Selecting a Host DOE Laboratory/Facility

Selecting a Host DOE Laboratory/Facility and Research Project

All applicants must identify and select first-choice and second-choice host laboratories at which they would like to be considered for possible placement. Applicants must also select research area(s) of interest from those listed for a particular laboratory’s ongoing research programs. These choices are made at the sole discretion of the applicant.

Students applying for Fall and Spring Terms may additionally select an “Any Host DOE Laboratory Choice” box in the online application. This allows applicants to be considered not only by their specified first- and second-choice laboratories, but also by any participating laboratory with available projects in the identified research area(s) of interest. Note that not all DOE laboratories participate in the fall and spring.

Laboratories should be chosen carefully, because this selection determines which host institutions have access to the completed application. Before selecting a host laboratory and research area, applicants should carefully review the research areas available at each DOE institution, described briefly below and also at laboratories’ websites. Not all research areas are available at all DOE laboratories.

Priority Research Areas

Review the priority research areas by lab by clicking here.

DOE Laboratory/Facility Research Program Descriptions

The descriptions provided here are intended to guide applicants when making their first and second choices of host laboratory. Applicants must select their research area(s) of interest when they apply. Those areas of interest should match one or more of the research areas available for the first- and second-choice laboratories. The research descriptions reflect a laboratory’s ongoing research programs.

Additional general information about DOE laboratories may be found using the following links:

Office of Science:
http://science.energy.gov/laboratories/
National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA):
http://nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourlocations
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE):
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/site_administration/doe_labs.html
Office of Fossil Energy:
http://www.fe.doe.gov/facilities/netl/index.html
Office of Nuclear Energy:
http://www.ne.doe.gov/

Review laboratory participation for upcoming terms here:

DOE LABORATORY/FACILITY	2025 Spring Term	2025 Summer Term	2024 Fall Term
Ames Laboratory – Ames, IA	YES	YES	YES
Argonne National Laboratory – Argonne, IL	YES	YES	YES
Brookhaven National Laboratory – Upton, NY	YES	YES	YES
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory – Batavia, IL	NO	YES	YES
General Atomics / DIII-D Facility – San Diego, CA	YES	YES	YES
Idaho National Laboratory – Idaho Falls, ID	YES	YES	NO
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Berkeley, CA	YES	YES	YES
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – Livermore, CA	YES	YES	NO
Los Alamos National Laboratory – Los Alamos, NM	YES	YES	YES
National Energy Technology Laboratory – OR, WV, PA	NO	NO	NO
National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Golden, CO	YES	YES	YES
Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Oak Ridge, TN	YES	YES	YES
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – Richland, WA	YES	YES	YES
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory – Princeton, NJ	YES*	YES*	NO*
Sandia National Laboratories – Livermore, CA	NO	YES	NO
Sandia National Laboratories – Albuquerque, NM	NO	YES	NO
Savannah River National Laboratory – Aiken, SC	YES	YES	YES
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory – Menlo Park, CA	NO	YES	NO
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility – Newport News, VA	YES	YES	YES

*Pending availability of local housing. Please contact the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Science Education Program Office for additional details.

Ames Laboratory

Scientists at the Ames Laboratory “Create Materials and Energy Solutions” through the exploration of physics, chemistry, engineering, applied math and computational sciences, and materials research.

Home of Nobel Prize winner Danny Shechtman, the Ames Laboratory brings fundamental and applied research strengths to issues of national concern, cultivates tomorrow’s research talent, and develops and transfers technologies to improve industrial competitiveness and enhance U.S. economic security.

With an international reputation in materials research, the Ames Laboratory is home to the nation’s Critical Materials Institute, a Department of Energy Innovation Hub that brings together leading researchers nationwide to develop solutions to domestic shortages of rare-earth materials and other materials critical to U.S. energy security. In addition, Ames Laboratory’s new state-of-the-art Sensitive Instrument Facility will use sensitive tools, such as electron and scanning probe microscopes, to aid in the discovery and design of new materials.

Uniquely located on the campus of a major research university, Iowa State University, in Ames, Iowa, student interns can expect to be immersed in a research environment led by multidisciplinary research teams focused on results-driven science.

