Internships and Fellowships in Cryogenics and Superconductivity

This is part four of our survey of educational opportunities in the fields of cryogenics and superconductivity. The other three parts are:

This content will be updated as new information becomes available. If you would like us to include information on any educational institution or resource please contact us.

DOE: Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships

This program places students in paid internships in science and engineering at any of several Department of Energy facilities. Many of the participants in the program have decided on a career in science and engineering because of the nature of the experience. Students work with scientists or engineers on projects related to the laboratories’ research programs. The different laboratories each offer different research opportunities.

The summer programs at the various laboratories will run from late May to mid-August, fall programs run from August through December and spring programs from January through May. The exact start date will depend on the laboratory and will be given to participants who have been accepted at that specific laboratory. Students are required to participate for the full term of the program.

Participants should expect to spend more than 40 hours per week and more than 8 hours per day in activities and/or research related to their internships.

An appointment is for 10 weeks during the summer term (May through August) or for 16 weeks during the fall term (August through December) and spring term (January through May).

Participating Laboratories: Ames Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Energy Technology Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.

More information is available at http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli.

Fermilab

Each summer Fermilab offers a variety of intern programs for secondary school teachers, high school students, undergraduates and graduate students. Interns have an opportunity to work on projects that support particle physics experiments in areas such as applied physics, engineering and computing. Working with Fermilab scientists or engineers, interns have an opportunity to experience current research methods and study problems of particle physics research. Also, Fermilab offers a few internships in environmental studies, particularly working in hundreds of acres of restored tallgrass prairie. Interns are selected for their outstanding scholarship and their interest in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

More information is available at http://ed.fnal.gov/interns.

ORNL: DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

There are opportunities for interns at ORNL to participate in research in a broad range of science and engineering activities related to basic sciences, energy and the environment, in disciplines such as computer science; earth, environmental and marine sciences; engineering; life sciences; mathematics; and physical sciences.

Only US citizens and legal permanent residents are eligible. Applicants must be undergraduate students.

Internship duration: summer term: 10 weeks; fall/spring term: 16 weeks. Frequency: spring, summer, fall. Benefits: bi-weekly stipend; limited travel reimbursement; housing allowance.

For more information, visit www.orau.gov/orise/edu/ornl/doeprog or contact Cindy White, program manager at DOE.

NHMFL: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

This eight-week summer internship program matches undergraduate students with scientists at the Magnet Lab’s three sites, offering them unique opportunities to explore science at the extremes of magnetic fields, pressure and temperature while working alongside some of the finest scientists, magnet designers and engineers in the world.

The Mag Lab offers a wide range of research experiences in physics, chemistry, biological sciences, geochemistry, materials science and magnet science and engineering. Summer interns work closely with their faculty mentors and are thoroughly integrated into research and development activities. Beyond the lab, students broaden their knowledge of diverse Magnet Lab research by attending weekly seminars and colloquia.

Each student accepted by the program receives a stipend and, if necessary, travel support and housing.

More information is available at nationalmaglab.org/education/college-students-early-career-scientists/reu.

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: The SLAC Summer Student Program

Participants in this program must be at least 18 years old and enrolled in a high school, undergraduate or graduate level college educational program.

The jobs can range from unskilled or semi-skilled, to specialized jobs requiring a couple years of experience. Students can work at SLAC from May until September, depending upon department needs and students’ school schedules. Information about summer student jobs can be found online at SLAC’s Human Resources page.

NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)

NIST is a unique federal agency with the broad mission of promoting U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. Opportunities for NIST-funded postdocs, made available as part of the NRC Research Associateship Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Fellowships Office, are listed with application deadlines of February 1 and August 1 of each year. They are open to US citizens only and provide two years of salary, benefits and relocation expenses. Applicant is required to prepare a proposal aligned with one of the searchable research opportunities. For instance, Dr. Piotr Domanski offers a research opportunity in HVAC&R Equipment for High Performance Buildings, described here.

The full list of available opportunities is online at the National Academy of Sciences site.

Contacts are Ms. Chantale Denis (301/975-2722) and Dr. Susan F. Heller-Zeisler (301/975-3111).

Argonne National Laboratory

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, a major research center, is pleased to announce opportunities for college and university undergraduate students to participate in the laboratory’s ongoing research programs. In addition to such opportunities, the US Department of Energy is directly sponsoring research participation at other DOE facilities.

At Argonne, college/university students may obtain research experience through the Department of Energy’s Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program or the Student Research Participation Program. To apply for the program at Argonne or another DOE Laboratory, you must submit an application at the Department of Energy website for this undergraduate program. If you need assistance with the DOE application, please email [email protected].

