LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science 2027 — Paid 10-Week Research in Houston

The Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas offers undergraduate students a paid ten-week summer internship doing real planetary science research through the LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science. Interns receive a stipend, work alongside leading scientists at the institute or at NASA Johnson Space Center, and join lectures and career workshops while their research is under way.

The program has run for five decades, and many of today’s planetary scientists started here. International students may apply — but a nationality restriction explained below can disqualify some applicants.

What Ten Weeks of Research Actually Looks Like

Each intern works on a meaningful research project with a planetary scientist as mentor, using real lab equipment and data. Alongside the lab work, lectures and career workshops teach you how professional scientists think, write and present their work.

The summer closes with the LPI Summer Intern Conference, where every intern presents completed research — often a first professional-level presentation and a chance to build contacts among working scientists.

The Nationality Rule That Can Disqualify You

Read this before you spend a single hour on your application. The program accepts United States citizens and foreign nationals, but not citizens of countries on the U.S. Department of State Designated Countries List. This is a security rule tied to work at NASA facilities.

If you are a citizen of one of those countries — including dual citizens — do not apply; you will not be eligible. Naturalized citizens can apply but must state when and where they were naturalized; permanent residents must declare their status to avoid vetting delays. Check the official list before you write anything.

Check If You Qualify

You are a strong fit if you:

• Are an undergraduate who has completed at least 50 semester hours of credit, roughly two full years of study.
• Are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in the semester before the summer program starts.
• Can demonstrate English reading, writing and speaking skills, since all application materials must be in English.
• Can attend the full ten weeks in person in Houston, including the first-day orientation.
• Are a U.S. citizen or a foreign national from a country not on NASA’s Designated Countries List.

Students majoring in the physical or natural sciences, engineering, computer science or mathematics are preferred, but the official page says all eligible students will be considered.

You should NOT apply if you are a citizen of a designated country, have already taken part in this program (participation is allowed only once), finished your degree long ago and are no longer enrolled, or cannot be in Houston for the entire ten weeks.

Key Details at a Glance

Program	LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science
Organizer	Lunar and Planetary Institute (USRA), Houston, Texas
Work location	Lunar and Planetary Institute or NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
Duration	10 consecutive weeks, June 7 to August 13
Pay	Stipend (amount not stated on the official page)
Housing	Interns are housed at University Forest Apartments near the research facility
Deadline	December 14
Selection results	March

What the Selection Committee Actually Wants

Selections rest on your academic record, your scientific interests, and the needs of the available projects. The official criteria: scholarship, curriculum and experience; career objectives and scientific interest; and how well your interests match a project.

The last point matters most. Scientists choose interns whose interests fit their projects, so show what specifically fascinates you — planetary geology, meteorite analysis, mission data — and how it connects to your coursework. Vague statements about loving space will not carry you.

If you are weighing several international options before you commit your time, the IMF Fund Internship Program 2027 and the WIPO Internship Programme in Geneva are other paid opportunities worth comparing.

How to apply for the LPI Summer Intern Program in Planetary Science

1. Read the full program details and confirm your eligibility on the official site, including the Designated Countries List.
2. Complete the online application in English. You may submit it before your recommendations arrive — but everything must be in by December 14.
3. Enter your recommenders’ email addresses so the system sends them the recommendation link. Two to three letters are required, all submitted online.
4. Arrange for your official transcript to be sent directly from your institution, translated into English if needed.
5. Confirm that all materials, including recommendations, are uploaded before the December 14 deadline.

Ask faculty from your current institution first, since those letters are preferred. Do not ask LPI staff or current NASA mentors, and do not contact potential mentors before applying.

If you are selected in March, you must accept the offer within two days or it will be rescinded — watch your email closely.

Questions Applicants Ask