The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting applications from eligible Middle School Science Teachers at public school districts and accredited private educational institutions in the U.S. and its territories to participate in the NIST Summer Institute Program, which will be held July 6 - July 17, 2026, at the NIST Campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Summary
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting applications from eligible Middle School Science Teachers at public school districts and accredited private educational institutions in the U.S. and its territories to participate in the NIST Summer Institute Program, which will be held July 6 - July 17, 2026, at the NIST Campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Summer - There is a requirement that you be able to commit two (2) full weeks to attend the NIST Summer Institute, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays) on the dates specified in this Announcement.
Work schedule
Full-time - This is a Career Development Workshop and does not confirm any employment status.
The NIST Summer Institute Program is a hands-on career development workshop that enables middle school STEM teachers to utilize resources from the nation's premier standards and measurement laboratory, NIST. The workshop will provide teachers with instructional materials and ideas to use in their teaching and emphasize the measurement science done at NIST. The aim is to select cutting-edge research at NIST and help the teachers translate this experience into hands-on activities involving classroom-based learning modules. In addition to obtaining ideas and activities to incorporate into lesson plans, teaching tools are provided to allow the teachers to carry out activities they learned at the NIST Summer Institute Program with their students. The NIST Summer Institute Program will offer a world-class opportunity for those teaching our nation's next generation of STEM professionals to learn more about the subjects they teach and the research in those subjects conducted at NIST and to offer a platform from which teachers can inspire their students to pursue careers in STEM.
Applicants must be available to commit two (2) full continuous weeks (10 work days, Monday through Friday) from 9:00 a.m. EDT to 4:00 p.m. EDT, July 6 - July 17, 2026, to participate in the NIST Summer Institute Program physically at the NIST Campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Eligible Applicants. Teachers in Public school districts and accredited private educational institutions in the U.S. and its territories who teach Middle School Science subjects.
All candidates must be U.S. Citizens.
Be available to commit two (2) full continuous weeks (10 workdays, Monday through Friday) from 9:00 a.m. EDT to 4:00 p.m. EDT, July 6 - July 17, 2026, to participate in the NIST Summer Institute Program physically at the NIST Campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Be employed for the 2025-2026 school year to teach STEM subjects at grade levels six (6), seven (7), and eight (8) in a public school district or accredited private educational institution in the U.S. or its territories.
Each teacher must teach general STEM.
Applicants are required to participate in Direct Deposit
Note: Applicants are required to attend in person at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD location. A $2,700 travel and housing allowance is offered to teachers traveling from outside the DMV area for this workshop. Teachers must make their own travel and housing arrangements and receive that allowance on the first day of the workshop.
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: All applicants must meet the qualification requirements outlined below to be considered minimally qualified for this position. ALL QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
Be a U.S. citizen.
Certified by the state in which you teach or have earned national certification.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, your questionnaire responses and supporting documents will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, questionnaire responses and supporting documents will be forwarded to the Selection Official.
If accepted into the program, you will receive an email notification by Friday, May 15, 2026. Please review the email address in your application to verify accuracy and use an email address you review regularly.
This program requires you to be physically present each day from July 6 to July 17, 2026.
Note: Applicants are required to attend in person at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD location.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, complete the online application and submit the documents specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement no later than the announcement closing date.
To begin, log in to your USAJOBS account or create a new account at https://www.usajobs.gov/. Click the Apply Online link at the top right of the vacancy summary to access the online application. Follow the prompts. This vacancy does not accept resumes or uploaded documents from USAJOBS. As expected, USAJOBS will notify you that this announcement does not accept USAJOBS resumes or documents. Prompts will direct you to upload documents directly into the application system. All documents are required and must be submitted for consideration at the workshop. PDF is the preferred format for all documents.
Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
During the application process, you will be prompted to enter the name and contact information of the principal who will provide your employment verification. Immediately upon submitting your application, your principal will receive instructions on what to include and how to submit your employment verification.
