If you are an undergraduate or graduate student with an interest in solving complex environmental challenges, this is a great internship for you! During your 8 – 12 week summer, paid internship, you’ll gain hands-on experience while being mentored by a leading expert. Your work will align with one of our core capabilities at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Environmental Management, Environmental Remediation, and Waste Processing, which include:

• Chemical and molecular sciences
• Chemical engineering
• Biological systems science
• Climate change science
• Environmental subsurface science
• Applied materials science and engineering
• Applied nuclear science and technology
• Advanced computer science, visualization, and data
• Systems engineering and integration
• Large-scale user facilities/advanced instrumentation
• Subsurface modeling and imaging

Through the Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) with the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM), PNNL is helping build a diverse future workforce in environmental remediation and cleanup. As you grow in your research expertise and develop your network with some of the world’s top environmental experts, you’ll also discover exciting career options open to you at PNNL and other national laboratories across the nation. 

Not sure if the institution you attended qualifies you for this opportunity? Send us a note and we'll be happy to confirm! 

PNNL is looking for driven and enthusiastic students to join our team. Our internships give you the opportunity to tackle challenging and unique problems while receiving invaluable mentorship from the nation’s leading environmental experts. 

PNNL Internship Experience: Elevating Your Career

As a PNNL intern, you’ll not only have the opportunity to be mentored by a leading expert in their field and to participate in hands-on research, we’ll also help you prepare to launch your future science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) career. Through our comprehensive internship experience, we provide you with professional development opportunities, networking, and career preparation to elevate your future in STEM. Our enhanced model and method for delivering an internship embraces our core values of collaboration, courage, integrity, and creativity. You’ll stay connected to PNNL, fellow interns, and your mentors via the following activities:

• comprehensive onboarding, including new-hire meet and greets;
• enrichment activities, including games, coffee breaks, and monthly mingles;
• seminars and discussions with mentors; and
• E-newsletters with professional articles and tips.

As one of 17 national laboratories and one of the largest STEM employers in the Pacific Northwest, PNNL is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and furthering DOE’s mission in science education and diverse workforce development. Competitive internship opportunities like this are one way we satisfy that goal. Many students return for multiple internships and successfully apply for full-time positions after their college graduation.

EM and MSIPP

MSIPP promotes the education and development of the next generation workforce in STEM related disciplines that compliment current and future missions of EM to address the nation’s Cold War environmental legacy resulting from five decades of nuclear weapons production and government-sponsored nuclear activity.

EM recognizes that successfully completing its legacy environmental cleanup mission requires maintaining a highly-trained, technically skilled, and diverse workforce. Minority representation in critical science and engineering fields is an important part of EM’s vision for this future workforce.

Key Program Dates & Information

Applications typically open during the fall (October/November) for placement that begins the following summer, typically in June. Visit PNNL’s careers page to learn more and see the current MSIPP-EM internship postings.

Applying for an Internship

Gather your resume or CV, unofficial transcript for all current and past degrees, and then upload them as additional PDF files. Be sure to complete all parts of the application. If any of the required documents are missing, your application will not be reviewed.

Electronic applications are accepted until 11:59:59 p.m. (PT) on the closing date indicated on the job posting.