all over the world, and a broad variety of perspectives and life experiences is essential to the success of this research. We encourage students from all backgrounds to apply.

Application

The application will open in January, 2026. Prior to applying, please review this summer’s projects and identify the five that interest you most. To apply, complete NSF’s online registration form and be prepared to attach an unofficial transcript, resume or CV, and two letters of recommendation from a professor, instructor, or employer. You will also be asked to answer two essay questions related to your research interests and your educational and career aspirations.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident;
• Be at least 18 years old;
• Be a college sophomore, junior, or senior* at the time of application (current and incoming freshmen are not eligible);
• *College seniors must be returning to an undergraduate program in the fall (students graduating in spring or summer are not eligible).

Note: Due to the large number of applications for a limited number of spots, priority will be given to students who have limited access to research opportunities.

“This program gave me the chance to explore atmospheric chemistry in a way I couldn’t in the Midwest. Not only did I meet amazing people, but the experience I gained, in and out of the lab, will be extremely valuable in the future.” Claire Buysse, 2015

Important Dates

Early January – Application available on NSF ETAP.
Mid-January – Application deadline.
Mid-March – Target date for notification of acceptance.
Late June – University of Washington campus apartments open.
Late June – Program begins with orientation.
Late August – Final presentations.
Late August – Last day to be in the apartments. Depart for home.

Questions?

Contact Joe Selmont at jselmont@uw.edu.

Seattle Met Magazine

Now known as CICOES, JISAO’s internship program is featured in the Best Places to Work issue of Seattle Met magazine (January 2013) as one of “Seattle’s coolest internships.”

Excerpt from the magazine:

On a Whale’s Tail: Orca Research

University of Miami undergrad Rachel Pausch spent two months of her 2011 summer with a dog that had a nose for whale poop. They cruised around Puget Sound looking for orca pods while she was a research intern for the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean; the UW-based group studies endangered whales around the San Juan Islands. The team’s black Labrador retriever would bark when it caught a whiff of orca poo, and the boat would move close enough to collect whale feces samples to analyze for stress-hormone levels. “Seeing whales every day was amazing,” Pausch says. “Every time I saw their dorsal fins rise to the surface it was like seeing them for the first time.” The internship was paid, but the biggest draw for her was working alongside a wide spectrum of research scientists—and getting up close to sea life. The rewards for Tucker the black lab were simpler: a ball on a rope and a profile in The New York Times. —Dameon Matule

Winds of Change Magazine

CICOES internship program and former intern Delilah Dougi featured in spring 2016 issue of Winds of Change magazine.

Funding provided in part by NSF REU Award number 2243880. Abstract