Upon clicking submit at the end of the application process, you will receive an on-screen notification that you have successfully submitted your application. Select Return to USAJOBS to verify your updated status in the USAJOBS Applications section.
To verify the status of your application, log in to your USAJOBS account,https://www.usajobs.gov/, and select "Track this application" associated with this vacancy in your "Home" tab. The Application Status page displays the status of your application, including the documentation received and processed, as well as your submitted responses to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
In the status information, you can also see the status of your employment verification. For example, you will see "1 of 1 reference received if your employment verification has been received." Your principal will have up to 7 calendar days after the announcement closing date to submit your employment verification. If you notice your verification is missing and it is close to the deadline, you may want to give your principal a friendly reminder. The system will also send an automated reminder four days before the final due date.
To return to your saved application while the announcement is open, log in to your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov/ and click Applications. Click on the position title, then select Edit my application. You may update your application at any time before the announcement's closing, except for the individual identified for your reference. If you need to change your reference, please email kara.arnold@nist.gov.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the online application and supporting documents well before the announcement closing date (May 1, 2026). Paper applications will not be accepted.
You must complete this application and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the announcement closing date.
If you experience difficulties completing your online application or submitting your supporting documents, please email summerinstitute@nist.gov.
Note: Applicants are required to attend in person at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD location.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
United States
Next steps
If accepted into the program, you will receive an email notification by Monday, May 15, 2026. Please review the email address in your application to verify accuracy and use an email address you review regularly.
This program requires you to be physically present each day from July 6 - July 17, 2026.
Note: Applicants are required to attend in person at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD location.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, complete the online application and submit the documents specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement no later than the announcement closing date.
To begin, log in to your USAJOBS account or create a new account at https://www.usajobs.gov/. Click the Apply Online link at the top right of the vacancy summary to access the online application. Follow the prompts. This vacancy does not accept resumes or uploaded documents from USAJOBS. As expected, USAJOBS will notify you that this announcement does not accept USAJOBS resumes or documents. Prompts will direct you to upload documents directly into the application system. All documents are required and must be submitted for consideration at the workshop. PDF is the preferred format for all documents.
Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
During the application process, you will be prompted to enter the name and contact information of the principal who will provide your employment verification. Immediately upon submitting your application, your principal will receive instructions on what to include and how to submit your employment verification.
Upon clicking submit at the end of the application process, you will receive an on-screen notification that you have successfully submitted your application. Select Return to USAJOBS to verify your updated status in the USAJOBS Applications section.
To verify the status of your application, log in to your USAJOBS account,https://www.usajobs.gov/, and select "Track this application" associated with this vacancy in your "Home" tab. The Application Status page displays the status of your application, including the documentation received and processed, as well as your submitted responses to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
In the status information, you can also see the status of your employment verification. For example, you will see "1 of 1 reference received if your employment verification has been received." Your principal will have up to 7 calendar days after the announcement closing date to submit your employment verification. If you notice your verification is missing and it is close to the deadline, you may want to give your principal a friendly reminder. The system will also send an automated reminder four days before the final due date.
To return to your saved application while the announcement is open, log in to your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov/ and click Applications. Click on the position title, then select Edit my application. You may update your application at any time before the announcement's closing, except for the individual identified for your reference. If you need to change your reference, please email kara.arnold@nist.gov.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the online application and supporting documents well before the announcement closing date (May 1, 2026). Paper applications will not be accepted.
You must complete this application and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the announcement closing date.
If you experience difficulties completing your online application or submitting your supporting documents, please email summerinstitute@nist.gov.
Note: Applicants are required to attend in person at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD location.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
United States
Next steps
If accepted into the program, you will receive an email notification by Monday, May 15, 2026. Please review the email address in your application to verify accuracy and use an email address you review regularly.
This program requires you to be physically present each day from July 6 - July 17, 2026.
Note: Applicants are required to attend in person at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD location.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
