ORNL aims to make our internships available to dedicated and motivated students regardless of previous experience. You do not need to have previous research, technical, or professional experience to be considered. While eligibility varies between higher education internships, core requirements generally include:
- Age 18 or older (high school opportunities are also available)
- Cumulative GPA over 3.0
- U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident
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Regardless of the major that you are pursuing, there are opportunities for you to experience a world-class internship at ORNL. To learn more about the research possibilities at the lab, please visit ORNL Fact Sheets. In addition to science, technology, and engineering research experiences, ORNL is an exceptional place to gain experience in business and other non-research disciplines. To increase your chances of selection we recommend:
Apply to multiple programs: There are numerous programs that provide internships at ORNL, to increase your chances of being selected we recommend you apply to all that are relevant.
Connect with a mentor: You are encouraged to reach out to staff to discuss research opportunities at the lab. Please use the How to Find a Mentor Guide to explore the possibilities!
While internships vary in length, most of our internships last between 10–16 weeks to align with academic terms. However, working with your mentor, it is possible to extend your internship experience. For more details on internship lengths, please see the details on each internship program page.
While pay varies between programs, all ORNL internship experiences come with a stipend. See individual programs for more details.
We know that finding short-term housing in a new area can be difficult. ORNL has resources that will be available to you once you have accepted an offer that can help you determine the best option for your internship experience.
Most our internships come with a travel reimbursement if you live farther than 50 miles from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Program managers can assist in coordinating travel to ORNL.
Because the ORNL campus is relatively remote, it is highly recommended that you bring a car during your internship. We understand that in many cases this is not possible and provide services that will help:
- If you live in the area surrounding UT campus, there is a shuttle that is provided to and from the ORNL campus. For details on the route and schedule, please visit the shuttle website. Note: The shuttle may not be used on the first day of your internship (you need an ORNL badge to use the shuttle).
- Many of our interns rely on carpooling to get to and from the lab each day. After you accept your internship offer, you will be provided with a link that you can use to communicate with other interns to establish a carpool.
Average drive times from surrounding communities:
- Oak Ridge: 10–15 minutes
- Knoxville: 30–45 minutes
- Maryville: 30–45 minutes
- Kingston: 25–30 minutes
At high traffic times of the day, it is important to consider ORNL gate traffic as well, which can be 10–15 minutes at peak hours.