Students and faculty will conduct research and technical projects at national laboratories
Applications are currently being accepted for the summer 2024 term of three programs offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science: the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program, the Community College Internships (CCI) program, and the Visiting Faculty Program (VFP).
- The application deadline for all three programs is Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at 5 p.m. Eastern.
SULI and CCI
Through SULI and CCI, undergraduate students discover science and technology careers at the DOE national laboratories and gain the experience needed to transition from internship to employment. Interns work directly with national laboratory scientists and engineers, assisting them on research or technology projects that support the DOE mission.
SULI is open to full-time students attending four-year institutions and community colleges or recent graduates within two years of receiving their bachelor’s degree, while CCI is exclusively for community college students. Both programs are stipend-based and offered three times annually in fall, spring, and summer.
A total of three informational workshops will be held for SULI and CCI. One application workshop will be held for each program and will provide an introduction to the program and an overview of the application process. The third and final workshop will highlight SULI and CCI research opportunities at the DOE national laboratories through an alumni panel discussion.
- CCI application workshop: Wednesday, November 1, 2023, from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern (view recording)
- SULI application workshop: Wednesday, November 15, 2023, from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern (view recording)
- SULI and CCI alumni panel discussion: Wednesday, November 29, 2023, from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern
In recent years, interns have worked on projects using data from DOE’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, including measurements from the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions Experiment (TRACER).
Potential mentors should reach out to SULI and CCI program contacts at their labs for information on how to request an intern.
VFP
VFP seeks to increase the research competitiveness of faculty members and their students at institutions historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to expand the workforce vital to DOE mission areas. As such, VFP especially attracts faculty members from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Typically, about 50% of the participants are from MSIs, one-third of which are HBCUs.
Selected college and university faculty members collaborate with DOE laboratory scientific research staff on research projects of mutual interest. Each participating faculty member may invite one or two students (one of whom may be a graduate student) to join the research team.
A VFP application workshop will provide an introduction to the program and an overview of the application process. A second workshop will highlight the VFP experience through an alumni panel discussion.
- VFP application workshop: Friday, November 17, 2023, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern (register now)
- VFP alumni panel discussion: Friday, December 1, 2023, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern (register now)
Internship Fair
In addition to the workshops listed above, prospective SULI, CCI, and VFP applicants can engage with recruiters and scientists from the DOE national laboratories at a summer internship fair sponsored by the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) and hosted by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.
- Summer internship fair: Wednesday, November 8, 2023, from 1 to 5 p.m. Eastern (register now)
Additional information about SULI, CCI, and VFP is accessible from the WDTS home page. Resources include lists of participating laboratories, eligibility requirements, application guidance, frequently asked questions, and highlights featuring former interns.
# # #This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, through the Biological and Environmental Research program as part of the Atmospheric System Research program.