About this role
Background & Project Overview
Laminar–turbulent transition modeling has been identified in CFD Vision 2030 as a key capability gap and a likely pacing item for high-fidelity CFD for years to come. In this internship, you will work closely with an established team of NASA researchers to help advance the state of the art in predicting transitional and turbulent flows for aerospace applications.
Depending on your interests and background, your work will focus on one or more of the following thrusts:
1 Transition model porting for broader use
• Port existing transition model implementations to the release version of the FUN3D CFD solver to enable broader dissemination and use by the aerospace community.
2 Model development, implementation, and validation
• Support the development, implementation, and testing of transition models in OVERFLOW and/or FUN3D using canonical configurations appropriate for model verification and validation. Transition modeling in conjunction with DDES/IDDES is of particular interest.
3 Applied CFD for advanced aircraft configurations
• Perform computational analysis of CFD simulations for a complex flow configuration of interest (either a low-Mach number high-lift case or a transonic cruise configuration), with emphasis on transition/turbulence-related flow physics and actionable insights from the results.
What You’ll Do (Sample Tasks)
Internship responsibilities will be tailored to your experience and interests and may include:
• Running and monitoring existing CFD workflows (FUN3D, OVERFLOW, or comparable solvers)
• Post-processing and analyzing simulation results (transition onset, separation, unsteady behavior, integrated forces, etc.)
• Coding and/or porting Fortran implementations of transition models (Fortran knowledge desirable but not critical, C/C++ coding could suffice if you are willing to learn)
• Implementing improvements to model robustness, numerics, or workflow efficiency
• Developing scripts/utilities to automate and accelerate the computational workflow (e.g., Python, shell tools)
Ideal Candidate Profile
Required Technical Skills
• Working knowledge of the CFD process (mesh → setup → run → verify → analyze)
• Coding experience (one or more of: Fortran, C/C++, Python, scripting); comfort reading and modifying scientific code
• Introductory understanding of turbulence modeling and/or transition fundamentals
Preferred / Strong Assets
• Familiarity with FUN3D or OVERFLOW (or comparable research/production CFD codes)
• Experience with CFD, canonical validation cases, or model verification/validation practices
• Comfort working in Linux/HPC environments and using version control (e.g., Git)
Non-Technical Skills
• Strong analytical thinking and persistence with complex technical problems
• Clear communication (written and verbal) and ability to present results to a technical audience
• Adaptability and initiative in a research environment
Learning Outcomes & Internship Goals
By the end of the internship, you will have:
• Contributed to cutting-edge efforts to improve transition prediction in CFD
• Strengthened your skills in scientific coding, model implementation, and computational workflow development
• Built experience analyzing transitional and turbulent flows in research-grade solvers
• Improved your ability to communicate technical findings through briefings and written summaries
Strong, highly motivated interns with appropriate preparation have previously contributed to conference and peer-reviewed publications.
**Eligible Applicants:** Student
**Academic Level:** Graduate Master's, Graduate Doctoral, Post Doctoral
**Activity Type:** In-person
**Citizenship:** US Citizen Only
**Type:** Internships