Students to Join Research Teams this Summer at Department of Energy National Laboratories and Facilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - 1118 undergraduate students and 92 faculty members will participate in unique, hands-on research and technical training at the Department of Energy (DOE)'s National Laboratories and a fusion facility during Summer 2026.

This opportunity is part of DOE's ongoing efforts to ensure that the United States maintains a highly skilled scientific and technical workforce to address the energy, economic, and national security challenges of today and tomorrow.

"The Department of Energy is proud to offer opportunities to students and educators to work with DOE and the National Labs to advance science," said DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil. "When students are able to experience working in a laboratory, they have a better understanding of what their careers could be. We are excited to encourage new researchers on their paths to helping us solve America's challenges."

The summer cohort includes 969 undergraduate students from two- or four-year colleges and universities and 149 community college students. They are part of the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) and Community College Internships (CCI) programs, respectively. These students, from 346 academic institutions spanning 47 states, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Island, Guam, and District of Columbia, will work alongside National Lab scientists and engineer mentors on cutting-edge research and technology projects, including artificial intelligence, computational sciences, quantum sciences, accelerator physics, fusion energy, critical minerals and materials sciences, nuclear energy, biotechnologies, and cybersecurity.

In addition, 92 faculty members from 69 U.S. colleges and universities selected will collaborate with National Lab research staff on projects of mutual interest and mission relevancy through the Visiting Faculty Program (VFP). 21 students will join the faculty awardees on the collaborative research projects. SULI, CCI and VFP participants are selected based on merit among applicants from a wide range of academic institutions and backgrounds across the nation. The programs are managed by the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) in the DOE Office of Science. For more information, visit the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) homepage.

A list of recipients can be found at https://science.osti.gov/wdts/About/Laboratory-Participants.