The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory invites undergraduate students to apply to paid internships at PPPL and its partner institutions this summer. PPPL is a Department of Energy national lab at Princeton University. We’re working on developing nuclear fusion as an alternative energy source using hydrogen plasma, but plasma physics has lots of other applications – from astrophysics to materials science to nuclear disarmament to pasteurizing eggs!
Undergraduates are invited to apply to these paid internships listed below if they’re interested in astrophysics, plasma physics, and nuclear engineering. We especially encourage students of underrepresented groups to apply. Participants receive travel to/from Princeton and housing support. Some projects may be offered remotely.
Students and faculty are welcome to reach out for more information or assistance with the application process.
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) Applications close on January 10
Community College Internship (CCI) Applications close on January 10
Plasma and Fusion Undergraduate Research Opportunities (PFURO) Applications close on March 1
Engineering Undergraduate Internship Applications close on March 17
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI)
Applications close on January 10
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program at PPPL is for undergraduates interested in performing plasma physics and fusion energy research. Students perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting PPPL’s research and participate in the Intro to Plasma and Fusion course hosted by PPPL. For key dates, detailed eligibility requirements, benefits, and application information, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/suli. Travel support, if on-site, is provided. Housing assistance is available. All students receive a $650/week stipend.
What is Expected of Each Participant
- Complete the full ten or sixteen-week program
- Attend the intensive plasma physics course at PPPL (summer only)
- Complete a research paper and present a poster summarizing your results
- Submit an abstract of the research in the required format
- Attend all scheduled events including lectures, seminars, tours, and group activities
- Conduct yourself in a responsible and professional manner
- Participants should expect to spend 40 hours per week on activities and/or research related to their internships.
Eligibility for the SULI program requires that all applicants:
- Must be currently enrolled full-time (having completed at least one semester) or have recently graduated with an undergraduate degree within the last two years before the internship start date.
- Must have a cumulative minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Must be 18 years or older at the time the internship begins.
- Must be a United States Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident at the time of applying.
- Must have earned a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) equivalent at the time of applying
Community College Internship (CCI)
Applications close on January 10
The Community College Internship (CCI) program at PPPL is for students interested in technical careers relevant to plasma physics and fusion energy research. Students perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting PPPL’s research and participate in the Intro to Plasma and Fusion course hosted by PPPL. For key dates, detailed eligibility requirements, benefits, and application information, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/cci. Travel support, if on-site, is provided. Housing assistance is available. All students receive a $650/week stipend.
What is Expected of Each Participant:
The CCI program is intended to support the intellectual and professional development of students who have the desire to be involved in an intensive technical training experience. Selected students have the following program obligations:
- Must have proof of coverage under a health insurance plan for the duration of their internship. It is the responsibility of each participant to secure insurance coverage before arriving at the appointment site.
- Participants must conduct their internship within the United States and its Territories.
- Must complete the full 10 - week program. Students should expect to spend approximately 40 hours a week, or the equivalent of 400 hours/term under a flex-schedule, working on their projects or participating in the provided training and professional development activities.
- Must complete all required program deliverables on time.
- Must complete the entrance and exit surveys through the online system provided at the beginning of the internship. Host laboratories may choose to withhold initial or final stipend payments until the surveys have been submitted.
- Must behave in a responsible and professional manner.
- In advance of completion of their appointment, CCI participants must make a poster presentation on the outcome of their CCI related project activities, and complete and submit a 6 – 8 page project report. Report requirements and submission instructions will be provided at the beginning of the internship period.
- To help maintain accountability and accuracy of its federally-mandated assessment and reporting functions, WDTS requires funded work to appropriately acknowledge its support in the presentations and publications resulting from its funding. When acknowledging WDTS support, please use the following statement - “This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) under the Community College Internships Program (CCI).”
Eligibility for the CCI program requires that all applicants:
- Must be currently enrolled full-time (having completed at least one semester) in a community college or accredited two-year college and completed at least one semester at the time of applying.
- Must have a cumulative minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Must be 18 years or older at the time the internship begins.
- Must be a United States Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident at the time of applying.
- Must have earned a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) equivalent at the time of applying.
Plasma and Fusion Undergraduate Research Opportunities (PFURO)
Applications close on March 1
Current and recently graduated undergraduate students are invited to apply to the Plasma and Fusion Undergraduate Research Opportunities (PFURO) program! Participants will conduct research this summer with plasma/fusion scientists from undergraduate institutions throughout the US (universities, colleges, and other educational research institutions).
PFURO participants will:
- Conduct 10 weeks of summer research under the guidance of faculty and staff at US undergraduate institutions (universities, colleges, and other educational research institutions).
- Participate in the Intro to Plasma and Fusion course hosted by PPPL (June 13th-June 24).
- Be invited to join all of the workforce development seminars and workshops available for PPPL summer undergraduate interns
- Receive a $600 weekly stipend for the duration of the 10 week, 40hr/week research experience.
- Be sponsored to present their research at a national topical conference. Most students would present at APS-DPP, but it may also be GEC, ICOPS, SOFE, or another relevant topical conference.
Participants will conduct remote research on a topic in one of the following 4 main areas:
- Magnetic Fusion Energy: Research focusing on the scientific challenges of making magnetic fusion energy a reality. These are topics in plasma confinement, RF heating, stellarator design, turbulent transport, high-temperature superconductors, and many others.
- Fusion Materials and Technology: Research focusing on the materials required to build fusion reactors and heat and tritium extraction. Topics include: Neutron effects on materials, plasma-materials interaction, blanket design, etc.
- General Plasma Science: More than 99% of the visible universe is plasma and they cover wide scale and temperature ranges. Topics include: Astrophysical plasmas, space plasmas, complex (dusty) plasmas, low-temperature plasmas, and many others.
- High Energy Density Plasmas: Hot, dense plasmas have unique properties in the realm of plasmas and their physics can give insights into extreme astrophysical phenomena such as exploding supernovae as well as lead to advances in accelerator physics, inertial confinement fusion, among other fields of research.
Eligibility:
- Participants must be currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited US institution OR
- Applicants who will complete their undergraduate degree prior to starting their internship may apply as a "Graduating Senior", if (1) the applicant has not yet started a program of graduate study and will not matriculate as a graduate student prior to completing the PFURO term, and (2) the time period between receipt of an undergraduate degree and starting the PFURO term is less than two years.
- All applicants must complete the applications, including uploading the most recent transcript and have 1 recommender submit a recommendation letter.
- All applicants must be eligible to work in the US.
- Women and underrepresented minorities in plasma physics and fusion energy research especially encouraged to apply.
Engineering Undergraduate Internship
Applications close on March 17
In the Engineering Undergraduate Internship Program, engineering undergraduate students join engineers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory for 10 weeks in the summer providing a valuable, practical experience as an engineer at a National Laboratory. The program aims to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the energy workforce. Applicants must apply online, providing a transcript and the contact details for two reference letters. Participants are offered a competitive stipend, housing at the Princeton University dorms, and travel to/from Princeton. Participants will attend a week-long course in plasma physics at the start of the program and will deliver an oral and a poster presentation of their project at its conclusion.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- be enrolled in a four-year college or university
- be enrolled in relevant STEM courses
- be eligible for work in the United States
It is strongly recommended that students have:
- some experience relevant to engineering design, analysis or fabrication
- a strong interest in engineering and technology
For more information, please contact Shannon Swilley Greco at sgreco@pppl.gov