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SMaRT Internship Program

SMaRTMany of UT’s faculty work in conjunction with Oak Ridge National Lab and contribute to the world-class research that is being done there. The Student Mentoring and Research Training program (SMaRT) seeks to further promote research and utilize our unique partnership with ORNL by funding multiple paid 10-week undergraduate internships that focus on ORNL-related research with a UT faculty member.

About the Program

The University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute is seeking applications from undergraduate students currently enrolled in colleges and universities across the US who are interested in participating in its Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) Program.  Students who will be rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in fall of 2023 are eligible to apply.  This prominent program will select 40 qualified candidates to participate in this 10-week summer program. As a selected intern, you will receive a funded internship, including stipends, housing and an allowance for travel to and from Knoxville, TN.  This program will focus on four interdisciplinary areas:

  1. Electrochemical Energy Systems
  2. Advanced Science and Engineering of Materials and Manufacturing
  3. Predictive Systems Biology for Circular and Sustainable Economies
  4. Autonomous, Smart, Secure and Resilient Energy Systems

*Data science and engineering threads will be woven through each of these four areas.

Check out this YouTube video from past participants: UT-ORII—2021 Summer Internship Program

The interdisciplinary atmosphere provided through the SMaRT internship will expose you to team science, an increasingly important platform for research. As an intern, you will also gain first-hand research experience in emerging fields (e.g. quantum information sciences and data sciences) while working with state-of-the-art research instruments (e.g. 3D printers of metals and polymers). Together, these experiences will help prepare you for exciting and rewarding careers. Interns will prepare CVs, personal statements for future opportunities, as well as short research presentations and scientific posters that can be presented at conferences. Graduate student mentors will work closely with SMaRT interns, and will be available to share their graduate school experiences. Overall, participation in the SMaRT Program will help you understand and evaluate your future career options, including in academia, national laboratories, and in the industries of the future.

Stipends, Housing and Travel:

  • The stipend will be $694 per week.
  • University of Tennessee on-campus housing will be provided. Housing will be apartment style.
  • Travel will be reimbursed for inbound and outbound expenses up to $1,000 for participants who live more than fifty miles, one-way, from the assigned hosting site.

How to Apply

Fill out the application and submit all required materials. You will be asked to submit the following with your application:

  • A statement of interest
  • An updated resume
  • An unofficial copy of your current transcript
  • Two letters of recommendation

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Internships are expected to be awarded in March and April.

Need more information?

Please find complete program information, contacts, and the link to the application here.