Category: Opportunities

RockOn is a workshop at Wallops Flight Facility for sounding rocket payload design that is an exciting chance for faculty and students to kickstart payload projects at their home institutions. Participants in the workshop will build a working scientific payload and then see it launch on a real sounding rocket. The 2026 application is now open!

Subject to available funds, MDSGC intends to sponsor one or more teams for each year’s workshop and encourages Maryland students and/or faculty to submit applications for team sponsorship. For 2026, the RockOn application deadline is February 13, 2026. If you are interested for this year or an upcoming year, visit NASA’s RockOn page for information and to apply and also contact MDSGC ASAP to let us know of your interest.

Here is a summary of important information about RockOn 2026:

• Application deadline is 02/13/26 – but why wait?
• 1 faculty mentor from the applicant institution must be willing to attend.
• 2 students from the applicant institution must be able to commit to attending.
• Attending faculty and students must be U.S. citizens at least 18 years of age.
• Workshop dates are tentatively June 17-25, 2026.
• Location is NASA/Wallops, with hotels nearby in Chincoteague, VA.
• In order for you to participate, NASA must select your application – it’s not automatic.
• MDSGC will sponsor the workshop registration and travel costs for up to three Maryland teams, subject to the availability of funds. Interested teams must contact MDSGC in advance to request sponsorship.

Preparations for summer 2026 internships are under way! The application will be available in early February.

The MDSGC Summer Exchange program supports qualified students from affiliated universities to partake in hands-on, NASA-aligned summer internships at any of the other participating institutions. Interns must commit to a full-time, 10-week project duration and are paid a stipend. While 2026 project details are under development, for an idea of the nature and range of possible projects, see the 2025 Summer Exchange page and the 2025 Symposium Program. Also see the FAQ below. Note: one change for 2026 is that students from any MDSGC-affiliated institution may apply.

Interested students and faculty may contact mdsgc@jh.edu with any questions. Check back in early February for the project information and the application!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is the current stipend level set by NASA and how are interns paid? A: $8200 for a full time 10-week undergraduate intern. MDSGC pays the stipends by check or direct deposit in installments at the beginning, mid-point, and end of the internship period.

Q: Is housing provided for interns? A: Some host institutions have summer housing available. If an intern requires such housing, the cost is deducted from their stipend amount.

Q: Which students are eligible to apply? A: Applicants must be U.S. citizens who are enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at MDSGC-affiliated institutions and will not graduate before the end of summer 2026. Applicants may be pursuing any major(s) relevant to aerospace, space science and engineering or NASA’s mission more broadly; however, individual projects may have their own appropriate pre-requisites.

Q: What are the internship dates and must the internship end before the MDSGC Symposium? A: Internships are 10 weeks long and start at the earliest date that works for both mentor and intern, almost always after Memorial Day. Due to start date constraints and possible vacation dates, many internships run another week or two beyond the MDSGC Symposium.

Q: What and when is the MDSGC Symposium? A: MDSGC hosts a one-day symposium in Baltimore in late July or early August at which summer interns are required to present their work and students and mentors from all participating institutions mingle and share experiences. See the 2025 Symposium Program for more information.

The regular application deadline for Academic Year 2025-2026 scholarships was May 14, 2025. Any student may still submit an off-cycle application for consideration if funding becomes available. For information about the program and to apply, visit the MDSGC Scholarships page.