National Security
Internship 

Learning to protect our country

The National Security Internship Program is looking for the national security experts of tomorrow!

NSIP identifies ambitious and high-caliber undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields for this paid internship. Students in NSIP engage in hands-on learning and participate in a research experience with a mentor at PNNL. NSIP students have a rare opportunity to work on cutting-edge national security research at a national laboratory and interact with other research staff who are at the top of their fields.

Interns in the national security internship program (NSIP) benefit from a variety of professional development and networking opportunities. These include research seminars, workshops, tours of PNNL’s world class facilities, and interaction with PNNL leadership, scientists, and engineers. At the end of the internship, NSIP interns showcase the results of their research experience at a research symposium.

PNNL’s National Security Directorate hires NSIP interns in its three divisions: Computing & Analytics, Operational Systems & Technology, and Signature Science & Technology.

National Security Internship

Compensation and Reimbursements

Salary and round-trip travel reimbursement are provided. Travel reimbursement is provided for students living more than 50 miles from PNNL and is based on government-permitted amounts.

Key Dates

Internships take place during both the summer and school year. Applications for internships are posted on PNNL’s careers page as they become available. Type NSIP in the search bar to find current openings. Be sure to check the job site often and read individual job postings carefully for specific closing dates.

Eligibility

To be considered for an internship, undergraduate or graduate students must:

  • be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits per term for undergraduate and/or be accepted and enrolled in a graduate program at an accredited college or university
  • maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or better
  • be able to work a minimum 10-week internship. (Student may be eligible to continue working part-time during the academic year).

In addition, candidates with a bachelor’s degree may be eligible to apply as a post-bachelor’s research associate and must:

  • have received their undergraduate degree within the past 2 years at an accredited college or university in a field of study related to the specific internship posting
  • have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or better
  • be able to work a minimum of 6 months
  • be able to work 40 hours per week.

Applying for an Internship

Complete all sections of the application. The application requires completion of a 300-word essay on a specific topic. Gather your resume or CV, unofficial transcript for all current and past degrees, and the essay, then bundle them into one PDF file. The system will only accept one uploaded file. If any of the required documents are missing from the PDF, your application will not be reviewed. If you make a mistake, you will need to create a new profile and start the process over.

If you apply for more than one internship, you must submit a separate application for each position. Electronic applications are accepted until 11:59:59 pm (PST) on the closing date indicated on the job posting.

“I made a valuable contribution to the research project and wrote a paper that was published in a scientific journal from the work.” — NSIP Intern