STARLIT Scholars Program

The STARLIT Scholars program bolsters student engagement with aerospace. The program connects high school and college-aged students with meaningful experiences to prepare them for successful aerospace careers, whether in industry, research or military service. 

Each STARLIT educational institution - ²ÊÃñ±¦µä, Georgia Tech, University of Buffalo, Purdue, Texas A&M, and UT Austin - leads its own STARLIT Scholars program tailored to the local community.

While features vary, all STARLIT Scholars programs center student outreach and workforce development within aerospace, particularly among underserved student populations. 

The STARLIT Scholars program at ²ÊÃñ±¦µä connects bright undergraduate and community college students with fully-funded summer internships. STARLIT Scholars participate in ten week 'research track' or 'industry track' internships, depending on their professional goals and available slots. All STARLIT Scholars also benefit from wraparound support, professional development programming, and community-based activities. 

Please see the graphic below for more information. 

Flow diagram illustrating the dual-track STARLIT Scholars program.

The Research Track features the following elements:

  • We partner with the Summer Program in Undergraduate Research to offer research-based internships for STARLIT Scholars. 
  • We list STARLIT-specific projects focused on Space Domain Awareness topics (including orbital dynamics, sensors, and conflict simulations) on the SPUR project page. Interested students will apply to these specific projects. If selected for the project, students will become STARLIT Scholars. 
  • SPUR begins accepting student applications in early winter (February/March) of 2025. 
  • The research internship lasts for 10 weeks from mid-May to mid-August. STARLIT research scholars work for 30 hours per week and participate in biweekly community-building events with other STARLIT Scholars. 
  • STARLIT Scholars, like all SPUR students, receive an internship stipend totaling $4,800.
  • If you have additional questions or would like to learn more, please reach out to Meaghan Allyn at meaghan.allyn@colorado.edu. 

Tips for a successful SPUR application:

  • Due to funding stipulations, students MUST be US citizens. We apologize that we can't offer more flexibility. 
  • Read the 'Tips for a successful application' tab under the 'Application Process' tab on the SPUR website. 
  • Research labs that interest you, and reach out to faculty/graduate students in advance!

We partner with Boulder- and Denver-area aerospace companies to offer industry internships for up to 8 STARLIT Scholars. We will post applications for each company-specific internship on Handshake in late fall 2024. Applications will close in mid-January 2025. 

As of November 10, 2024, we are still developing applications and have not posted yet on Handshake. 

STARLIT industry Scholars commit to a ten week internship, from mid-May through mid-August. Industry Scholars are paid a generous stipend via STARLIT grant funding.

Like STARLIT research Scholars, STARLIT industry scholars participate in biweekly meetings with the entire STARLIT Scholar cohort. Meetings include professional development seminars, community-building events, and networking. 

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