The Discovery Research & Internship Hub with the LBNL Energy Sciences Hub is a partnership between UC Berkeley and the Energy Sciences Area (ESA) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), which leads the Lab's fundamental research in materials and chemical sciences. The Hub launched with a pilot at ESA's Molecular Foundry in Academic Year 2026–27, placing 29 undergraduates with 15 staff scientists and engineers. We have now expanded these opportunities across the Energy Sciences Area.
This Hub offers undergraduate students research and internship opportunities led by staff scientists, engineers, program directors, and communications and operations staff at the Molecular Foundry, the Advanced Light Source, and the Chemical Sciences Division. Projects span the full range of work at a national lab — from the bench and the beamline to software, data, and storytelling. These include:
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Cutting-edge research in nanoscience, chemistry, and the life sciences — Hands-on experience with real lab tools, from colloidal synthesis and cell culture to nanofabrication, robotic synthesis platforms, and advanced imaging.
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Physics, optics, and instrumentation engineering — Designing the technologies that make discovery possible including X-ray optics simulations, nanometer-scale metrology testbeds, and accelerator beam diagnostics.
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Software engineering, data science, and AI — Building production tools used by working scientists, including full-stack web applications for live beamline data analysis, automated data ingestion and metadata pipelines, and AI/ML approaches to challenges like protein crystallography image processing and large-scale publication analysis.
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The intersection of science and communication — Translating complex scientific discoveries into engaging stories, producing written and visual content from research and interviews with scientists to support outreach, public engagement, and storytelling about the Lab's scientific legacy.
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User community research and impact analysis — Using mixed-methods approaches to track trends across Berkeley Lab’s international user community, identifying career trajectories, professional development pathways, and the broader economic and scientific impacts of national user facilities.
General Program Structure
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Application Timeline: Hub applications for staff and faculty to host positions open in early summer. Applications for undergraduates to participate open in mid-August, with decisions in September
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Year-Long Activities: Throughout the program, students work closely with LBNL staff to perform research, science communication, or administration work
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Discovery Symposium: The program culminates in an invitation to present work in a showcase
In Partnership With:
