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Middle School Science Teachers (NIST Summer Institute)

Teachers at a seminar wear safety glasses and look into glass flasks while sitting at a table of experiment supplies.
NIST Summer Institute teachers make “elephant toothpaste” during an experiment they can use to teach their students about chemical reactions. In this experiment, hydrogen peroxide serves as the oxidizing agent and decomposes into water and oxygen.
Credit: B. Hayes/NIST

The NIST Summer Institute is a two-week workshop for middle school science teachers. As a participant, you’ll gain new knowledge of science, a network of NIST researchers to consult with, and materials you can implement in your curriculum. 

We offer an in-person option in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

Application Open:

Application 

Deadline to apply - March 31, 2024

NIST Summer Institute includes:  

  • Hands-on activities
  • Lectures 
  • Tours
  • Visits with NIST scientists and engineers in the lab

Eligibility 

To participate in this program, you must be: 

  • A middle school science (earth science, physical science, chemistry, physics, and/or biology) teacher in a public school or accredited private school in the U.S. or its territories 
  • A U.S. citizen 
  • Available for two full weeks (10 workdays, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time, July 8-19, 2024). 
  • Planning to continue teaching middle school science next school year 
  • Able to be paid through direct deposit 

What You’ll Get 

  • The opportunity to engage with our scientists 
  • Increased knowledge about the latest scientific findings
  • Tips on building pre-teen excitement for math and science 
  • A $2,500 stipend and a $2,500 travel and housing allowance (in-person participants only)

Learn more about how we developed this program.  

Application Process

The program will run from July 8-19, 2024.

The deadline to apply for summer 2024 is March 31, 2024. 

  1. Complete your application on USAJobs and respond to all questions. 
  2. Upload your resume in USAJobs and a reference letter written on school letterhead, signed by your principal, that states: 
  • That you are a middle school science teacher at that school
  • That you are scheduled to teach middle school next school year 

Stories from our Participants 

Questions

summerin [at] nist.gov (summerin[at]nist[dot]gov) 

Contacts

Created November 29, 2010, Updated January 17, 2024