The NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC) and Space Florida are jointly hosting a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) paid Internship Program at the Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL) in Exploration Park at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in summer 2013.

As part of this year’s inaugural program, four interns from Florida universities will work for 10 weeks (from 6/3/13 – 8/9/13) under the guidance of mentors at organizations housed in the SLSL. Interns will work on projects bound for the International Space Station (ISS) within the coming year. The purpose of this internship program is to train and recruit Florida-based students focused on careers in science and engineering into Florida’s aerospace workforce.

The Space Life Sciences Lab (SLSL) serves as the primary gateway for payloads bound for the ISS. The facility also accommodates a number of commercial entities pursuing innovative research activities. A wide range of aerospace firms operate at the SLSL, including the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), NASA, Dynamac Corporation, Molecular Power Systems, Cella Energy, Innovative Health Applications, Bionetics, QinetiQ North America, Kentucky Space and Space Florida.

“The four selected students from the University of Florida and Florida Institute of Technology will be working on ongoing research projects that will be flown to the ISS at the end of this year. This will give the students not only the experience of being closely involved in a research project that has already been selected to fly to the ISS, but also provides them with a hands-on experience in flight readiness by transforming an academic research project into one that is ready to fly to space,” said Dr. Jaydeep Mukherjee, Director of the NASA FSGC.

“Space Florida is proud to be a part of the STEM Internship Program and host the students who will be interning at the SLSL this summer,” said Space Florida President Frank DiBello. “While this is an ideal learning experience for the students, it also provides an opportunity to illustrate career paths into STEM fields.”

About The NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium

The Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC) was formed in 1989, when NASA implemented the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The NASA FSGC was one of the sixteen founding Space Grant Consortia. Currently there are Space Grant programs active in all fifty states as well as Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. FSGC is administered through the University of Central Florida and the Florida Space Institute, its main offices are located at the Astronaut Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education, found on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. The Consortium is a voluntary association of seventeen public and private Florida Universities and colleges.

For more information, please visit: http://www.floridaspacegrant.org

About Space Florida

Space Florida was created to strengthen Florida’s position as a global leader in aerospace research, investment, exploration and commerce. As Florida’s spaceport authority and aerospace development organization, we are committed to attracting and expanding the next generation of space industry businesses. With its highly trained workforce, proven infrastructure and unparalleled record of achievement, Florida is the ideal location for aerospace businesses to thrive – and Space Florida is the perfect partner to help them succeed.

For more information visit www.spaceflorida.gov