ASPIRES internship program at Berkeley lab

Overview

The ASPIRES (Advancing STEM Pioneers In Research in Energy Sciences) summer internship program aims to provide undergraduate students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in a world-renowned, collaborative STEM environment at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Students will gain valuable experience working alongside and shadowing scientific and operational staff. Experience may include: exploring research, tools, and experiments in a scientific lab; building technical skills; learning fundamental techniques; receiving coaching and feedback; and making professional connections with staff in the Energy Sciences Area at Berkeley Lab. Our program will also provide a hands-on learning experience within a diverse and inclusive research environment, exposing our students to the many possible career paths in STEM, including science and operations.

Our program is a partnership between Berkeley Lab's Energy Sciences Area (ESA) and California State University, East Bay (CSUEB), home to one of the most diverse student populations on the U.S. mainland. This internship program matches undergraduate STEM students from CSUEB’s College of Science with staff across ESA for a 10-week paid internship.

Students can expect to gain an inside perspective into STEM research careers and experience within the Lab’s wide range of chemistry and materials sciences laboratories and national user facilities during their internship. To complement the immersive educational and work experience students will receive, our program also offers an array of cross-functional networking and professional development opportunities for students - examples include our internship kick-off event with staff and Division leadership across ESA, facility tours, and a poster session.

Congratulations to the 2022 Poster Slam Winners