Work With Us

Work With Us

At ORNL, we lead convergence research in biology, ecology, engineering, data discovery, physical sciences, and computing to advance U.S. competitiveness in the global bioeconomy and Earth system sustainability.

Our interdisciplinary research teams are transforming how we observe, analyze, and visualize landscape and human dynamics across the world through data and computing at unprecedented scale, shedding light, often in near real-time, on critical situations arising from geopolitical instabilities, natural disasters, resource scarcities, health crises, and other factors that impact human safety and national security.  

See Yourself Researching Our Planet at ORNL

Our researchers enjoy an open, inclusive, and innovative workplace where they collaborate daily to advance energy solutions, biodiversity research, and push the frontiers of systems and synthetic biology. We are creating new capabilities in critical mission applications in energy, the environment, and national security — enhancing national resilience and driving American competitiveness.

Start Your Career Early With Internships

Postdoc Program

ORNL offers dedicated mentors, world-leading scientific resources, and professional development opportunities to outstanding postdoctoral researchers, who work across the Laboratory in all our research directorates.

Launch a Career Securing the Nation

Behind ORNL’s national security mission are skilled individuals who each took a different pathway to their current career.
We want to help the next wave of talented, skilled individuals find their own pathway to a rewarding career securing our nation.

Undergraduate Internships at ORNL

ORNL undergraduate research opportunities address ORNL’s scientific mission: materials, neutron sciences, energy, high-performance computing, systems biology, and national security. All internships come with a stipend.

Graduate Research at ORNL

Enhance your expertise and collaborate with many of the nation’s leading science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experts as you complete your research. Opportunities are available for current master’s degree and PhD students to participate as members of research teams at ORNL. All internships come with a stipend.

Mentorship for Environmental Scholars Program

The MES program is a 10-week, paid, summer internship that introduces underrepresented college students to research opportunities in the areas of environmental science, environmental justice, and environmental policy.

Research Student Internships

Expand your research skills and knowledge over the summer at ORNL, the world’s premier research institute. The ORNL Research Student Internships (RSI) program aims to encourage research careers in STEM fields through connecting students and recent graduates to research internships while experiencing mentorship with world-class scientists.

Environmental Science Internships

Work on a wide array of environmental topics: plant growth, soil chemistry, water quality, remote sensing, microbial ecology, and more. Interns are hosted in spring and fall semesters, and in summer, through different paid educational programs offered through ORNL.