University Research Internships - HSGC

The Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium expands educational opportunities for University of Hawai‘i System undergraduates by awarding University Research Internships, HSGC URI, (formerly known as Fellowship and Traineeship Program) in fields that are relevant to NASA's goals. Two levels of support, research or trainee, are offered depending on the skill, knowledge level, and time commitment of the student. We support the national Space Grant agenda to help prepare the future generation of space scientists and engineers, and to increase the understanding and development of space. U.S. citizenship is required for consideration.

Fields relevant to NASA's goals are defined in its current Strategic Plan. These fields are mainly those in science, technology, and education that are focused on understanding the Earth, exploring the Solar System and the universe beyond, creating more secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly air transportation systems, inspiring students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and engaging the public in shaping and sharing the experience of exploration and discovery.

HSGC University Research Internship students work under the guidance of mentors who are usually faculty members. Women, under-represented minorities (specifically Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics), and physically challenged students who have interest in space-related fields are particularly encouraged to apply.

All full-time undergraduates enrolled at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Hilo, Maui College, one of the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges, and University of Guam who have declared a major are eligible to apply for HSGC URI Research Internships. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must be sponsored by a mentor who is willing to guide the student for the duration of the award. Most mentors are faculty at the University but senior researchers or other qualified personnel at UH or elsewhere are eligible. HSGC URI Research Internship students are expected to work between 10 and 15 hours a week during the semester depending on their project. Financial support includes a one-semester stipend of $4000, renewable for a second semester for a total of $8000 per academic year. A travel and supply budget of $500 per semester will be available for each student.

All full-time undergraduates enrolled at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Hilo, Maui College, one of the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges, and University of Guam are eligible to apply for HSGC URI Trainee Internships. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must be sponsored by a mentor who is willing to guide the student for the duration of the award. HSGC URI Trainee Internship students are expected to work between 5 and 10 hours a week during the semester depending on their project. Financial support includes a one-semester stipend of $1500, renewable for a second semester for a total of $3000 per academic year. Or a one-semester Trainee Internship at $1500 can be extended into a second semester Research Internship at $4000 for a total award of $5500 per academic year. A travel and supply budget of $250 per semester is available for Trainee Internships and $500 per semester is available for Research Internships.

Project Title: “Cooperative Lunar Surface Exploration Using Transfer Learning with Multi-Agent Transfer Learning using Visual Teach and Repeat”

Mentor: Dr. Frances Zhu, Assistant Researcher, HIGP – UH Mānoa

Ashten Akemoto, a junior in Computer Engineering, is continuing the development of the Robotic Operating System (ROS) middleware to advance machine learning in future lunar module exploration systems. Software like Gazebo and Open Dynamics Engine (ODE) assist in the simulation and complex calculations necessary for simulating a lunar world environment.

Members:

Sapphira Akins, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Christopher Freitas, Senior, Mechanical Engineering

Howin Ma, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Matthew Paulino, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

John Taylor, Senior, Electrical Engineering

Mentor: Dr. Peter Englert, Professor, HIGP – UH Mānoa

The Cubesat Relativistic Electron and Proton Energy Separator mission, also known as CREPES, is a student-driven project derived from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Earth and Planetary Exploration Technology (EPET) course that aims to utilize a 1U CubeSat carrying a set of silicon and gas electron multiplier (GEM) detectors to collect Solar Energetic Particle data. With this Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) data, the team can locate flux and energy density of the solar ejecta to better understand solar modulation and its role in accelerating and transporting solar energetic particles.

Project Title: “Mechanical Design of a Space-based Spectrometer Instrument and Spacecraft to the Study the Sun’s Corona”

Mentor: Dr. Miguel Nunes, Specialist, HIGP – UH Mānoa

Matthew Madayag, a junior studying Mechanical Engineering with a focus in Aerospace, continues his research focus on the mechanical aspect of developing a space-based coronagraph. This collaboration between Institute for Astronomy (IFA) and Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) intends to analyze the radiation and solar winds produced in the ever changing plasma and ionized gas of the sun’s corona.

