EEIP PhD Intern - Nuclear Sciences

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.  

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus. 

The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management. 

The Nuclear Sciences Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, delivers science and technology innovations for the environment, energy, and national security. At a time when complex challenges are emerging on many fronts, we address some of the most challenging national and international nuclear issues. This includes providing technological solutions that protect the public health and safety around nuclear facilities, developing durable new materials for extreme nuclear environments, innovating new nuclear processes for the safety and security of the nation, and delivering new approaches for accelerating environmental cleanup of nuclear sites. The division’s capabilities and efforts are focused on environmental management of nuclear sites, nuclear regulatory processes, national nuclear security, and advancing nuclear energy

Responsibilities

Are you interested in making the world a better place while gaining valuable research experience to launch your career?

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is seeking PhD students passionate about creating a sustainable energy future through science and engineering to join us for a 10 week paid summer internship as part of the Energy and Environment Internship Program (EEIP).

Participants will begin in cohort sessions and must be available to start on May 26, 2026 or June 16, 2026 as part of the Summer 2026 cohort.

Within PNNL’s Nuclear Sciences Division, our scientists and engineers tackle some of the nation’s most complex challenges: advancing energy independence, remediating legacy nuclear waste, and strengthening national security. Our work blends experimentation, modeling, and engineering of nuclear materials and processes to deliver innovative solutions for the U.S. government and industry.

If your background or interests align with chemistry, materials science, nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or computer science, this internship places you at the center of high-impact research.

Research Focus Areas

Interns will contribute to projects within one of the following areas:

• Experimental and Computational Engineering
  Multiphase fluid dynamics, heat transport, structural and safety analysis, nuclear radiation modeling, reactive transport, and nuclear material storage and transportation
• Irradiation Sciences
  Irradiated materials characterization, dosimetry, and radiation effects
• Nuclear Chemistry and Engineering
  Radiochemical process engineering, separations, and conversion technologies
• Radiological Materials
  Waste-form development, vitrification and immobilization, glass and materials science, cementitious materials, process development, and off-gas capture and immobilization
• Reactor Materials and Mechanical Design
  Stress corrosion cracking, post-irradiation and non-destructive examination, advanced materials characterization, computational materials science and data analytics, and electro-mechanical hardware design

The Internship Experience

PNNL interns are fully integrated into research teams and supported through The Gold Experience, a summer-long program that includes professional development, networking with scientists and engineers across the lab, and exposure to the full breadth of PNNL’s research mission.

This internship is designed to accelerate your growth as a researcher and help you envision long-term career paths in national laboratory science. Many students return for multiple summers, and a number successfully transition into full-time roles at PNNL after graduation.

Why Apply?

• Gain hands-on research experience in a national laboratory setting.
• Collaborate with top scientists and engineers in cutting-edge research fields.
• Build professional connections that can support future career opportunities.

Positions are based in Richland, WA. Work is primarily on-site, with remote arrangements considered only in rare circumstances and strictly based on business need.

If you’re motivated to apply your skills to real-world problems and gain hands-on research experience that can shape your career, we encourage you to apply.
 

****HOW TO APPLY**** 

To have a complete application package, the (2) listed items below are required and must be uploaded correctly per the steps below for consideration:

Step 1: Upload Resume or CV in “Resume” section only (note: If applying to multiple positions, the most recent resume uploaded will be used for all positions an applicant applies to).

Step 2: Upload a Cover Letter separately in “Additional Documents” section of the application titled “Nuclear Sciences EEIP Cover Letter”.

• Cover letter should include: Statement of interest, reference relevant college courses, and relevant experience that may include extracurricular activities that have prepared you for this career.

If any of the components (resume and cover letter) are not uploaded per the instructions above, applications will be rejected and will no longer be considered. Electronic applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. (PST) on the posting close date.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Candidates must be currently enrolled/matriculated in a PhD program at an accredited college. 
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Disciplines of interest: additive manufacturing, chemical engineering, chemistry, computational modeling, computer science, material science, mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, software engineering, and systems engineering.