December 2, 2008 We are now accepting applications for the Summer of 2009.

In anticipation of continued funding of an educational grant awarded by NASA to Northwestern University through the Illinois Space Grant Consortium, we are now accepting applications for both our College Summer Research Program for outstanding undergraduates and High School Summer Research Program for exceptionally gifted high-school students with an interest in the physical sciences. The program provides an opportunity for college and high-school students to work with a professor in one of several areas of space sciences and astrophysics. It is open to students who are currently in high school or in college and who are U.S. Citizens (mandatory).

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

No application form is required; instead the applicant should submit a transcript, a 1-2 page letter describing his/her interests and science-related experience outside the formal college or high school program, and have two letters of recommendation sent to:

The application deadline for the Summer of 2009 is Friday, February 6^th, 2009.

Summer stipends for selected students are anticipated to be $5,000 for college students and $4,000 for high-school students. This is for a minimum of ten weeks of work. The exact period is flexible, but it should be between approximately June 15 and September 15. Travel expenses to and from Evanston are also anticipated to be covered. Dining plans are available, though housing is not provided.

All our projects here at Northwestern can provide the students with extensive computer experience with a variety of computing facilities on campus and/ or via electronic access to several off-campus supercomputer centers. We also have projects that will provide laboratory experience.

Some of the areas of current research are:

• Theoretical work on the physics of pulsars and black holes in the centers of galaxies
• Modeling of extrasolar planetary systems
• Supercomputer simulations of sources of gravitational waves
• Radio maps of the Galactic Center and star formation regions
• Optical observations related to the study of the cosmic microwave background and the intergalactic gas
• Gamma-ray observations of high energy phenomena near black holes and neutron stars
• Laboratory work to develop mirrors which can reflect X-rays
• Observations of interstellar magnetic fields
• Development of astronomical instruments for infrared and submillimeter wavelengths.