Project Title: “Observational Constraints on Stellar Population Synthesis and Supernovae Collapse Under Maximal Cosmological Coupling”

Mentor: Dr. Kevin Croker, Postdoc, Physics & Astronomy – UH Mānoa

Stephen Gulley, a senior in Astrophysics and Mathematics, utilizes modern Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) data for analysis of black hole mergers. Recent anomalies of black hole mergers being unexpectedly large warrant observations through simulations of binary star systems and black hole development.

Members:

– James Crawford, Junior, Earth Science

– Stephen Devis, Junior, Physics

–Matthew Leonard, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Mentor: Dr. Peter Englert, Professor, HIGP – UH Mānoa

The Variability in Atmosphere due to Solar Energetic Events (VIA-SEES) is a CubeSat mission that intends to act as a joint science and technology mission. The continuing project is student-led under the support of the Earth and Planetary Exploration Technologies (EPET) program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The VIA detector development activities include the development of a spectrometer testbed, generating spectral reference data, and preparing scientific data acquisition from Low Earth Orbit. Thus, the team is able to study Solar Energetic Electrons, Nitrous Oxide, and Ozone concentration concurrently and after a solar event in order to study the degradation effects on our atmosphere.

Jennifer Nakano

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Project Title: Implementation of Gaussian Processes for Robotic Exploration on Hawaii’s Planetary Surface Analogues

Mentor: Dr. Frances Zhu, Assistant Researcher, HIGP – UH Mānoa

Jennifer Nakano, a Junior in Computer Science, is continuing the development of a Gaussian Process Active Learning (GPAL) algorithm tested on a variety of planetary analogues and on local real-world, surface terrains. Implementing these algorithms continues the development of artificial intelligence (AI) navigation capabilities for robotics systems and preventing any unnecessary risk to human life on future space missions.

Project Title: “Mapping Star-Forming Regions and Their Physical Properties in Nearby Galaxies”

Mentor: Dr. Marianne Takamiya, Professor/Co-Chair, Physics & Astronomy, Natural and Health Sciences – UH Hilo

Edward Ward, a junior majoring in Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, aims to continue the research of star-forming regions and their physical properties. By analyzing spectral data of these star-forming regions, like star formation rate (SFR), magnitude of extinction, and chemical abundance, a more accurate groundwork can be laid to better examine the evolution of stars in the universe.

Project Title: “Searching for the most distant Planck-selected proto-cluster using Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam data”

Mentor: Dr. Yusei Koyama, Assistant Professor at Subaru Telescope

Koji Miyakawa, a sophomore majoring in Astronomy and Physics at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, utilizes the Hyper Surpime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) in order to identify proto-clusters of galaxies that are billions of years old. The goal of this research is to further advance NASAʻs strategic goal of understanding space between stars in the galaxy and universe beyond.

NASA funding of HSGC URI students requires U.S. citizenship. Applicants must complete a formal application, submit transcripts and a letter of support from the prospective mentor.

Use the application for your current campus you are enrolled at. The application forms, for HSGC URI Research or Trainee awards, are fillable PDFs to be completed digitally and printed. Signatures are required prior to submission.

Applications are also available from Space Grant offices at Mānoa (POST building room 501) or Hilo campuses, Maui College, and the Community College campuses. You may call the Mānoa office for more information at (808) 956-3138 or refer to the HSGC Personnel page, or email hsgc@spacegrant.hawaii.edu.

Undergraduate application deadlines: June 15 for fall semester and December 1 for spring semester.

Serving as a mentor for an undergraduate HSGC URI student is one of the most effective educational activities a researcher or faculty member can do. Mentoring a student in his or her research or trainee project can provide that extra spark that makes a dramatic difference in the life of a young person and in their approach to learning. The HSGC URI experience also enhances a student's education and shows how science and engineering are really done, much more than class and laboratory assignments can ever do.

To help prospective and existing mentors with this important job, the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium offers these guidelines:

If you have a large research group, feel free to share mentoring responsibilities with graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Much science is done by groups, so this adds to the research experience, as long as the undergraduate student has his or her own, identifiable project. It is also acceptable for a postdoc, research associate, or specialist to be a mentor. If a mentor has two or more HSGC URI students, be sure that each has an identifiable project, even if the projects are related. For example, one student could develop hardware, the other software on an engineering design project.