STEM Initiatives & Workforce Development
URA Visiting Scholars
The Visiting Scholars Program supports faculty and students from URA member institutions to work at Fermilab for up to one year. Scholars visit to conduct research, attend conferences, and participate in summer programs at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. VSP is supported by contributions from over 93 URA-member universities located in the United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
URA-Sandia Summer Graduate Fellowship
Summer Fellows will work in close collaboration with Sandia’s scientists and engineers to engage in challenging R&D projects. Sandia’s mission is “To render exceptional service in the national interest” as one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Laboratories. As a DOE National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory, Sandia has a core mission in national security that is synergistically served by STEM.
SPARC: Science Policy & Advocacy for Research Competition
Graduate students and postdoctoral associates participating in research collaborations with Fermilab develop skills in science communication, advocacy, and legislative research to spark their portfolios in science policy and engagement for the benefit of society. The 10-week virtual program culminates in active science advocacy and a competition. SPARC Champions engage in a science policy summit, meeting with congresspersons and other federal policymakers in Washington, D.C.
URA STEM Ambassadors
STEM Ambassadors belong to a network of graduate and undergraduate students at member universities. Ambassadors play a key role in promoting research opportunities, events, and programs while benefiting from research and professional development seminars and exposure to a variety of STEM careers. By connecting ambassadors across institutions, the program fosters a vibrant, multi-campus community focused on leadership, collaboration, and expanding access to research and career pathways in STEM.
URA-Fermilab STEM Internships
URA–Fermilab Undergraduate Research Summer Internship(FURSI) is designed for undergraduate students interested in physics (primarily) and related STEM fields critical to the mission of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). The program supports undergraduate students to conduct hands-on research at the intersection of fundamental particle physics and emerging technologies, with professional development in project management, leadership, science policy, and communication. Interns are integral members of research teams.
