Office of National Laboratories Opportunities

Idaho National Laboratory invites students to express interest in internship opportunities for Fall 2026 – Summer 2027. These paid internships span various STEM fields, allowing students to work on real-world projects alongside experienced professionals. Interested candidates must submit an official application when positions become available. Candidates must be full-time students with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Internship Opportunities

INL offers paid internship opportunities available in a wide range of STEM and other fields for both undergraduate and graduate students. These internships will help students collaborate with experienced scientists and engineers to develop innovative solutions for meaningful, real-world projects. INL needs individuals from all academic backgrounds to support our mission.

Opportunities for interns at INL range from nuclear engineering to cybersecurity and include non-scientific positions in various operations and business subject areas. INL research fields include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

Nuclear Science & Technology

Nuclear Fuels and Materials
Nuclear Systems Design and Analysis
Fuel Cycle Science and Technology
Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Research
Modeling and Simulation
High Performance Computing
Post-irradiation Examinations
Human Factors

Energy & Environment Science & Technology

Advanced Transportation
Environmental Sustainability
Clean Energy Integration
Advanced Manufacturing
Biomass

National & Homeland Security Science & Technology

Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resiliency
Nuclear Nonproliferatio
Physical Defense Systems

Support Organizations

Business Management
Communications
Information Management
Industrial Hygiene
Occupational Medicine
Fire Protection
Historians
Human Resources

Learn more

Are you an undergraduate student or recent graduate who is ready to use your major in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field or science policy to help make a difference in the world? Then the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) is for you!

When you join SULI, you’ll be part of a Department of Energy (DOE) team that’s working together to advance scientific impact and discovery. Expand your skills and knowledge at a DOE national laboratory using state-of-the-art facilities and advanced scientific instruments. 

Each year, students from around the country participate in SULI at one of the 17 participating DOE laboratories/facilities. In this comprehensive internship, you’ll be mentored by a leading science expert who will guide you in a specific research area to gain maximum exposure to one of the many science and technology areas that underpin the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) missions. This is an opportunity for you to enhance your professional network and develop your interests in state-of-the-art research facilities and to enhance your professional network.

SULI is a paid internship opportunity sponsored and managed by the DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) in collaboration with DOE laboratories/facilities. Students can participate in SULI either in a 10-week summer internship (May–August) or in a semester-long experience (August–December or January–May). 

More information

The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program provides merit-based scholarships to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students pursuing STEM degrees.

SMART scholarship recipients receive:

• Full tuition
• Annual stipends
• Summer internships
• Civilian employment with the Department of War, after graduation

Applications are open annually from August 1 to the first Friday in December. For more information: https://www.smartscholarship.org/smart

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students to intern with DHS. Participants will work on solving critical technology problems alongside DHS professionals.

The Homeland Security Professional Opportunities for the Student Workforce to Experience Research (HS-POWER), administered by DHS S&T, began accepting applications on September 1, 2026.

This is a unique opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in a broad spectrum of homeland security related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines as well as DHS mission-relevant research areas, including the social sciences.

Each intern will be paired with a mentor at DHS headquarters, a DHS component, or a DHS laboratory, providing them the opportunity to network with DHS professionals and researchers.

Over the course of their internship, students will work toward cutting edge research that directly supports the Department’s national security mission and goals. Internships typically last 10 weeks during the summer, starting in June, with flexible start dates. All interns receive a stipend and a housing allowance. Graduate students receive $1,000.00 per week, and undergraduate students receive $800.00. The participant housing allowance is $500.00 per week for both academic levels.

Graduate and undergraduate students from across the United States and its territories are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is December 2, 2026.

To apply, visit: Homeland Security Professional Opportunities for Student Workforce to Experience Research Program (HS-POWER).

Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program (FY2027 YIP)

Submission Dates
The online application period is now open through November 30th for the Summer 2027 internship program. To apply please visit: https://www.navalsteminterns.us/internships

Program Description
This 10-week internship program is designed to provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in research under the guidance of an appropriate research mentor at a participating Navy laboratory.

Call for Applications

Summer 2027 Full-time Internships for a wide range of applied and basic research projects across Air Force laboratory locations.

Applications open until Jan 11, 2027

Student Internships (Undergraduate & Graduate)

Provides students with practical research experience in computational science, engineering, physics, and global security.

Apply via LANL Careers (due dates vary by internship)

The Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program creates a pathway for you to advance your PhD thesis research while working at a Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory, collaborating with world-class scientists, and using state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge scientific instrumentation. While maximizing the impact of your own research, you will also expand your professional network and develop new opportunities for your future. In addition, you may have the opportunity for conducting a short international research visit to a prestigious institution abroad such as CERN or RIKEN.

The expertise, resources, and capabilities available at DOE National Laboratories and User Facilities are a combination not found anywhere else in the country. The unique opportunity to participate in the SCGSR program supports the goal to develop a new generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experts who are critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission.

To better understand the impact and experience of SCGSR, read our highlighted SCGSR research projects and learn about the program’s robust support and history.

More Information

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) Success Through Academic Research Scholarship (STARS) provides undergraduate students enrolled at qualified institutions with up to two years of support toward an undergraduate degree, plus an additional two years for those who choose to pursue a master’s degree.

Learn more: https://orise.orau.gov/em-stars/

Sandia National Laboratories offers various opportunities for students and postdocs, including internships, co-ops, fellowships and other postdoctoral positions. 

Learn more and apply

The DoW National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program is a competitive fellowship that is awarded to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. dual citizens who intend to pursue a Doctoral degree aligned to the DoW services Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) in research and development at a U.S. institution of their choice.

Applications are open through October 30. Find more information: https://ndseg.sysplus.com/

Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Young Investigator Program (YIP) N0001426SF004

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) was established in 1985 and seeks to identify and support academic scientists and engineers who are in their first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent academic appointment, who have received their PhD or equivalent degree on or after 01 January 2019, and who show exceptional promise for doing creative research. The objectives of this program are to attract outstanding faculty members of U.S. Institutions of Higher Education (hereafter also called “universities”) to the Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology (S&T) research program, to support their research, and to encourage their teaching and research careers. Individuals who are holding U.S. non-profit equivalent positions are also encouraged to apply. Proposals under this NOFO must address basic or applied research areas of interest and should be highly innovative.

Therefore, ONR YIP seeks creative individuals who can contribute to U.S. national security and warfighter supremacy, with the potential for sustained long term support throughout their academic careers.

Please see full text of the announcement for additional information.

Full Proposals will be accepted until: October 30, 2026 5:00 PM EST

The NASA Hubble Fellowship Program fosters excellence and leadership in astrophysics by supporting exceptionally promising and innovative early-career astrophysicists.

Application due October 28. 2026

Offers master’s and doctoral students from underrepresented groups paid research opportunities and tuition support while conducting research at national labs.

Apply via GEM Portal by November 8, 2026 

Linus Pauling Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship

Designed for early-career scientists who demonstrate exceptional talent to pursue independent research projects supported by PNNL mentors.

Apply via PNNL by December 1, 2026

DOE Marine Energy Fellowship (Graduate Track)

Provides graduate students the opportunity to conduct research and access resources at national laboratories, federal agencies, or industry partners in marine energy.

Apply via Zintellect by December 11, 2026

Postdoctoral Research Associates

Connects recent Ph.D. graduates with mentors at LLNL to conduct basic and applied scientific research supporting national security and science missions.

Apply via LLNL Careers – rolling deadlines