Deadline: January 10, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET.
United States Department of Energy (DOE) Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program 2023
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students and recent graduates to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at the Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 17 participating DOE laboratories/facilities. They perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting the DOE mission.
The SULI 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 laboratories/facilities.
Applications for the SULI program are solicited annually for three separate internship terms. Internship appointments are 10 weeks in duration for the Summer Term (May through August) or 16 weeks in duration for the Fall (August through December) and Spring (January through May) Terms. Each DOE laboratory/facility offers different research opportunities; not all DOE laboratories/facilities offer internships during the Fall and Spring Terms.
Benefits for the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program 2023
- Research interns spend 10 weeks (summer term) or 16 weeks (semester term) at a DOE laboratory engaged in a research project under the guidance of a laboratory scientist or engineer.
- Host laboratories provide enrichment activities, including career professional development workshops (e.g. technical and scientific writing skills development, poster, or oral presentation activities, etc.), laboratory tours, scientific lectures and seminars.
- Host laboratories provide all required site specific training.
- Participants from Summer 2020 through Spring 2022 receive a stipend of $600 per week during the internship period. Beginning with the 2022 Summer Term, participating students receive a stipend of $650 per week.
- Selected students are reimbursed for one round trip domestic travel to the host laboratory (if permanent address is more than 50 miles from the host laboratory). Transportation expenses will be reimbursed on the basis of the most direct route. Travel by a private automobile will be reimbursed at the current government rate up to a maximum of $500.00 or the cost of the lowest commercial airfare, whichever is lower. Travel by air will be reimbursed at the cost of the lowest commercial airfare.
- Housing information will be provided to interns prior to arrival at the host laboratory. In general, housing opportunities will vary from laboratory to laboratory. An allowance is available for participants placed at host laboratories that are unable to offer direct housing arrangements.
Eligibility for the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program 2023
Eligibility for the SULI program requires that all applicants:
- Must be currently enrolled full-time or have recently graduated with an undergraduate degree, as described in the two cases below.
- Currently-enrolled students:
- The applicant must be currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited institution (including accredited community colleges and 2-year colleges) and also have completed at least one semester as a matriculated undergraduate student at the time of applying. Students enrolled at colleges and universities on the quarter system must have completed at least one academic quarter. Grades for the completed semester must be shown on the submitted transcript(s).
- Applicants, including freshmen, must have completed at least 6 credit hours of postsecondary courses in science, mathematics, engineering, or technology disciplines, and must have completed at least 12 credit hours towards a degree by the time they apply. Credit hours and grades must be reflected on the submitted transcript(s).
- Advanced Placement credits or other undergraduate credits obtained prior to undergraduate enrollment cannot be applied to meet the minimum one-term completion requirement.
- Full-time enrollment status is determined by the number of hours or courses the school requires for full-time attendance (as defined by the Internal Revenue Service).
- Recent graduates
- Applicants who will have completed their undergraduate degree prior to starting their internship may apply as a “Recent Graduate.” This includes students who have graduated with an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree, those who have completed a combined BS/MS program, and those who have completed an undergraduate degree and are now enrolled in a graduate studies program. The time period between receipt of an undergraduate degree and starting the SULI term must be two years or less.
- Currently-enrolled students:
- Must have a cumulative minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all completed courses taken as a matriculated student at the applicant’s current (or recently-graduated) institution and at any institutions attended as a matriculated postsecondary student during the 5 years preceding the start of the most recent enrollment. (This does not include college or university courses taken while solely a high school student.)
- Must be 18 years or older at the time the internship begins.
- Must be a United States Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident at the time of applying.
Proof of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status will be requested at the time an internship offer is accepted. Acceptable form of proof of U.S. Citizenship includes, but is not limited to, a Certified Birth Certificate, an U.S. State Government Issued Enhanced Driver’s License, U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card, Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, Consular Report of Birth (of U.S. citizen) Abroad, or Certification of Birth. Lawful Permanent Residents must have a current United States Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551). - Must have earned a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) equivalent at the time of applying. Proof of an earned high school diploma or of passing all five GED tests required to achieve a Certificate of General Educational Development should be provided on the applicant’s undergraduate transcripts.
Additional Eligibility requirements:
- Applicants are limited to participation in the SULI program to no more than two internships.
- Applicants can apply to the SULI program a maximum of four times.
How to Apply for the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program 2023
- Application is now open. Applications are due January 10, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET.
- Access to the online application system is available here.
Application Assistance Workshop Events
Virtual events providing a walkthrough of the program and application process as well as Q&A sessions.
SULI Workshops
- November 2, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm EST (Click the view the presentationand video)
- December 5, 2022 from 3:00 – 4:00pm
- Register: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItdemgqj4vHVD56F7HtvbGYoPIUI0R8gg
Application Requirements
- All Applications to the SULI program must be completed online through the online application system.
- The online application system will guide applicants through the application requirements.
- Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered for evaluation and placement.
- Materials uploaded into the application system will provide the sole basis for evaluation.
- The application system is not compatible with smartphones. Completion of applications and letters of recommendation requires use of a computer and web browser.
Application Check List and Video Guides:
- Review the application checklist here.
- Video Guides: Submitting Transcripts | Requesting Recommendations | Completing Essays
Applications must include:
- Completion of all required fields in the applications, including:
- Contact and Education Information
- Citizenship Status
- Laboratory/facility choice and research interests
- Essays
- Undergraduate transcripts, submitted online
- Eligibility requires submission of the transcript from an applicant’s current institution or recently-graduated institution. This must be the most recent transcript available at the time of application.
- Eligibility also requires that the applicant submit transcripts from all other academic institutions attended as a matriculated postsecondary student during the 5 years preceding the start of the current or most recent enrollment.
- Transcripts must be uploaded as Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files into the application system, and must be clearly legible, must be labeled with your name and the name of the university/college, and must clearly show all courses, all course grades, and a cumulative GPA. The application system provides an easy to use upload feature. Do not mail or email transcripts directly to DOE – they will not be considered.
- Acceptable transcripts may either be (i) a hard-copy transcript issued to you suitably scanned and saved for uploading as an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file, and/or (ii) an unofficial transcript provided electronically to you directly from your university/college either via a website or email suitably saved for uploading as an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file.
Submitted transcripts must have all Social Security numbers and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) prior to uploading into the application system. Any applications found to contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the form of Social Security numbers and/or dates of birth will be deemed non-compliant and will not be released to host laboratories or facilities for review or consideration.
- Two Recommendations, submitted online
- Applicants are encouraged to make the requests for recommendations as soon as possible. It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform their recommenders that they must submit their recommendation using the online system by the application deadline. Additionally, it is suggested that the applicant discuss this request in advance with potential recommenders, and allow adequate time for the recommender to act on this request.
- Applicants must have two recommendations submitted in support of their application. Recommendations from individuals familiar with the applicant’s education, training, experience, aptitude, or promise relevant to the SULI Program are suggested.
- Based upon recommender contact information entered as part of the application process, the application system automatically sends an email message to recommenders with information on how to access and submit their recommendation. Requests for recommendations can be made by using the “Final Submit” action in the recommendation request section.
- WDTS will not accept any mailed or emailed recommendations.
- Applicants may solicit a minimum of two, but up to three, recommendation requests from individuals familiar with the applicant’s education, training, experience, aptitude, or promise relevant to the SULI Program. The first two recommendations that are completed in the system will be the only ones included with your application.
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