To learn more about the Ames Laboratory visit www.ameslab.gov/education.

Argonne National Laboratory

Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory pursue major advances in science and technology that support energy security, environmental sustainability, and national security. To deliver groundbreaking innovations in these areas, Argonne applies a unique mix of state-of-the-art user facilities and leading scientific and engineering staff. From renewable energy and supercomputing to materials discovery and advanced batteries, Argonne’s work aims to advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future.

As one of the largest laboratories in the nation for science and engineering research, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne also designs, builds, and operates major scientific user facilities, including the Advanced Photon Source, the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, the Advanced Powertrain Research Facility, and the Center for Nanoscale Materials.

Argonne researchers actively seek collaborative opportunities with colleagues in industry, academia, other national laboratories, and experts in other Argonne divisions to advance innovation and discovery. The laboratory also seeks to transfer its technologies to the marketplace through licensing, joint research, and many other collaborative relationships. For example, breakthrough materials developed at Argonne were recently licensed for use in the battery that powers the Chevy Volt.

For students, Argonne offers a unique opportunity to do meaningful, cutting-edge research in an inspired and resource-rich environment. Interning at Argonne will provide firsthand experience working with multidisciplinary research teams and world-class facilities, giving young scientists great flexibility to venture into the next phase of their careers. Many successful professional careers in science, engineering, and computing have come about due to summer internships at Argonne.

Located 25 miles southwest of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois, Argonne occupies 1,500 wooded acres surrounded by the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve. Argonne’s proximity to Chicago offers employees and visitors easy access to renowned museums, entertainment and sporting events, distinct and culturally diverse neighborhoods, and the fabulous lakefront.

Brookhaven National Laboratory

The home of seven Nobel Prize-winning discoveries, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is the only Department of Energy multidisciplinary laboratory in the Northeast. BNL is home to some of the most prominent research facilities in the world including the National Synchrotron Light Source, the Center for Functional Nanomaterials and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The Lab’s mission for the coming decade focuses on three broad areas: (1) advancing fundamental research in nuclear and particle physics to gain a deeper understanding of matter, energy, space, and time; (2) applying photon sciences and nanomaterials research to energy problems of critical importance to the nation; and (3) performing cross-disciplinary research to understand the relationship between climate change, sustainable energy, and the Earth’s ecosystems.

Internship placements range from working with physicists to probe the nature of matter to investigating the structure of proteins with biologists, to designing new materials at the nanoscale, to participating in some of the most challenging and unique computation and engineering projects in the world. Located in the center of Long Island, New York, BNL is a short train ride away from New York City, near ocean beaches, wineries and many other attractions. Every year BNL researchers look forward to hosting bright, motivated young people to enable experiences with world class research. With 34% underrepresented participants and a 50/50 gender split, BNL provides a welcoming and culturally diverse experience. To learn more about Brookhaven National Laboratory visit www.bnl.gov – you’ll be glad you did.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Discovering what the universe is made of and how it works is the challenge of particle physics. What is the nature of the universe? What are matter and energy, space and time? At Fermilab, thousands of scientists from across the country and around the world collaborate on experiments at the frontiers of discovery: the Energy Frontier, the Intensity Frontier and the Cosmic Frontier. Answers to the most challenging questions about the fundamental physics of the universe will come as Fermilab’s scientific program pushes forward with world-leading research at all three interrelated frontiers. Particle accelerators at the Energy Frontier produce high-energy collisions that signal new phenomena, from the origin of mass to the nature of dark matter and extra dimensions of space. Fermilab is the U.S. host laboratory for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, in Geneva, Switzerland. Scientists use intense beams from particle accelerators for Intensity Frontier experiments that explore neutrino interactions and ultra-rare processes in nature. At the Cosmic Frontier, astrophysicists use the cosmos as a laboratory to investigate the fundamental laws of physics from a perspective that complements experiments at particle accelerators. Experiments at Fermilab can involve hundreds of scientists from all over the world who work for years designing and constructing large detectors and then taking and analyzing data. Undergraduates have an opportunity to work on projects that support these particle physics experiments in areas such as engineering, applied physics and computing. Read about our frontiers of discovery and intern program information.

The frontier is the quintessential symbol of Fermilab. Fermilab's founding director, Robert Wilson, born in Frontier, Wyoming, incorporated the frontier imagery of his western heritage in a site designed for discovery at the frontiers of science. Wilson’s introduction of American bison, the restoration of hundreds of acres of native tall-grass prairie, and a frontier spirit of adventure and resourcefulness helped to establish Fermilab’s unique character. Located in Batavia, Illinois, Fermilab is 30 miles west of Chicago's Loop. While at Fermilab you can enjoy a range of outdoor activities or take advantage of the cultural resources of a large metropolitan area.

General Atomics / DIII-D

The Office of Science / Office of Fusion Energy Research program mission is to expand the fundamental understanding of matter at very high temperatures and densities and to build the scientific foundation needed to develop a fusion energy source. This is accomplished by studying plasma and its interactions with its surroundings across wide ranges of temperature and density, developing advanced diagnostics to make detailed measurements of its properties and dynamics, and creating theoretical and computational models to resolve essential physics principles.

The physics of plasmas is at the heart of understanding how stars shine and evolve over billions of years. Plasmas, essentially hot gases of ions and electrons, are found in environments as familiar as fluorescent lighting and lightning bolts, as unimaginably harsh as the centers of stars, and as exotic as the environments surrounding super massive black holes. The science of plasma physics that describes the plasmas in these environments also describes the auroras that gently illuminate the northern and southern skies and the solar corona, where temperatures are far higher than on the sun’s surface. At the scale of the very small, plasma physics and materials science combine to enable the exquisitely precise manufacture of semiconductors. Plasma science is also at the heart of advances in efficiencies in the lighting industry.

Internship opportunities are primarily at DIII-D, the largest magnetic fusion facility in the U.S. and operated as an Office of Science national user facility is a tokamak operated by General Atomics in San Diego, CA. DIII-D provides for considerable experimental flexibility and has extensive diagnostic instrumentation to measure the properties of high temperature plasmas. It also has unique capabilities to shape the plasma and provide feedback control of error fields that, in turn, affect particle transport and the stability of the plasma. In addition, DIII-D has been a major contributor to the world fusion program over the past decade in the areas of plasma turbulence, energy transport, boundary layer physics, and electron-cyclotron plasma heating and current drive. Additional opportunities in related fusion energy science areas are available, including some at General Atomics’ fusion target fabrication facility.

Beginning with the 2015 Summer Term, the SULI program is replacing undergraduate internship opportunities formerly offered under the National Undergraduate Fellowship in Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy Sciences (NUF). Applicants seeking NUF are encouraged to apply to the SULI program.

Idaho National Laboratory

Idaho National Laboratory is home to over 6,000 researchers and support staff, focusing their expertise toward innovative advancements in nuclear research, renewable energy systems, and security solutions with global impact.

From pioneering discoveries in advanced nuclear energy to the development of carbon-free energy alternatives and safeguarding critical national infrastructure, INL continuously push boundaries to redefine what's achievable.

INL promotes workforce development through internship opportunities pertaining to scientific research for undergraduate student interns and participating college and university educators in a multidisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-focused environment. Interns and educators are exposed to a wide range of prospective scientific and technical careers, and educators develop and enhance research and professional collaborations to advance DOE and INL mission areas. Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientist (WDTS) includes Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship Program, Community College Internship Program, Visiting Faculty Program, and Visiting Faculty Student Program.

Situated in southeastern Idaho, INL covers 890square miles of the Snake River Plain, with offices and laboratories in Idaho Falls—just a two-hour drive from Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and other areas providing exceptional recreational opportunities. For more information, visit www.inl.gov or explore internship opportunities at https://inl.gov/internships/.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

In the world of science, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is synonymous with “excellence.” Thirteen Nobel prizes are associated with Berkeley Lab. Seventy Lab scientists are members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors for a scientist in the United States. Thirteen of our scientists have won the National Medal of Science, our nation’s highest award for lifetime achievement in fields of scientific research. Eighteen of our engineers have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and three of our scientists have been elected into the Institute of Medicine. In addition, Berkeley Lab has trained thousands of university science and engineering students who are advancing technological innovations across the nation and around the world.

Berkeley Lab is a member of the national laboratory system supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through its Office of Science. It is managed by the University of California (UC) and is charged with conducting unclassified research across a wide range of scientific disciplines. Located on a 200-acre site in the hills above the UC Berkeley campus that offers spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay, Berkeley Lab employs approximately 4,200 scientists, engineers, support staff and students. Its budget for FY 2013 was $819 million, which included $34.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A recent study estimates the Laboratory’s overall economic impact through direct, indirect and induced spending on the nine counties that make up the San Francisco Bay Area to be nearly $700 million annually. The Lab was also responsible for creating 5,600 jobs locally and 12,000 nationally. The overall economic impact on the national economy is estimated at $1.6 billion a year. Technologies developed at Berkeley Lab have generated billions of dollars in revenues, and thousands of jobs. Savings as a result of Berkeley Lab developments in lighting and windows, and other energy-efficient technologies, have also been in the billions of dollars.

Berkeley Lab was founded in 1931 by Ernest Orlando Lawrence, a UC Berkeley physicist who won the 1939 Nobel Prize in physics for his invention of the cyclotron, a circular particle accelerator that opened the door to high-energy physics. It was Lawrence’s belief that scientific research is best done through teams of individuals with different fields of expertise, working together. His teamwork concept is a Berkeley Lab legacy that continues today.

Visit SULI Opportunities at Berkeley Lab »

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a premier applied science laboratory that is part of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within the Department of Energy (DOE). LLNL was managed from its inception in 1952 through September 2007 by the University of California for the U.S. government. LLNL is currently managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC. Approximately 7,000 people are employed at LLNL, including more than 1,200 PhD scientists and engineers. Much of the research conducted at LLNL occurs in multi-disciplinary teams of scientists and engineers.

As a national security laboratory, LLNL’s principal mission is to ensure that the nation's nuclear weapons remain safe, secure, and reliable through application of advances in science and engineering. With its special capabilities, the Laboratory also addresses other pressing national security needs. For example, LLNL conducts major programs in climate and energy research, bioscience and biotechnology, and basic science and advanced technologies. Breakthrough advances are made possible by an extraordinary technical staff and investments in state-of-the-art research facilities that provide LLNL wide ranging capabilities. In particular, LLNL is an international leader in the fields of laser science, high performance computing, and nuclear and biological forensics.

The LLNL site occupies approximately one square mile in Livermore, California a community approximately 45 miles east of San Francisco. It has links to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, which provides easy access to the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Major airports located nearby are in Oakland, San Jose, and San Francisco.

Click here to learn more about the educational programs at LLNL.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Located in northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. LANL enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns. We offer internship opportunities for students majoring in: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Materials Science, Environmental Science, and Engineering.

Over 1,200 students from around the world come to LANL to participate in summer internships. LANL staff members and the Student Association work together to provide tours, seminars, and workshops for students to enhance their knowledge of the breadth and technical details of scientific projects and facilities at LANL. Social events are also scheduled throughout the summer to make it easier for students to get to know more about their peers. Professional development workshops also provide students with opportunities to polish their presentation skills, prepare for job interviews, and develop effective technical abstracts.

Long known for its multicultural and artistic community, northern New Mexico also offers a variety of exciting outdoor recreational opportunities. In the summer LANL student interns enjoy rock climbing, hiking, camping, white water boating, spelunking, and mountain biking. At 7,000 feet Los Alamos is situated between the deserts and the high country of the southern Rocky Mountains. When students come to LANL they are provided with a unique opportunity not only to bolster their scientific and technical skills but also to learn more about richness and diversity of the cultural and physical world around us.

To learn more about the student programs at LANL click here.

National Energy Technology Laboratory

For more than 100 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has helped provide clean, safe, affordable, and reliable energy to the American people. Today, NETL research sites in Albany, OR., Morgantown, WV., and Pittsburgh, PA, develop advanced energy technologies and accelerate their commercialization in the United States and around the world. NETL also collaborates with industry, academia, and other government organizations to supplement the laboratory’s research and energy analysis portfolios.

The innovations that NETL and its partners discover address a range of fossil energy challenges, including carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage; advanced coal processing; enhanced natural gas exploration and production; next-generation emissions controls; production of materials for extreme environments; and high-efficiency boilers, turbines, fuel cells, and other power systems. NETL also manages DOE projects that tackle emerging issues in renewable energy, SmartGrid implementation, and ways to improve the reliability and efficiency of both existing and future power plant and electricity delivery systems.

Our nation realizes return on research investment when NETL transfers its energy solutions to the commercial and educational arenas. Licensing agreements with large and small companies bring viable solutions to market, while internships and other educational programs bring renowned researchers together with students and faculty. Further, NETL-sponsored papers, presentations, publications, websites, and conferences ensure that laboratory breakthroughs are shared openly with decisions makers, stakeholders, and other researchers around the globe. Most importantly, all of NETL’s activities support the DOE mission to promote the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Situated on the edge of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has a rich history of scientific innovation and partnering with industry to bring new products and technologies to the marketplace with the overall aim of helping to build a cleaner, more sustainable energy infrastructure.

As the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research, NREL and its scientists and engineers help lead the nation toward a clean energy future. The Laboratory focuses on clean energy technologies that benefit both the environment and the economy. NREL has more Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with industry than any other national laboratory. It has won 55 R&D 100 awards – dubbed the Oscars of Invention -- for technological innovations.

NREL is a living laboratory of what is possible in energy efficiency, from smart windows to daylighting to revolutionary new approaches to air conditioning. NREL conducts research in about 50 areas of scientific investigation, including:

Photovoltaics
Wind Energy
Biomass-derived fuels and chemicals
Building Efficiency
Advanced Vehicles
Industrial processes
Solar Thermal Systems
Hydrogen
Fuel Cells
Geothermal
Distributed Energy Resources
Measurement and testing of renewable energy systems
Hybrid systems
Basic Energy Research
Scientific Computing
Energy Analysis

Interns and faculty get the chance to be in on the ground floor of world-class renewable energy research, conducting original research under the tutelage of expert scientists, and producing scientific papers. Interns are encouraged to think creatively, learn from experienced mentors, and look outside the box.

NREL has two campuses: the main 300-acre campus in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado, and the National Wind Technology Center located between Golden and Boulder, near the University of Colorado. NREL’s newest building, the Energy Systems Integration Facility, is where world-class electric grid integration research takes place. At the wind center, NREL is testing several new megawatt class turbines and building new blade and dynamometer test facilities to accommodate these larger turbine components.

NREL has been around for 37 years and has never stopped innovating. Some recent highlights:

Developing methane-eating micro-organisms to dampen the greenhouse gases emitted via the fracking process.
Research on perovskite, a new solar material that is shooting up the efficiency charts faster than anything researchers have seen before. NREL’s unique characterization capabilities, together with its expertise in materials science and reliability set it up as a key player in the new field.
Work with auto manufacturers on increasing the efficiency and lowering the cost of hydrogen fuel cells, a transportation fuel alternative that emits nothing but water from the tailpipe.
NREL has created crystalline nanotubes and nanorods to boost the power and durability of lithium-ion batteries, the power source of laptops, cell phones, and electric cars, a $16 billion a year market.
NREL’s new teraflop supercomputer Peregrine has the crunching power capable of simulating everything from downstream flow on wind farms to the minute movements of molecules, and catches scientists by surprise on a regular basis. New revelations hasten the day when wind, solar, and biofuels will reach cost parity with fossil fuels.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

As DOE’s largest science and energy laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has a research portfolio that supports U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) missions in scientific discovery and innovation, clean energy, and nuclear security. Major research initiatives focus ORNL’s capabilities on:

ORNL’s leadership role in shaping the nation’s energy future includes hosting the U.S. project office for the ITER international fusion experiment, managing DOE’s Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, and leading the DOE Office of Science–sponsored BioEnergy Science Centerand the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy–sponsored Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors.

Critical research infrastructure at ORNL includes the world’s foremost resources for neutron sciences—the Spallation Neutron Sourceand the High Flux Isotope Reactor—and the world’s most powerful scientific computing complex. An investment of more than $500 million of federal, state, and private funds over the past decade has created a modern research environment at ORNL, with new facilities including the Advanced Materials Characterization Laboratory, the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, the Chemical and Materials Sciences Building, and three state-funded joint institutes.

Since 1947, ORNL has had a long and successful history of mentoring students and faculty. Guest researchers are welcomed into a stimulating atmosphere of hands-on research, and are encouraged to think independently and creatively, expand their horizons, connect with others, and learn from their mistakes.

ORNL is located in East Tennessee about 7 miles from the center of Oak Ridge (population 27,000) and about 25 miles from Knoxville (metro area population of 650,000). The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is nearby along with various state parks and Tennessee Valley Authority lakes affording numerous recreational opportunities.

Click here to find out more about DOE's programs for students at ORNL.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory(PNNL) is a Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science National Laboratory where interdisciplinary teams advance science and technology and deliver solutions to America's most intractable problems in energy, the environment, and national security. PNNL employs 4,900 staff and has an annual budget of nearly $1.1 billion.

In support of DOE missions, PNNL is distinguishing itself as a DOE National Laboratory providing world-leading science and technology in the areas of: 1) design and scalable synthesis of materials and chemicals, 2) coupling earth and energy systems for sustainability, 3) efficient and secure electricity management from generation to end use, and 4) signature discovery and exploitation for threat detection and reduction.

Our core capabilities are chemical and molecular sciences; chemical engineering; biological systems science; climate change science; environmental subsurface science; applied materials science and engineering; applied nuclear science and technology; advanced computer science, visualization, and data; systems engineering and integration; and large-scale user facilities/advanced instrumentation. The Marine Sciences Laboratory, at PNNL’s Sequim Marine Research Operations on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, is DOE’s only marine research laboratory. There, scientists develop innovations to address ocean-driven energy, marine resource impacts, and coastal security threats.

Fittingly part of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the confluence of the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers in southeastern Washington now is home to the communities of Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco (combined population ~240,000). The Tri-Cities offers a multitude of recreational, cultural, and historical activities with a mild, airy climate and up to 300 days of sunshine a year. The major metropolitan areas of Seattle and Portland are less than a four-hour drive away. Learn moreabout the area’s high rankings, including “11th Geekiest City in the U.S.” Every day, the staff at PNNL demonstrate a passion for delivering excellence in science and technology, management and operations, and advocacy for the communities where we live and work. We transform the world through courageous discovery and innovation.

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

The Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a Collaborative National Center for plasma and fusion science. Its primary mission is to develop the scientific understanding and key innovations that will lead to an attractive fusion energy source. Associated missions include conducting world-class research along the broad frontier of plasma science and providing the highest quality of scientific education. The laboratory, which is managed by Princeton University, is located on the University’s James Forrestal Campus.

PPPL supports graduate education primarily through the Program in Plasma Physics in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences of Princeton University. In addition, through the interdepartmental program in Plasma Science and Technology, PPPL supports students in affiliated engineering and science departments, who pursue research in plasma physics, while satisfying requirements and receiving degrees in their home departments. The staff at PPPL is devoted both to creating new knowledge about the physics of plasmas--ultrahot, charged gases--and to developing practical solutions for the creation of fusion energy.

In a series of experiments at the lab, PPPL researchers are expanding understanding of how plasmas behave and how they can be used to create fusion energy. The largest of these experiments, the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), began in 1999. As in many other fusion experiments, the plasmas in NSTX are confined using magnetic fields and walls designed to withstand the heat from plasmas with temperatures that exceed 100 million degrees Celsius (to date, NSTX plasmas have attained temperatures of 60 million degrees Celsius). But in contrast to most fusion experiments, which confine plasmas in a donut-like shape, the plasmas in NSTX are spherical in shape with a hole through the center.

