Background: The NOAA Coastal Science Board is tasked with developing scientific collaboration across NOS, and assisting with determining the direction and priorities of NOS’ scientific portfolio. It is comprised of members of all of the program offices within NOS.

Intern Responsibilities:
Work with Coastal Science Board members to develop graphics and a communication strategy that show the locations of NOS’ work across the US. The communication strategy could take the form of a short blog series or other products that inform readers about collaborative science in NOS. The final mapping product may eventually be posted on the NOS website, and will be used to communicate the scope and breadth of NOS science within NOAA. The map of NOS science activities will also be used by NOS offices to develop collaborations on science activities.

Understanding how and where NOS is performing its work is essential to facilitating the Line Office’s understanding of whether, and where, it should expand efforts. It also is critical to program offices in determining how best to collaborate on science and outreach efforts. The different program offices are highly varied in the locations where staff perform work. Although the Coastal Science Board and other groups have attempted to illustrate this, we believe that it best would be depicted via GIS software, in a way that potentially could be uploaded to a website. Optimally, the map created through this endeavor would be used to inform where NOS is performing science, which offices are involved, and what topics are being investigated. It also would be created in a way that is easy for Line Office staff to update after completion of the internship. The intern will help develop a strategy for obtaining the relevant information that will be used to populate the map, as well as a communication strategy to inform NOS scientists and leadership about the information that has been gathered and the value of NOS science.

There is a Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm time commitment for a period of nine weeks, preferably mid-June through mid-August.

The intern will acquire hands-on experience interacting across all levels of a government agency, on applied science and GIS skills. He or she will have an opportunity to develop and apply their GIS skills and will have opportunities to work with multiple program offices and scientists from myriad areas of expertise in developing the communication strategy and research for explaining the value of the GIS product and NOS science.