The Minority-Serving Institution Partnership Program - National Nuclear Security Administration (MSIPP-NNSA) is a research-based experience for students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM.
MSIPP-NNSA is designed to build a sustainable pipeline between the U.S. Department of Energy facilities and national laboratories and minority-serving institutions in STEM disciplines, and bring a heightened awareness of NNSA plants and laboratories to institutions with a common interest in STEM research fields.
About Our Interns
This program seeks students who have a passion for solving complex problems in national security, energy, and science. MSIPP-NNSA interns work side-by-side with a scientist in a specific research area that aligns with NNSA’s mission by applying cutting-edge research to make our nation safer and stronger. Such research areas include:
- Biology
- Computational science
- Cybersecurity
- High-energy physics
- Mass spectrometry
- Radiation detection
- Radiochemistry
MSIPP-NNSA interns are assigned a PNNL project advisor who guides their work on projects supporting a wide range of NNSA mission areas and capabilities. Interns will deliver a poster presentation on their work and internship experience as part of the end-of-summer internship symposium sponsored by the Office of STEM Education.
Want to learn more about MSIPP-NNSA at PNNL, including who our interns are and what they do? Check out this suite of MSIPP-NNSA intern posters and biographies.
Key Program Dates & Information
To learn more and view current MSIPP-NNSA internship opportunities, visit the PNNL Careers website. Opportunities are typically posted in September/October for interns that will begin assignments in June. MSIPP interns come to PNNL fully funded by NNSA for a period of 8-12 weeks. Depending on the work scope and mentor, the internship can be extended.
Application Information
A complete application package requires the three listed items below, combined into a PDF and uploaded to the job posting on the PNNL Careers website:
- Resumé or CV
- Current unofficial transcript; cumulative GPA must be listed
- 300-word essay describing your educational goals; how the student's specific interests/experience align with the NNSA mission and to one of PNNL’s core capabilities listed below; and how the student would contribute to the diversity of our programs.
PNNL Core Capabilities:
- 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.
“These past few weeks have definitely enhanced my critical thinking skills along with my ability to collaborate with others.”— MSIPP-NNSA Intern
