Apply for Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program 2024

The Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program is a non-profit organization honoring the memory of an engineer, entrepreneur, and extraordinary individual whose passion for commercial space exploration led to great strides in the industry and inspired all who knew him. The Program seeks to instill that same enthusiasm into the next generation by providing impactful career training to those who embody Matthew’s drive for exploring the universe to help better humankind.

The highly selective program awards exceptional college juniors, seniors, and graduate students passionate about the commercial spaceflight industry with paid summer internships at cutting-edge commercial space companies, one-on-one mentorship from accomplished members of the space community, and a memorable summit during which the Fellows visit space start-ups, network with top industry leaders, and develop entrepreneurial skills. When the summer ends, the Fellows remain part of the MIFP Alumni community and continue benefitting from the Fellowship’s network on their path to becoming future space icons.

What do fellows receive?

• Internship
  • The Matthew Isakowitz Fellows receive a paid summer internship, typically lasting 10-12 weeks, at one of the leading commercial spaceflight companies in the “host company” pool. Fellows are matched to a position that may include assignments in engineering designs, market studies, strategic planning, policy evaluation, and business analysis and development.
• Executive Mentorship
  • Prior to the beginning of the internship, each Fellow is paired with an experienced and notable commercial space industry leader for mentorship to make the best use of their time during the Program, in addition to receiving advice for their academic and future professional careers. These executive mentors include engineers, entrepreneurs, investors, company executives, astronauts, and many more who have contributed to the success of the space industry.
• Summit
  • The summer culminates in a summit that brings together the current class of Matthew Isakowitz Fellows in a memorable and celebratory event, typically in Los Angeles. This summit allows the Fellows to network with one another, while also getting behind-the-scenes insights into companies and learning more about the latest developments in commercial spaceflight from top innovators in the field.
• Community for life!
  • The fun doesn’t end when the summer does! Once the Fellows complete their summer internships, they become official Alumni of the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program! Not only can they continue networking with one another for career opportunities and advice, but they also get to enjoy being part of an awesome community of space enthusiasts! Alumni often attend industry events together, organize virtual talks with leaders, help mentor the incoming classes of Fellows, and more—not to mention enjoy having lifelong friends!

Eligibility Criteria

The Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program is open to any student who:

• At the time of application, is a college junior, college senior, or graduate student who intends to pursue a full-time career in the commercial spaceflight industry.
  • Commercial space is broadly defined as activities in entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and innovation that will enable new or dramatically improved products or services that do not depend solely on government cost-plus contracting to prove viable. In its most aspiring terms, commercial space promises to revolutionize the space industry through new business models that will open up the space frontier for all.
• Has earned an engineering or science degree, or is working towards one at the time the Fellowship begins.
• Has a diversity in experience and academic interests such as in engineering, science, management, business, and other related fields that can be related to commercial space.
• Is a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident (green card holder) due to export control regulations at the host companies.
• Must be available to participate in a full-time internship during Summer 2024 and attend the MIFP Summit in July in Los Angeles.

Selection Process

• All completed applications are reviewed by the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Selection Committee, with the most highly qualified candidates being selected for 30-minute video interviews to assess their passion for commercial spaceflight.
• Following this process, finalists are selected and offered to the host companies for consideration. Ultimately, each host company will select a Fellow from among the final applicant pool.
• The Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program will then complete the placement by notifying each Fellow of their acceptance in December 2023 or January 2024. Fellows begin their internships in May or June 2024.

For more information, visit Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship.