The 2024 application window has closed.
Thank you to all who applied!

2024 Application Deadline: Saturday, October 7, 2023, 11:59pm PT.

CLASS OF 2024 TIMELINE

  • August 28, 2023:  Application period opens

  • October 7, 2023:  Applications due

  • December 2023/January 2024:  Fellow selection & Host Company placement

  • January 2024:  Fellows paired with Executive Mentors

  • May/June 2024:  Fellows begin summer internship

  • Late July 2024: Summit takes place

  • August 2024:  Fellows conclude summer internship

ELIGIBILITY

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.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates have to complete only the single online application (available via the button above) in order to be considered for positions at all of the host companies. The application consists of the following three parts (described in further detail below):

1) General Information
2) Resume, Transcript, and Two Recommendation Letters
3) Essays

All three portions of the application must be completed and submitted by Saturday, October 7, 2023, 11:59pm PT to be considered for the Fellowship. Once you hit the “Submit” button on your application, you will receive an automated confirmation email. If you do not receive the automated email, your application may not have been submitted and you should email apply@matthewfellowship.org to confirm. (NOTE: You will need a gmail address in order to access the online form—most college emails are associated with gmail. If you cannot access the form, please let us know at apply@matthewfellowship.org.)

Further details:

RESUME

Your resume should be no more than two pages in length and include your current GPA. Your resume’s file name should be titled as “[Last Name]_[First Name]_Resume”.

TRANSCRIPT

Your university transcript can be unofficial, although official transcript is required upon selection into program. Your transcript’s file name should be "[Last Name]_[First Name]_Transcript".

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

Two letters of recommendation must be submitted for your application to be complete. Recommendation letter writers should submit their letter through this portal: https://bit.ly/mifp2024-recommendation.

The letters’ file names should be titled as “[Applicant last name]_[Applicant first name]_[Recommender last name]". At least one of these letters must be from a faculty member at your university. Please encourage your recommenders to address how your coursework or work experience to date has related to commercial space, and why you are a good candidate for the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program. Be sure to ask your recommenders early so they can meet the October 7th deadline!

If your recommender is unable to submit their letter via the portal, they can instead email the letter as an attachment to apply@matthewfellowship.org with the email subject line: “Recommendation: [Applicant last name]_[Applicant first name]_[Recommender last name]”.

ESSAYS

Three essay responses must be submitted for your application to be complete. Please upload your essays as a single PDF file titled, “[Last name]_[First name]_Essays”. At the start of each response, please indicate which question you are answering. In the header of each page, please include your name.

  1. In 350 words or less, please describe the type of commercial company and internship work assignment you would prefer for the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program and why.

  2. Please answer one of the following essay questions in 350 words or less:

    A. You have been invited to provide three top policy positions for commercial space by the party of a candidate running for President in 2024. What are those top three policy positions and why?

    B. What technology is most likely to transform the space industry and lead to emergence of new startups?  Explain why.

    C. Ask ChatGPT to answer a question related to commercial space in 100 words or less. Include the ChatGPT answer and then in the remainder of your essay, you critique it for accuracy and insight.

  3. In 600 words or less, please answer the following: Why are you excited and passionate about commercial space and your current or future role in it, and why are you a strong candidate for the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program?

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.

INFORMATION SESSIONS

We recommend checking out the below Info Session and Application Workshop hosted by MIFP Alumni for program insights and application advice. If you have any questions, please reach out to apply@matthewfellowship.org.

MIFP Information Session

MIFP Application Workshop

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Please see below for commonly asked questions. You can also email us at apply@matthewfellowship.org with any questions.

  • When are recommendation letters due?
    Recommendation letters are due at the same time as the rest of your application—by Saturday, October 7, 2023, 11:59pm PT. They should be submitted by your recommender through this form: https://bit.ly/mifp2024-recommendation. Be sure to ask your recommenders early so they can meet the deadline!

  • My recommender is having trouble submitting their letter via the portal. What should they do?
    If your recommender is unable to submit their letter via the portal, they can instead email the letter as an attachment to apply@matthewfellowship.org with the email subject line: “Recommendation: [Applicant last name]_[Applicant first name]_[Recommender last name]”.

  • You ask for at least one of the two recommendation letters to come from a faculty member at my university. I am a first year graduate student, so I’d prefer to ask my undergraduate professor/advisor who knows me better. Is that acceptable?
    Yes, that is acceptable.

  • I am a first semester graduate student, and my transcript does not have grades on it yet. Can I submit my undergraduate transcript instead?
    Yes, we will accept your undergraduate transcript instead.

  • I am not sure if my major qualifies as an engineering/science degree. How can I know if I am eligible?
    Please email apply@matthewfellowship.org to confirm if you are eligible.

  • I am a sophomore undergraduate, but I have enough credits to be a junior. Am I eligible?
    Generally speaking, you’d be eligible for the 2024 Program if you plan to complete your undergraduate degree by Spring 2025, as this Fellowship is geared toward students who are nearing graduation or are current graduate students. If you’re still unsure about whether you’re eligible, please email apply@matthewfellowship.org.

  • When I try to upload documents within the application form, I received a message saying that “Uploading files is not permitted when data loss prevention is enabled for your domain. Contact your domain administrator if you think this is a mistake.”
    Some university email servers do not allow you to upload content via Google forms. Try signing into your web browser using a personal gmail account instead of your university email. If you are still having trouble, please email apply@matthewfellowship.org.