Graduate Student Opportunities
Feature photo by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
Enhance your expertise and collaborate with many of the nation’s leading science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experts as you complete your research. Opportunities are available for current master’s degree and PhD students to participate as members of research teams at ORNL. All internships come with a stipend.
Application deadlines vary by program. Click on the program name to learn more about each opportunity.
Considerations:
- Most of ORNL’s programs are pool-based applications-it is recommended that you connect with a mentor!
- Unless indicated all internships have a requirements of:
- U.S. Citizenship or LPR status
- 3.0+ GPA
- Please see the frequently asked questions page for more information!
- Attend an ORNL Webinar to learn more about the application process
Summer, Spring and Fall Programs
Program
Eligibility
Duration & Commitment
DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program (SCGSR)
2025 Solicitation 2 applications closed.
- Graduate students currently pursuing Ph.D. degrees
- Full eligibility details
- 3-12 months full-time
ORNL Research Student Internships (RSI)
Summer 2026 applications close February 26, 2026 11:59 PM ET
- Undergraduate and graduate students
- Recent Associate, Bachelor. and Masters graduates (within 2 years of graduation).
- US citizen or LPR
- Recently separated veterans
- Summer: full-time 10-12 weeks
- Fall/spring: full-time or part-time 16-20 weeks
Technical and Professional Internships (TPI)
- Currently enrolled in master’s or doctoral (Ph.D or J.D) degree program
- Recent graduate (master’s)
- US citizen or LPR
- 3.0+ GPA
- Summer: full-time 10-12 weeks
- Fall/spring: full-time or part-time 16-20 weeks
Graduate Research at ORNL (GRO)
No deadlines for GRO, contact a staff member in your discipline to get started.
- Currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program or thesis-requiring masters program
- 3.0+ GPA
- Able to spend the proposed dates at ORNL without the interruption of coursework. (Most students have completed coursework or come over the summer.)
- Full-time 2-12 months
Summer Programs
Program
Eligibility
Duration & Commitment
Summer 2026 applications will be accepted through February 1st, 2026
- U.S. citizen/LPR
- 3.0+ GPA
- Must be enrolled in law school at the time your application for the internship is submitted
- Must be available May 26- July 31, 2026
- On-site at ORNL
- Full-time
Modeling, Experimentation & Validation Summer School
Tackling Materials Challenges for the Next Generation of Nuclear
- PhD students and early career scientists interested in growing a foundational research base in nuclear materials and fuels.
- This program will take place July 25- August 1, 2025
Summer 2025 applications open through March 28, 2025.
The GEM Fellow Internship Program at ORNL (GEM)
Summer 2026 applications closed.
a student must first be awarded a fellowship by the National Gem Consortium then be invited to an internship at ORNL.
- 10-12 weeks
- Full-time
- On-site at ORNL
NNSA Minority Serving Institution Internship Program (MSIIP)
Summer 2026 applications closed.
- US citizens only
- Undergraduate or Graduate student at a Minority Serving Institution.
- Summer: full-time 12 weeks
- Possibility to extend to 12 months.
National Neutron
Scattering School
Summer 2025 applications close April 16th, 2025.
- Eligibility details: View
- The National Neutron Scattering School will take place September 6-12, 2025.
Finishing a masters? Do your PhD at ORNL!
The Bredesen Center
Fall 2026 applications close December 1, 2025
- Completed Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree
- Review admissions criteria
A joint doctoral training program between the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, supporting PhD students in interdisciplinary research across energy, data, and genome science.
For more information about graduate opportunities, please email [email protected].
Graduate Student Opportunities are managed by ORNL and administered by Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education