Laboratory scientists are collaborating with researchers on fusion science and technology at other facilities, both domestic and foreign. Staff are applying knowledge gained in fusion research to a number of theoretical and experimental areas including materials science, solar physics, chemistry, and manufacturing. You can read more about PPPL’s research efforts here: http://www.pppl.gov/research.cfm

Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia has delivered essential science and technology to resolve the nation's most challenging security issues for more than 60 years. The laboratories grew out of America’s World War II effort to develop the first atomic bombs. Today, keeping the U.S. nuclear stockpile safe, secure, and effective is a major part of Sandia’s work as a multidisciplinary, national security, engineering laboratory. However, Sandia’s role has evolved to address the additional complex threats facing our country. Fact sheets and descriptions of Sandia’s mission areas and capabilities are available here.

Sandia's headquarters is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and its second principal laboratory is in Livermore, California. Workforce development and internship opportunities are offered at both campuses, albeit in different project areas. The facilities at which these opportunities take place are described below.

Sandia’s Combustion Research Facility (CRF) in Livermore, California
Since the 1970s, Sandia's scientists have been breaking new ground in energy research to reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil and mitigate the effects of global climate change. At Sandia’s California site, strong energy research thrusts in combustion, biofuels, and energy nanomaterials have emerged. Placement opportunities for summer interns exist at the Combustion Research Facility (CRF), which is home to more than 100 scientists, engineers, and technologists who conduct basic and applied research to improve our nation’s ability to use and control combustion processes efficiently and cleanly. Under the principal sponsorship of the Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences, the CRF seeks to reveal the key chemical and physical processes that underlie the complex mechanisms of combustion and provide the science base necessary to build a new generation of advanced, high-efficiency, clean internal combustion engines (ICEs) and to optimize these engines for future fuels. CRF researchers and collaborators have greatly expanded the fundamental knowledge of combustion processes and contributed to significant design innovations for diesel engines, pulse combustors for furnaces, pollution reduction methods, and diagnostic techniques for investigating these processes.

Researchers in the program employ state-of-the-art laser-based techniques to interrogate chemical reactivity, molecular spectroscopy, turbulent flame dynamics, reacting in-cylinder flows in ICEs, and the effects of combustion emissions on atmospheric composition and climate. We also have a major focus on combustion simulation and modeling, which includes large-scale computations of turbulent combustion processes, mathematical and computational tools for uncertainty quantification, stochastic modeling, ab initio calculations of molecular structure and energetics, and modeling of the complete kinetics of combustion processes in both laminar and turbulent environments.

Placement opportunities for faculty exist at the CRF, as well as in other research groups focusing on innovations in bioscience and materials science, both in California and in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sandia/California is uniquely situated in the Livermore Valley, approximately 45 miles east of San Francisco. The CRF’s challenging and stimulating work environment addresses today’s most critical energy and environmental issues, and offers opportunities for personal, professional, and technical growth.

Sandia’s Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) in Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Center for Integrated Nanotechnology (CINT) is a DOE Office of Science Nanoscale Science Research Center operating as a national user facility. It is devoted to establishing the scientific principles that govern the design, performance, and integration of nanoscale materials. CINT is an equal partnership between Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

CINT has scientific expertise and specialized capabilities in four interdisciplinary science thrusts. The quantum materials systems area focuses on understanding and controlling quantum effects of nanoscale materials and their integration into systems spanning multiple length scales. In situ characterization and nanomechanics involves developing and implementing world-leading capabilities to study the dynamic response of materials and nanosystems to mechanical, electrical, or other stimuli. Nanophotonics and optical nanomaterials includes discovery, synthesis, and integration of optical nanomaterials and characterization of emergent or collective electromagnetic and quantum optical phenomena. Finally, soft, biological, and composite nanomaterials focuses on the synthesis, assembly, and characterization of soft, biomolecular, and composite nanomaterials that display emergent functionality.

CINT’s ultimate goal is designing and achieving new material properties and functionalities. Its scientists and engineers use experimental and theoretical approaches, develop a wide variety of synthesis and processing methods, and investigate new performance regimes, testing design, and integration of nanoscale materials and structures.

