National Laboratory Opportunities

The Graduate Research Program at ORNL (GRO) offers students the opportunity to supplement your degree program from a leading research university by conducting research at ORNL. This highly flexible program allows for the student and ORNL scientist to maximize research opportunities at ORNL.

Bridge to Employment in Service and Tourism (B.E.S.T.) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides job exploration, pre-employment training, job skills development, and professional mentorship to adults with disabilities and barriers to employment. Sessions occur 3 times a year. Interns participate in 16-week internship, three or five days a week at ORNL.

The Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Graduate Research Fellowship, managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, aims to strengthen the pool of well-trained, diverse PhD scholars who are equipped for research-intensive building technologies careers in academia, industry, and the national labs. IBUILD Fellows will receive research and educational support to conduct innovative research at their home institution in an area with demonstrated relevance to building decarbonization. In addition to funding high quality research, the fellowship will provide professional development, mentoring, and networking opportunities.

JUMP (Join the discussion, Unveil innovation, Make connections, Promote tech-to-market) into STEM is a building science competition for undergraduate and graduate students at U.S. colleges and universities. JUMP into STEM aims to attract bright students from a variety of majors to building science.

The Minority Educational Institution Student Partnership Program (MEISPP) provides 12-week summer internship opportunities to highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates from eligible Minority Serving Institutions. Some opportunities may be extended into the academic year. The MEISPP is designed to provide talented undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates with internships that introduce them to a variety of entry and mid-level research, technical and professional positions within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories. Interns will help support the DOE mission of discovering solutions to power and secure America’s future.

The NextGen Pathway to Computing program affords rising high school juniors and seniors and recent graduates in accredited high schools or home school programs in Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon, and Roane counties the opportunity to learn about foundational computer and computational science skills. Students will be mentored by ORNL research and technical staff and will gain valuable skills needed for successful careers in computing fields. The NEXTGENSCOMPUTING program may be for you!

The Pathways to Computing Internship Program (PCIP) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a 10-week summer program that provides undergraduate students with learning opportunities in computer science, computational science, and mathematics. Students will be mentored by ORNL research and technical staff and make contributions to projects in diverse domains including computer science, health data science, and climate science. In addition, students will gain valuable skills needed for a successful career in computing fields. Selected interns will have access to ORNL’s leadership-class facilities, including Frontier, the world’s fastest supercomputer and first to break the exascale barrier.

The ORNL Research Student Internships (RSI) program aims to encourage research careers in STEM fields through connecting students and recent graduates to research internships while experiencing mentorship with world-class scientists. Scientific discovery is a team effort. Researchers, engineers, and technical and business professionals support achievements in science and technology by helping to manage and operate research projects and facilities. We believe the teams required to solve the nation's most pressing scientific challenges are those that combine a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory Technical and Professional Internship Program (TPI) provides opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and recent graduates to engage with ORNL projects and connect with ORNL researchers and professional staff. Technical and business professionals support achievements in science and technology by helping manage and operate research projects and activities.

The University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) is looking for the nation’s best and brightest undergraduates for its Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) Summer Internship program. SMaRT interns have the unique opportunity to work daily with researchers from ORNL and UT for 10 weeks over the summer. Interns receive a stipend, housing and an allowance for travel to and from Knoxville, Tennessee.