Job Details

All hourly on-campus positions are eligible for students to utilize their Federal Work Study award. If you have any questions, please contact Financial Aid at finaid@unca.edu.

NCEI Research Intern

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Job ID

5213

Job Type

On-Campus Jobs

Employer

NEMAC

Date Posted

Nov 14, 2025

Job Category

Research

Job Description

Overview

This is a unique opportunity to work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). NCEI is the official U.S. data management entity for climatological, oceanographic, and geophysical information. Headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, NCEI operates one of the largest environmental data and information archives on Earth. NCEI ingests, archives and disseminates data and information from the bottom of the ocean to the surface of the sun - our data users represent the breadth of society and economic sectors. NCEI promotes the scientific integrity and usefulness of its products and services based on science-based environmental data synthesis and stewardship, including informatics. For more information, please visit https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/.

Additional Details

Internships are managed by UNCA’s National Environmental Mapping and Applications Center (NEMAC).
Interns are matched with mentors from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA/NCEI) and UNCA Department advisors.
NCEI will be offering up to six internship opportunities for the spring 2026 semester, and internships are generally for a 10-15 week period. Interns have the opportunity to extend internships over consecutive semesters (into the Summer and even Fall semesters).

Internship Areas for the 2026 Spring Semester

Applied Climatology and Data Science:

Projects will focus on the development of Earth Science-centric products, presentations, maps, and other deliverables.
Students will have an opportunity to develop skills in Geographic Information Systems, computer science, data visualization, and technical communication.
NOAA and UNCA will collectively benefit from finding additional ways to integrate NCEI’s data with other socioeconomic variables and add additional context when communicating weather and climate extremes.
NOAA Division(s): NCEI Climate Science and Services Division (CSSD)
UNCA Departments: Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Science, Economics

Science Communications:

Projects will focus on the development of engaging external communications products to highlight NCEI’s scientific portfolio.
Students will have an opportunity to develop skills in scientific communication, social media development, data visualization, and technical communication.
NOAA and UNCA will collectively benefit from finding additional ways to promote NCEI’s information through external communications, social media engagement, and graphically-designed products.
- NOAA Division(s): NCEI Director’s Office (DO) and Resource Management Division (RMD)
- UNCA Departments: Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Science, Education, Mass Communications, New Media

When completing your cover letter, please indicate which research area(s) above you are most interested in, or list all three if you are interested in all of them.

Required Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Undergraduate students in atmospheric, environmental, and computer sciences, mathematics, economics, or others (interested in interdisciplinary linkages to weather and climate science) are encouraged to apply
General Qualifications:
- Familiarity with atmospheric, environmental, computer science and/or communications and media concepts
- Hunger for knowledge
- Strong communication and writing skills
- Ability to communicate openly and honestly

Technical Skills

Data Analysis, GIS, Microsoft Excel or Similar, Python

Soft Skills

Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Goal Oriented, Teamwork, Time Management

Number of Available Openings

Hours

15.0 to 20.0 hours per week

Hourly Rate

$15.00/hour

Time Frame

Spring

Supervisor's Name

James Greg Dobson

Supervisor's Email

gdobson@unca.edu

Supervisor's Phone Number

N/A

Address

NCEI (Downtown Asheville), On-Campus, Remote

Secondary Contact

Karin Rogers (krogers@unca.edu)

UNC Asheville is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and will not discriminate against applicants and employees on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, genetic information, and any other legally protected status with respect to all terms, conditions, and privileges of university-sponsored activities, employment, and the use of university facilities.

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Job Details

All hourly on-campus positions are eligible for students to utilize their Federal Work Study award. If you have any questions, please contact Financial Aid at finaid@unca.edu.