Savannah River National Laboratory

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is the applied research and development laboratory at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS). The laboratory applies state-of-the-art science to provide practical, high-value, cost-effective solutions to complex technical problems.

The laboratory earns its world-class reputation because of its talented people and their unwavering commitment to safety, security and quality in the delivery of technology solutions that work. SRNL interns have a unique opportunity to work in an applied science research environment, where their research supports the deployment of solutions for a wide spectrum of DOE Complex, national, university, community and business needs. (SRNL Internships - We Put Science to Work)

SRNL applies this commitment to solving the complex problems of the times, such as the detection of weapons of mass destruction, the cleanup of contaminated groundwater and soils, the development of hydrogen as an energy source, the need for a viable national defense, and the safe management of hazardous materials. Building on 50-plus years of technological achievement and a framework of vital core competencies, the laboratory will continue to identify, develop and deploy innovative technologies to meet the needs of a variety of customers across the Savannah River Site, the Department of Energy and the nation.

Savannah River National Laboratory is about 18 miles south of Aiken, South Carolina (population about 29,500), about 25 miles southeast of Augusta, GA (population about 195,000), and slightly more than a 2-hour drive from Hilton Head Island. Aiken’s climate includes warm summers and mild winters; rainfall averages 3 to 5 inches per month, in most months. Geological and hydrological information about the SRNL area can be found here. SRNL News and Events can be found via News and Events.

In 2014, Aiken was ranked as the third most livable city in the state. Use an on-line calculator to compare cost of living in Aiken to the cost of living in other cities!

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is operated by Stanford University on behalf of the DOE. Since its opening in 1962, SLAC has been helping create the future. We built the world’s longest particle accelerator, discovered some of the fundamental building blocks of matter and created the first website in North America. Our top-notch research facilities attract over 3,400 scientists from all over the world each year. Along with our own staff scientists, they’re working to discover new drugs for healing, new materials for electronics and new ways to produce clean energy and clean up the environment.

SLAC is home to the world’s first hard X-ray free-electron laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source. This revolutionary X-ray laser reveals intimate details of atoms and chemical reactions and makes stop-motion movies of this tiny realm, with the goal of doing the same for living cells.

Our scientists are also exploring the cosmos, from the origin of the universe to the nature of dark energy, and developing the smaller, more efficient particle accelerators of the future.

Six scientists have been awarded Nobel prizes for work done at SLAC, and more than 1,000 scientific papers are published each year based on research at the lab. The 426-acre campus of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is located in Silicon Valley, 30 miles southeast of San Francisco on the Stanford University campus.

Students gain first-hand research experience with a scientist or engineer on an exciting project that will enhance their personal and professional portfolio. They live on Stanford University campus, participate in scientific lectures and workshops, and join in tours of local research laboratories and institutions. Students also enjoy exploring the natural beauty, rich diversity and culture, and breath-taking landmarks of the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

The Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (https://www.jlab.org/), or Jefferson Lab, is a basic research laboratory built to conduct basic research of the atom's nucleus using the lab’s unique particle accelerator, known as the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF).

Jefferson Lab is a user facility, meaning its unique research tools are available to scientists and college students from around the world. Currently, more than 1,300 users are engaged in research at the lab. Jefferson Lab also has more than 800 employees and contractors, who share workspace and research facilities with users and students on the lab’s 206-acre campus.

As a world-leading nuclear physics research facility, Jefferson Lab is engaged in many exciting science programs and has developed areas of expertise that support its primary mission to explore the nucleus of the atom. These programs and areas of expertise include experimental nuclear physics, computational and theoretical nuclear physics, accelerator science, cryogenics, superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) technologies, and radiation detectors. To learn more about the research done at Jefferson Lab, visit our "Recent Experiments" webpage: https://www.jlab.org/experiment-research/

Students will work alongside scientists and engineers on a variety of projects. Click here (http://education.jlab.org/ugresearch/) to see the posters that students have created from their research projects. Students living more than sixty miles away from Jefferson Lab will be house at the on-site Residence Facility (http://sura.org:3283/resfac/accomodations/).

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