For the Argonne Student Research Participation Program, apply only through the Argonne Division of Educational Programs. These programs extend for a ten-week period. There is limited flexibility in the appointment period. In addition to their research activities, participants attend a series of seminars and tours dealing with current topics in science and engineering.

At Argonne, college/university students may obtain research experience through the Department of Energy’s Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship Program or the Student Research Participation Program during the summer and academic year.

Areas of Research: Basic scientific research programs in physical and life sciences, mathematics, computer science and engineering. There are also applied research programs relating to energy, conservation, environmental impact and technology, nanomaterials, national security and advanced nuclear energy systems.

Brookhaven National Laboratory: (GRIP) Graduate Research Internship Program

The GRIP program is designed for both masters and PhD students in the life or physical sciences, computer science, engineering and mathematics.

The Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP) intends to pair graduate students with a Brookhaven National Laboratory scientist on a mutually agreed upon project, which will enhance the interns’ research skills and may lead to multiple scientific publications and may support their graduate thesis or dissertation. In addition, the GRIP intern will act as a liaison between the university advisor and the BNL scientist in fostering relationships and research opportunities with the two institutions.

After completing all necessary training, students can spend up to three months interning with an assigned BNL researcher and have the option to continue the project during the semesters following, depending upon the requirements by both the researcher and respective college/university.

During the semester periods, the candidate will conduct research on scheduled days, which shall not interrupt their course work at the home institution. The project undertaken may support the student’s dissertation or thesis.

For more information about this program, contact Noel Blackburn or visit www.bnl.gov/education/program.asp?q=123.

Ames Laboratory: CCI–Community College Institute Program

This program places students from community colleges in paid internships in science and engineering and technology at any of several different locations. Because of the comprehensive nature of this program, many of the participants have felt it has had an enormous influence on their careers.

Students work with scientists or engineers on projects related to the laboratories’ research programs. They also attend career planning and numerous training/informational sessions. The different laboratories each offer different research opportunities.

The CCI only runs during the summer term.

For more information, contact Steve Karsjen or visit www.ameslab.gov/education/CCI.

CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research)

At CERN, there are a large variety of opportunities, with programs that cover all disciplines in engineering, technology and physics. For CERN Member (and Associate) State Nationals, there are also two other programmes: Technical Students and Technical, Administrative and Doctoral Students.

Programs that are accessible to US nationals (which holds “observer status”) include the following:

Student opportunities:

The summer student Program poses the question: “How do you plan to spend your summer? How does getting involved in some of the world’s biggest experiments sound? This is more than summer work. It’s the chance to join CERN in Geneva—getting involved in the day-to-day work of our multicultural teams. Attend lectures, visit CERN facilities, take part in discussions and workshops with people who are leaders in their fields. In fact, it will be a summer like nowhere else on Earth.” Information is available here: https://home.cern/summer-student-programme (in particular, for US nationals: sites.google.com/a/umich.edu/um-cern-reu)

Graduate opportunities:

The Fellowship Programme is addressed to graduates from universities or higher technical institutes in a wide range of applied sciences, computing and engineering with limited or no work experience. Information is available here: https://careers.cern/career-level/fellowship-programmes

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions at CERN train young researchers across Europe, building the careers of tomorrow’s leaders in research and industry. Information is available here: http://cerneu.web.cern.ch/marie-sk%C5%82odowska-curie-steering-group-mcsg Contact: [email protected].

For more opportunities especially in the field of instrumentation and accelerator physics check: http://www.uslarp.org/.

Full list of US collaborating institutes and contacts in case you are interested to apply for a graduate degree or post-doctoral research position: http://united-states.cern/about/collaborating-institutions

NASA

NASA offers many learning opportunities, all of which can be applied for with its One Stop Shopping Initiative (OSSI). Lists of internships, fellowships and scholarships available at various NASA locations can be found at http://intern.nasa.gov.

This website lists NASA intern and fellow opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students and international students as well as the NASA Student Ambassador Virtual Community program. There are many helpful links to help match the candidate to openings.

Internships in Industry

Empire Magnetics Inc. has over the years employed 10 different interns. They are typically engineering students in their third or fourth year, and they are working on design projects related to vacuum, cryogenic and other harsh environment motion control devices. The company typically takes one intern per year.

For more information, contact Rick Halstead, president.

At Niowave, Inc., superconducting electron accelerators are being built to tackle America’s high-tech challenges in fields as diverse as health care and national security. Niowave has recently identified commercial markets for compact versions of these superconducting electron linear accelerators (linacs), including medical radioisotope production and free electron lasers. The company is seeking accelerator physicists and engineers for permanent staff and postdoctoral fellowship positions. Send CV and statement of research interests to Dr. Terry Grimm. For more information, visit www.niowaveinc.com.