An LBNF/DUNE, South Dakota intern is an undergraduate engineering student majoring in mechanical, electrical, industrial or related fields who is interested in working on a major underground construction project in support of a world-leading particle physics experiment located in the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. Eligible applicants must be currently enrolled in their sophomore or junior year at a four-year college or university in the United States.
This internship provides students with the opportunity to gain experience and understanding of infrastructure design, underground construction, project management, and international collaboration. The intern will work on a wide variety of projects with the Building and Site Infrastructure (BSI), Integration and Installation (I&I), and Surveying and Alignment teams by overseeing and documenting construction progress, supporting procurement and management activities, assisting in the layout and design of facility and experiment infrastructure, developing plans for underground installation, and assisting with surveying and field layout of ongoing installations. In the field, interns will provide engineering support for material movement to and around the underground space, installation of temporary power systems, installation of cryogenic piping, and conducting as-built checks to components as they are installed. In the office, interns will assist with designing structures to support scientific equipment, create layouts for cryogenic piping and electrical conduit, work with the install team to develop plans for the installation of complex structures, and collaborate with scientists and engineers across the world to ensure the needs of the experiment are being met. The selected interns will work under the direct mentorship of a BSI or I&I engineer.
Intern(s) are placed at the Sanford Lab in Lead, SD.
Skills and Attributes for Success:
- Detail Oriented and Organized
- Safety Minded
- Good Communication Skills
- Self-motivated and eager to learn
- Experience with working in a multidisciplinary team environment
- Experience with 2D and 3D modeling
- Working knowledge of engineering fundamentals in their chosen field
Eligibility
- Undergraduate sophomore or junior at time of application (entering Junior or Senior year at end of summer)
- Enrolled in accredited 4-year U.S. college or university
- Majoring in Engineering or related field
- 3.0 grade point average or above on a 4.0 scale
- Eligible to work in the United States
Application Procedure
Before applying, have all requirements ready. Once submitted, access to the application will no longer be available to upload any missing requirements.
- Online application – Application Walkthrough Video Guide
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript (upload under the Resume Section)
- Brief (~200 words) statement discussing interest in this opportunity (Upload under the Resume Section)
Internship Details
- Program Dates: May 17 – August 6, 2027
- Application Dates: November 2, 2026 – February 12, 2027
- Offer Date: March 5, 2027
- Acceptance Date: March 12, 2027
- Salary: $20/hr.
- Housing: Not provided. Affordable housing options available.
- Transportation: Not provided
- Location: Onsite work schedule
Deliverables
- Oral presentation
- Poster presentation
If you have any questions or encounter any issues, feel free to reach out to [email protected].
Why Fermilab:
Fermilab is America’s premier laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. We support discovery science experiments in Illinois and locations around the world, including deep underground mines in South Dakota and Canada, mountaintops in Arizona and Chile, CERN in Europe and the South Pole.
Pre-Employment Screening:
Drug-Free Workplace & Pre-Employment Screening
Fermilab is dedicated to fostering a safe, productive and drug-free environment. An offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and drug screening.
Foreign Government Sponsored Activities
Fermilab employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. Such individuals will be asked to disclose any participation for review by Fermilab's Office of General Counsel.
REAL-ID Requirement for access to Fermilab Campus
Fermilab requires all members of the public to produce a REAL-ID, or equivalent, to access the Fermilab Campus for interviews or career events. A list of acceptable forms of ID can be found here: https://get-connected.fnal.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/REALID-Documents.pdf. If a candidate is selected for an interview but does not possess any of the equivalent documents, we may schedule a virtual interview.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Fermilab is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.
Skills Required
- Currently enrolled as an undergraduate sophomore or junior at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States
- Major in engineering or a related field, such as mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering
- Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Eligible to work in the United States
- Working knowledge of engineering fundamentals in the chosen field
- Experience with 2D and 3D modeling
- Experience working in a multidisciplinary team environment
- Detail-oriented, organized, safety-minded, communicative, self-motivated, and eager to learn
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and has not been reviewed or approved by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off and leave policies are often described as generous, with flexibility that supports work-life balance.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability coverage are characterized as comprehensive and stable.
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Retirement Support — Retirement options are considered secure and typical of a federally funded research institution, though views on long-term structure vary.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Insights
What We Do
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) is America's particle physics and accelerator laboratory. Its mission is to serve as a world leader in neutrino and particle physics, pushing the frontiers of foundational discovery, opening new avenues of science, and transforming results into technologies that benefit society. The lab designs, builds, and operates world-leading accelerators and detectors to solve the mysteries of matter, energy, space, and time.
