The Ready2Work (R2W) Internship is designed to provide a 12-week summer internship opportunity to talented students from 2-year and 4-year institutions as well as post-graduate and post-doctoral students. Through the program, selected candidates will be introduced to a variety of entry and mid-level research, technical, and professional positions within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Laboratories. This opportunity creates opportunities to help support the DOE mission through education, hands on experiences and sharing new ideas with a focus on: Energy Security, Nuclear Security, Scientific Discovery and Innovation, Environmental Responsibility, Management Excellence, Cybersecurity, Safeguards and Security, Technological Advancement.
Opportunities are available for many majors and interests, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Business, Communications, Government Relations, Policy, and Law (This is not an all-inclusive list of eligible disciplines). Participating hosting facilities include DOE Headquarters, DOE Field Offices, and National Laboratories, and some opportunities may be extended into the academic year. You can find more information about DOE offices and facilities here.
Provisions Interns are provided a stipend and various allowances to support them during the internship. The allowances vary based on the cost of living at each location and the mode of participation.
Basic Stipend
Undergraduate students: $750/week
Post-Baccalaureate: $850/week
Graduate students: $950/week
Post-master's students: $1050/week
Post-doctoral students: $1150/week
In-person Internship Allowances
Travel: You will be reimbursed up to $1,000 for inbound/outbound transportation expenses from your current address to the assigned location if the distance is over 50 miles. Travel arrangements and reimbursement are based on the most direct and expeditious mode of transportation. ORISE is available to make travel arrangements and purchase plane or train tickets for selected participants, if requested. Travel to and from orientation in Washington, D.C. is included.
Housing: If you relocate more than 50 miles one-way from your current location, you will be eligible for a weekly housing supplement to offset expenses associated with lodging during the internship. Supplement levels depend on the location of your internship and will vary from $374 - $777/week. The housing supplement will be added to your weekly stipend.
Commute: A $50/week supplement will be provided to offset the cost of commuting to and from your internship site.
Virtual Internship Allowances
Virtual interns will receive a $150/week supplement to offset the cost of remote participation. The supplement will be added to the weekly stipend.
Your travel to and from orientation in Washington, D.C. is included.
Optional Benefits
At their discretion, offices may offer supplements to offset the cost of health insurance, educational and professional development support, and travel during the internship.
Qualifications
The Ready2Work Internship is open to students and recent graduates who meet the following qualifications:
Be a U.S. citizen.
Be at least 18 years old by May 1, 2025.
Have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Be enrolled during the 2024-2025 academic year as a full-time degree-seeking student in a STEM program or other field that supports the DOE mission OR have received a degree within the past two years (graduation no earlier than May 1, 2023).
Be available to participate in the full 12-week program.
Additional Eligibility Factors:
Candidates selected for an internship appointment are required to provide proof of enrollment during the Spring 2024 term, OR for graduates, proof of graduation within the past two years (no earlier than May 1, 2023).
Students may apply for and are eligible to participate in the program at multiple times during their undergraduate and graduate studies and as well as up to 2 years after graduation. However, there should not be an assumption or expectation of being re-selected.
Review and Selection Process
Sponsoring offices and hosting facilities will review applications to determine if there is a match between your knowledge, skills, and interests, and the projects available. Applications may be reviewed by multiple mentors at the same time. Sponsoring offices/hosting facilities may contact you for an interview prior to selection.
Hosting laboratories will submit their preferred candidates to ORISE.
Applications will undergo a review by ORISE.
ORISE will notify selected candidates and hosting facilities.
Nature of Appointment Interns will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, R2W or the hosting site. Instead, interns will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment.
A complete application consists of:
All required fields in both the Zintellect profile and application form
Essay Question:
Interests, Skills and Experience (Minimum 500 Words)
Explain why this opportunity interests you and how it will impact your educational and professional goals. Describe your relevant research, technical, or professional skills and experiences that are applicable to this opportunity.
Program Participation
Do you currently participate, or have you previously participated in an ORAU or ORISE educational program?
If yes, list all project/assignment(s) in which you have participated including title, dates, location, and mentor for each assignment.
Resume (Adobe PDF format, Maximum 2 pages)
Academic Records (Adobe PDF format)
A copy of an official or unofficial transcript, or copies of the student's academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institutional systems may be submitted. Transcript or academic records must include and display:
Student name
Name, logo, or other identification of the academic institution
Enrollment during the academic term at the time of application OR degree completion within the past 2 years (no earlier than May 1, 2023)
Current/completed/enrolled courses, grades, overall GPA, and degree in progress OR degree completed
One (1) Academic or Professional Recommendation: Applicants are required to provide contact information for one recommendation to complete the application. You are encouraged to request a recommendation from a professional who can speak to the applicant’s academic record and potential for success in an appointment, such as demonstrated intellectual merit, scientific capabilities, communication, teamwork skills, and other personal characteristics.
Recommendation requests must be sent through the Zintellect application system.
Recommenders will be asked to complete a recommendation in Zintellect. Letters of recommendation submitted via email will not be accepted.
Recommendations must be received in Zintellect by Friday, February 7, 2025; 11:59PM EST.
NOTE: Submitted documents must have all social security numbers, student identification numbers, and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) prior to uploading into the application system.
For additional information or questions, feel free to contact us at R2W-Internship@orise.orau.gov. Please list the reference code [2025-DOE-R2W-Internship] for this opportunity in the subject line of your email.
Please reference AcademicKeys.com in your cover letter when
applying for or inquiring about this job announcement.
