DEVELOP FAQ

DEVELOP looks for participants that have a positive attitude, passion, and interest in Earth science and service to society. Successful participants are open minded, interested in working with others, flexible, and eager to learn.

DEVELOP is a unique opportunity and each participant benefits differently. Generally, participants can expect to enhance their personal and professional development. Participants are given the opportunity to improve their skill sets in science communication, technical writing, poster and oral presentation design, video creation, research, collaboration, technical capabilities, and networking, to name a few.

DEVELOP participants are expected to be present the full 10 weeks during a term. Participants not available the full 10 weeks may not be accepted due to the fast-paced nature of the program and project requirements.

Some universities may offer credit for projects with DEVELOP. Participants interested in receiving credit for their project will need to make arrangements with their school to make sure the project meets any necessary requirements. Prior to the start of the term, participants interested in pursuing school credit can outline and communicate any school requirements to their Lead for consideration. It is the student's responsibility to meet deadlines and ensure all paperwork is completed to fulfill the requirements. 

DEVELOP participants are employed as part-time temporary employees under Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. (AMA)  Participants are paid on an hourly basis. Rates are based on current level of education, applicant classification, and locality. For inquiries regarding hourly pay rates, please email the National Program Office at NASA-DL-DEVELOP@mail.nasa.gov stating your current education level, applicant classification, and location(s) to which you would apply for rate information. If applying for virtual opportunities, please include the city and state you would telework from. 

Participants selected for an in-person opportunity are responsible for their own housing, living expenses, and transportation to and from their DEVELOP office. All DEVELOP positions are paid by locality, which if selected, can help cover costs incurred. 

DEVELOP accepts interdisciplinary participants with skills in many different areas and levels. Participants with a strong interest in Earth sciences, geography, environmental science, computer science, GIS, technology, environmental policy, remote sensing, and related social sciences are strongly encouraged to apply. No previous experience is required in these areas, just an eagerness and interest to learn.

Participants selected for an in-person opportunity will be required to work on-site at their selected location for the duration of the term. DEVELOP also offers virtual projects, which provide an opportunity where participants do not need to be located at a DEVELOP location to participate. Selected participants for both in-person and virtual opportunities will be required to work within the 50 United States and/or Washington D.C. for the duration of the 10-week term. Virtual participants are not authorized to work remotely from U.S. territories or international locations. You are able to identify your preferred work environment(s) and preferred work location(s) during the application process. Please note which projects are offered in-person and which are offered virtually in the proposed project list posted during the application window on the “Apply to DEVELOP” page, here.  

Participants must have and maintain a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) to apply. This GPA can be the cumulative and/or most recent semester.

DEVELOP participants are expected to commit 20-29 hours per week throughout the term. Scheduling is coordinated within office hours of the node and the participant's availability.

You must be a U.S. citizen (by birth or naturalization) to apply to a DEVELOP location at a NASA Center or the NOAA NCEI location. Permanent Resident Alien (PRA) or Legal Residents are considered non-U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply to DEVELOP in-person opportunities at regional locations and all virtual opportunities, which are listed on the “Apply to DEVELOP” page under the 'Non-U.S. Citizen Applicants' section. Acceptances for non-U.S. citizens are conditional upon either proof of a pre-obtained visa and approved CPT/OPT that will allow them to legally work within the U.S. or documentation that establishes both identity and employment authorization presented as acceptable List A I-9 documents. DEVELOP does not sponsor visa applications or file petitions with U.S. Immigration.  For more information regarding non-U.S. citizen guidelines, please click here.

Yes. All new, as well as returning applicants interested in being considered for another term, must re-apply to the program.  

There is no limit on the number of terms a participant can re-apply as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.

The New Participant Portal is for applicants who have never been accepted and participated in the DEVELOP Program before, as well as for those participants who participated in the program more than a year ago (previous 3 terms) from the current application window. The Previous Participant Portal is for applicants who were previously selected and participated in the DEVELOP National Program at one of the locations within the last year (previous 3 terms) from the current application window. The Previous Participant Application focuses on the experience the applicant had during their time at DEVELOP.  If you are eligible for the program, you will receive an application portal link to the new or returning participant application, based on your responses to the eligibility questions. Please ensure you have answered all questions within the eligibility portal. If all questions have been answered and you do not immediately receive an application portal link following submission, then you are currently not eligible to apply to the DEVELOP Program. 

