STARLIT Scholars Program

What is the STARLIT Scholars Program at 91¸£ÀûÉç?

The STARLIT Scholars Program at 91¸£ÀûÉç connects bright undergraduate students with grant-funded summer internships. The STARLIT Scholars Program offers two tracks: a research track and an industry track.Ìý

  • STARLIT Research Scholars engage in STARLIT-related research at a 91¸£ÀûÉç lab. Participating labs include the VADeR Lab, ORCCA, and .
  • STARLIT Industry Scholars intern at STARLIT partner companies, including several companies that serve on STARLIT's Industry Advisory Board (IAB).Ìý

All STARLIT Scholars receive:

  • A competitive stipend.
  • Wraparound administrative support.
  • Cohort-based programming with other STARLIT Scholars, focused on industry and US Space Force specific content.
  • Professional development seminars and workshops.Ìý

STARLIT Scholars must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • U.S. Citizen.
  • Currently enrolled at the 91¸£ÀûÉç as an undergraduate or masters degree student. Colorado-based community college students may apply to STARLIT-funded SPUR positions via .
  • Majoring in a STEM degree program, including aerospace engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, etc.Ìý
  • All STARLIT Scholars must commit to a 10 week program (minimum) over summer 2025.
    • Approximate program dates are May 27 - August 8, 2025.
  • All STARLIT Scholars must attend in-person guest speaker engagements and seminars. There will be 4 - 5 seminars throughout the summer, focused on US Space Force related topics.
    • The underlying purpose of these seminars is to provide continuing education and exposure to US Space Force projects and priorities.
  • All STARLIT Scholars must present on their research/industry experience at the end of the summer in a cumulative poster session.Ìý
  • We partner with the Summer Program in Undergraduate Research (SPUR) at 91¸£ÀûÉç to offer research track internships.
  • We list STARLIT-specific projects on the SPUR project page.
    • Interested students will apply to these specific projects. If selected for the project, students will become STARLIT Scholars.
  • STARLIT SPUR Projects for Summer 2025 Include:
    • Cislunar Initial Orbit Determination Using Admissible Regions Theory
    • Cislunar Space Situational Awareness
    • Investigating Dynamics Around Planetary Satellites
    • Synthetic data genertion for computer vision applications in space
    • Using Asteroids as Astronomical Platforms
    • Navigation Informed Guidance Algorithms
  • Students must apply for projects by March 10, 2025.Ìý
  • We will post applications for each company-specific internship on the 91¸£ÀûÉç Handshake portal.
  • Active Positions on Handshake:
    • STARLIT Industry Scholar - Space Domain Awareness Role at BAE Systems, Job #9707575 (2 openings)

We will consider external students for Research Track positions in the STARLIT Scholars program! If interested, please email Meaghan Allyn at meaghan.allyn@colorado.edu with your resumé and a one-page description of your research interests related to the STARLIT award.

Thank you for your consideration! Please contact Meaghan Allyn, STARLIT Outreach Project Manager, at meaghan.allyn@colorado.edu.Ìý

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Flow diagram illustrating the dual-track STARLIT Scholars program.