Research Internships

Participate in transportation research sponsored by the Safe-D, CARTEEH, and NICR University Transportation Centers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) — the largest university-based transportation research institute in the country.

2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program

Dates: May 24–July 30, 2021
Location: College Station, Texas | Texas A&M University Campus

Program Overview

Each student will be paired with a research mentor and will work on an ongoing research project under one of TTI’s three University Transportation Centers.

Research Topics

• Connected Vehicles
• Automated Vehicles
• Big Data Analytics
• Transportation as a Service
• Big Data
• Innovative Mobility
• Transit
• Freeway Congestion Management
• Transportation emissions and/or air quality modeling
• Assessment of exposures and health impacts
• Policy and decision making
• Land-use and urban planning

Benefits of this Research Experience

• Learn more about careers in transportation research
• Explore whether graduate school is right for you
• Meet students from across the country with similar interests
• Learn new skills in conducting and presenting research

Funding and Relocation

Interns will be paid up to $6000 in wages for the nine-week period.

Some research projects may require interns to relocate to College Station for the summer. If relocation to College Station is required, a $1700 food allowance and a housing allowance will be provided. (Note: wages and food/housing allowances are taxable income.)

Note: Due to COVID-19, the 2020 program was successfully completed with students working from home with their campus mentors. For 2021, this may again be necessary with the final decision being made in April.

Applicant Eligibility

Any academic major is welcome, including:

• Civil or other Engineering
• Urban Planning
• Public or Community Health
• Social Sciences
• Statistics or Data Analytics

Each applicant:

• Must have a desire to actively participate in research and an interest in the applicable UTC’s core focus area:
  • CARTEEH: transportation, air quality, and health
  • SAFE-D: transportation safety
  • NICR: congestion reduction
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Must have completed junior year (at least 90 hours) by the end of Spring Semester 2021.
• Must be on track to graduate no sooner than December 2021.

Participant Requirements and Expectations

• Students selected for the research internship are restricted from enrolling in university courses during the entire 9-week summer period.
• Attendance at internship-related events, including the final poster session (or virtual presentation session, as applicable), is mandatory.
• Students are expected to commit to at least 40 hours/week, which includes:
  • Working research hours as determined by the student’s research mentor
  • Mandatory internship activity

Program Completion Requirements

• Research plan
• Abstract
• Progress report
• Final paper
• Poster presentation

Internship Application

Application Packet Requirements

• Completed internship application
  (To be certain this editable PDF performs properly, download the application to your computer before opening and filling it out.)
• Personal essay (maximum 500 words) answering the following question:
  • If applying to CARTEEH: Why is it important to address transportation emissions/air pollution in the context of public health?
  • If applying to SAFE-D: How can your field of study contribute to improvements in traffic safety?
  • If applying to NICR: Why is reducing traffic congestion important for this country?
• A current transcript (can be a downloaded version)
• A letter of recommendation from a faculty member at your college/university

Deadline

• February 15, 2021, by 5:00 p.m. (CT)
• Complete application packets must be received by the deadline. Application materials received after this deadline will not be considered.

Contact Information

Completed applications and any questions regarding this program should be directed to: