Molten Salt Waste Analysis Internship Summer 2025
🔍 United States
Is an internship passionate about changing the world's energy future intriguing? If so, we might have just the opportunity you're looking for!
In this paid internship, you will focus on chemical analyses of the interactions between spent fuel salt and storage containers, aimed at evaluating the stability of spent nuclear fuel in molten salt coolants. At Idaho National Laboratory, we've been developing an integrated toolkit for high-fidelity isotope and species tracking using our Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE). This framework lets us track species due to depletion, corrosion, off-gassing, and phase changes throughout the lifecycle of molten salt nuclear fuel.
You'll use existing models to evaluate interactions between depleted molten salt fuels and containment materials at various depletion stages and timescales relevant to repository and storage scenarios. Your work is expected to culminate in a peer-reviewed conference publication summarizing the results of the evaluated salt-containment systems. You will report to the Advanced Reactor Technology and Design group. This team works a 9x80 schedule and operates onsite at our Idaho Falls campus. The start date and duration of the internship vary based on project and student availability. You may be eligible for course credit for this internship if approved by your university.
Minimum Requirements:
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Undergraduate student enrolled full-time at an accredited college/university studying Chemical Engineering or Nuclear Engineering
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A minimum overall (3.0) GPA
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Authorization to work in the U.S. (including CPT and OPT)
Application Requirements:
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Current Resume or CV
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Unofficial Transcripts (include current and completed degree programs)
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Current class schedule and number of credits
Compensation and Benefits:
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Undergraduate Internships ($26.16/hour - $31.47/hour)
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Masters Internships and PhD Internships Pre-Candidacy ($32.87/hour - $35.26/hour)
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PhD Internships Post-Candidacy ($35.95/hour - $38.41/hour)
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Eligible interns are provided paid holiday time off, and many of our internships offer travel reimbursements.
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Multi-Level: This is a multi-level posting and you will be placed at the appropriate level dependent on degree field and level of education.
INL is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission in nuclear energy research, science, and national defense. With more than 5,800 scientists, researchers, and support staff, the laboratory works with national and international governments, universities and industry partners to discover new science and development technologies that underpin the nation’s nuclear and renewable energy, national security, and environmental missions.
INL hosts over 550 undergraduate and graduate students each year to support INL’s mission. Opportunities for interns at INL range from nuclear engineering to cybersecurity and include non-scientific positions in several operations and business subject areas.
Selective Service Requirements To be eligible for employment at INL males born after December 31, 1959 must have registered with the Selective Service System (SSS). For more information see www.sss.gov.
Equal Employment Opportunity Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of INL to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
Reasonable Accommodation We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
INL does not accept resumes from third-party vendors unsolicited.
Questions? UniversityRecruiting@inl.gov