CS Summer Program: How to Apply

There are several different paths to a summer research position with the Computing Sciences Area at Berkeley Lab, including the following:

• Berkeley Lab direct hire
• Internship through two Department of Energy programs
  • Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI)
  • Community College Internship (CCI)
• Internship through Sustainable Research Pathways (SRP)
• The Visiting Faculty Program (VFP)

Each program has a separate application process with different deadlines. Please review the requirements for each type of hire carefully before applying.

Berkeley Lab Direct Hire

The Computing Sciences Area typically begins accepting applications for direct-hire positions in November for the following summer. Students are encouraged to apply early. Applications for the CS Summer Student program are accepted via Berkeley Lab's Careers page. Hiring decisions are usually made by the March to April timeframe.

Due to the high level of interest, we can only accept online applications. Some of the information required includes the following:

• Skills and relevant experience
• Interest in the program
• Educational background
• References

Please note: Students may also apply concurrently through the SULI or CCI programs. (Continue reading for more information pertinent to Berkeley Lab’s participation in these programs.)

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship Program (SULI)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s SULI, or Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship program encourages undergraduates from two- and four-year colleges, post-baccalaureates, and graduate students to pursue STEM careers by providing research internships at one of 17 DOE National Laboratories.

Applications are solicited annually for three separate internship terms. Internships last ten weeks during the summer term (May through August) or 16 weeks during the fall (August through December) and spring (January through May) terms.

The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) sponsors and manages the program in collaboration with DOE National Laboratories. All areas of Berkeley Lab, including the Computing Sciences Area, accept placements.

Community College Internship Program

CCI, or Community College Internship program, encourages community college students to enter technical careers relevant to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) mission by providing 10-week internships at one of 15 DOE laboratories.

Interns work on technologies, instrumentation projects, or major research facilities related to DOE’s ongoing research and development programs under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers.

The CCI program is sponsored and managed by the DOE Office of Science’sOffice of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) in collaboration with the DOE National Laboratories.

Applications for the CCI program are solicited annually for the 10-week summer, fall, and spring terms. The fall and spring terms also offer a 16-week flexible schedule option.

Faculty-Student Teams or Unaccompanied Students

Sustainable Research Pathways (SRP) is a Computing Sciences program designed to bring professor-and-student teams as well as unaccompanied undergraduate and graduate students to the lab to work on research projects. The program, developed in conjunction with Sustainable Horizons Institute, builds research collaborations and expands opportunities for emerging scientists. The faculty track consists of professor-and-student teams. Students may also apply without faculty member teammates via a newly added student track.

In early December, Computing Sciences sponsors a workshop to recruit participants for the following summer.

The December workshop is designed for faculty and students from a variety of institutions, including minority-serving Institutions (MSI) and women’s and community colleges serving students from under-represented or underprivileged backgrounds. At the workshop, faculty teams and unaccompanied students explore possible areas of overlap and cooperation between their own research and that of Berkeley Lab staff. Matched participants conduct collaborative summer research at Berkeley Lab.

“Our goal is to make connections with faculty we might not otherwise connect with and to contribute to our diversity,” said former Applied Mathematics and Computational Research Division Director David Brown. Brown worked with Dr. Mary Ann Leung of the Sustainable Horizons Institute to develop the program.

Visiting Faculty

The Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) is designed to provide an opportunity for faculty members from institutions historically marginalized in STEM to enhance research capabilities and strengthen STEM education and learning practices to develop talent to contribute to the Department of Energy (DOE) research areas.

The Visiting Faculty Program is sponsored and managed by the DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) in collaboration with the DOE national laboratories. Prospective faculty applicants may apply for summer and non-summer terms to collaborate on research opportunities with DOE national laboratories. During a non-summer term (Spring or Fall), the program will focus on faculty participants only and last for 10 weeks. All VFP faculty applicants must submit at the time of application a research project proposal co-developed with the collaborating research staff located at the host DOE laboratory. Proposal guidance and requirements can be found here. Applications are solicited annually for the summer term (May through August). Visit the DOE’s VFP website to find out more about VFP.