Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship Program

The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at 17 DOE laboratories and facilities. 

Students 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 for 10 weeks during the Summer Term (May through August) or 16 weeks during the Fall (August through December) and Spring (January through May) Terms. 

Each DOE laboratory/facility offers different research opportunities. Program details are found at https://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli. Learn more about the exciting research being supported by the Office of Science at https://science.energy.gov under the "Programs"​ tab.

Participation in the SULI program at NREL is designed to complement academic programs and provide students with valuable, hands-on research experience. NREL provides a rich research experience in world-class laboratory facilities under the direction of scientific and technical staff who serve as research advisors and mentors in Department of Energy projects that support undergraduates in the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.

What SULIs Do at NREL

NREL conducts research in about 50 areas of scientific investigation, including photovoltaics, wind energy, biomass-derived fuels and chemicals, building efficiency, advanced vehicles, industrial processes, solar thermal systems, hydrogen, fuel cells, geothermal, distributed energy resources, energy integration, measurement and testing of renewable energy systems, hybrid systems, basic energy research, scientific computing, and energy analysis.

Interns spend their term engaged in a research project focused in these areas under the guidance of a laboratory scientist or engineer. Interns attend enriching professional development activities such as laboratory tours, speakers on scientific developments at NREL, and workshops that provide guidance and development of professional skills in writing technical research papers, oral presentations, and posters.