It is recommended for applicants to review the application questions on the “Apply to DEVELOP” homepage to prepare your responses prior to starting your application, and then copy and paste your responses into the application form. However, applicants are able to save their applications as a draft, exit the site, and return later to continue working on it. At the bottom of each page, there are options to “Save Draft” and “Save.” To return to your draft application, you will use the login information you initially created in the application portal to log back in.

Applicants are able to save their applications at any point by clicking on the “Save Draft” button at the bottom of the page. Applicants can save their applications as a draft, exit the site, and return later to continue working on it. At the bottom of each page, there are options to “Save Draft” and “Save.” To return to your draft application, you will use the login information you initially created in the application portal.  

Your applicant classification should reflect your status as of the start of the term you are applying for. If you will be currently enrolled in school, select “Currently Enrolled Student.” If you have graduated within the past two years, select “Recent Graduate.” If you graduated more than two years ago and have been working for at least two years in a professional environment, select “Early/Transitioning Career Professional.”

New applicants will list the names and email addresses of two recommenders. Once the applicant saves the recommendation form section, an email will automatically be sent to the recommenders with a link to a recommendation form for them to access and fill out in regards to the applicant. Then, the recommendation form will be electronically submitted and attached to the candidate’s application.

Recommendation forms are due to be submitted by the recommender two weeks after the application window closes. The actual date will be included in the email sent to the recommenders, as well as posted on the DEVELOP Apply page.

An applicant can confirm submission of their recommenders’ forms by logging back into the applicant portal, opening the recommendation section, and checking the status of the recommendation forms.

If one of your recommenders is unable to submit a letter on your behalf, you may log back into the applicant portal, open the recommendation section of your application, and edit your recommenders. You can delete a recommender and add a new one (maximum of five), or you can re-send the email to the recommender. Reminder emails can only be sent once every 24 hours. The recommendation section can be edited up until the recommendation form deadline (two weeks after the application deadline).

All applicants must complete the profile, eligibility, application, and short essay sections. New participant applicants must also complete the recommendation section. Once all sections are complete, the applicant must click the green “Submit” button. Once the application is successfully submitted, you will only be able to view your application, you will no longer be able to edit it. A confirmation email will be sent to the personal email address entered within your application once your application is submitted.

The online application will close at 11:59pm ET on the last day of the window provided on the “Apply to DEVELOP” page. Once the application window deadline has passed, applications will not be accepted for review. There are no exceptions to this rule. 

Interviews are only scheduled after all applications have been received and reviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of DEVELOP, not all candidates are selected for interviews. If selected for an interview, you will be contacted by email to schedule an interview. Interviews typically take place either by phone or video and last 30-45 minutes. When selections are made, applicants will be notified of their selection status by email. This process is done on a rolling basis, so while a tentative timeline will be communicated to applicants, it can vary.

The DEVELOP experience is focused on both conducting and communicating an applied Earth science feasibility project. Participants should expect to spend their time engaged in literature review on the scope, methodologies, and types of NASA remote-sensing data applicable to their project. They will utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote-sensing data to conduct application projects. Teams will communicate with partner organizations that can benefit from the methodologies, results, and enhanced decision-making tools created by the team. A substantial amount of time is spent on the creation of professional deliverables, including a poster, presentation, technical report, and video, as the program puts an emphasis on building capacity to communicate project results to a variety of audiences. Participants also partake in personal development activities like personality typing, team building exercises, as well as networking with their team, advisors, and partner organizations.

DEVELOP offers three project terms per year – spring, summer, and fall. Each term lasts 10 weeks, with the spring term beginning in late January, summer term beginning in early June, and the fall term beginning in mid-September. All project deliverables are created within the 10-week timeframe.

Participants are placed on interdisciplinary teams ranging in size from three to six participants. The team works under the guidance of a NASA or partner organization mentor and science advisor, DEVELOP management at their location, and the DEVELOP National Program Office. Meetings are scheduled between the teams and mentor(s) as needed, as well as with Fellows who support teams as they create their deliverables.

Participants conduct predetermined projects that fall within at least one of the following thematic areas: Agriculture, Climate, Disasters, Ecological Conservation, Energy, Health & Air Quality, Transportation & Infrastructure, Urban Development, Water Resources, and Wildland Fires.