Applications for the EPP/MSI and Hollings undergraduate scholarships are now open

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October 3, 2022

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Applications for the EPP/MSI and Hollings undergraduate scholarships are now open! The opportunities, which are open to undergraduate sophomores or third year students in a five year program, include paid NOAA internships and academic scholarships. Applications for the 2023 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship and José E. Serrano Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) Undergraduate Scholarship are open through January 31, 2023.

Audrey and Gracia are underwater in full SCUBA gear. They pose for the camera and though their mouths are difficult to see around the scuba mouthpiece, their eyes are clearly smiling. Gracia holds a large, professional-looking underwater camera while Audrey has a smaller underwater camera. — Hollings scholar Audrey Sarin (left) and EPP/MSI scholar Gracia Rojas (right) used their diving expertise during their 2022 summer internship projects with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. (Image credit: Chad King)

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The scholarships at a glance

Hollings Scholarship

Up to $40,000, including:

$9,500 stipend per year for junior and senior year
A 10-week paid NOAA internship
Funds for travel and conference participation

Eligibility:

U.S. citizen
3.0 minimum GPA
Major in NOAA mission fields, including STEM and social science

EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship

Up to $45,000, including:

$9,500 stipend per year for junior and senior year
Two 10-week paid NOAA internships
Funds for travel and conference participation

Eligibility

Attend a minority-serving institution (MSI)
U.S. citizen or U.S. national
3.2 minimum GPA
Major in NOAA mission fields, including STEM and social science

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About the scholarships

These prestigious scholarships provide students with an academic award of $9,500 per year for two years of full-time study. The Hollings Scholarship provides a 10-week, full time, paid summer internship opportunity at any NOAA facility nationwide. The EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship offers two paid summer internships, one in a NOAA office in the Silver Spring, Maryland, metro area, and one at any NOAA facility nationwide. All scholars also receive funding to present their summer internship research at two national scientific conferences. Note that although the Office of Education expects that all summer 2023 internships will be conducted in person and onsite at a NOAA or NOAA partner facility, final determinations will be made by mentors at their respective locations and based on NOAA's COVID-19 Community Level Mitigation Measures. These measures will remain in effect until further notice and should be referenced when conducting the pre-internship site visit and the summer 2023 internship. Read about the past virtual summer internships here.

In April of 2022, the NOAA Office of Education selected 127 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholars and 12 EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholars, hailing from a total of 84 different campuses in 33 U.S. states and Washington D.C. Next year's class, the class of 2023, will be the 19th class of Hollings scholars and the 23rd class of EPP/MSI undergraduate scholars. Many scholarship alumni have gone on to work full-time at NOAA, while others have worked in areas of the government, in academia, or in the private sector.

Read about present and past scholar experiences

Alison sits at a lab bench, holding a scallop in one gloved hand and examining it with a pair of forceps in the other. A tray with weighing tins and a laptop with a data sheet open are on the lab bench.

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Hollings alumna Hillary Thalmann samples for larval Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska on the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson during her 2016 internship. Hillary poses on a ship with larval fish sampling nets and large water-quality samplers. She is wearing cold-weather field field gear and a safety helmet.

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Kate Bemis and Bruce Collette in 2016 after they submitted their book, which Kate worked on during her Hollings summer internship, for peer review.

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Savannah Miller, a 2018 NOAA Hollings scholar, takes in the scenery while kayaking in the Sitka Sound in Sitka, Alaska, during her summer internship.

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Eligibility

Both scholarships are available to undergraduate students studying engineering, meteorology, biological sciences, social sciences, physical science, and other NOAA mission-relevant disciplines. Students who are currently enrolled or accepted as a full-time 2nd year student in a four-year academic program or as a full-time 3rd year student in a five-year undergraduate program at an accredited college or university within the United States or U.S. territories can apply for the Hollings scholarship. Students who meet these requirements and attend a minority serving institution may apply for the EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship program. For a full list of eligibility requirements, please visit the frequently asked questions for the Hollings and EPP/MSI scholarships.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Hollings and EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship websites. Don't miss our tips on developing a strong application!

Ana and Carlee with their arms around each other. They are outside wearing wet suits and muddy shirts.

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Two images are side-by-side. Each image of the sea floor looks like sand with shell fragments and some darker circles that are identifiable as sand dollars if you zoom in. In the first photo, there are squares around some of the dark circles, but many were not "seen" and identified by the computer. The confidence numbers are almost all under .10. In the right photo, all of the dark circles are identified as sand dollars and the confidence values are much higher.

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Scholars diving for research and outreach

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Lillian and Ryan stand next to each other in front of a National Weather Service building and sign that reads "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, Louisville Weather Forecast Office." Lillian is holding a certificate of recognition.

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Still wondering if these scholarships are for you? Take a look at at the scholar blog to read about 2022 internships, and the Hollings news and EPP/MSI news pages to find more stories that share the internship experience through the eyes of past scholars. Read updates from our alumni describing where they are now in our story catching up with NOAA scholars. Follow NOAA Education on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn offsite link to stay up to date with new scholar stories and news!