R&D Engineer Intern

The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, FL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The All-Domain Analytics and Signatures Office (A2SO) is seeking multiple student interns for a 10-week, full-time internship located fully onsite at University Park, Pennsylvania. Interns will explore and experiment with emerging AI capabilities in A2SO research domains, working with A2SO teams to understand available tools, evaluate AI opportunities and limitations, and design an innovative project to advance the use of artificial intelligence in research and operational workflows. The internship starts in May 2027, with possible follow-on work in the fall semester.

The Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) researches and develops innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Intelligence Community, and other federal government customers. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes transitioning military members to apply.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible to obtain a government security clearance. Employment requires successful completion of background checks, participation in the ARL drug testing program, and compliance with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment that includes Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance.
• Must participate in the ARL drug testing program and comply with applicable electronic and physical monitoring requirements.
• Must complete required background check(s).
• Students from engineering, data science, computer science, information sciences, or related fields are strongly encouraged to apply.

Nice To Haves

• Experience or exposure in operational AI implementation.
• Experience or exposure in data analytics using AI systems or approaches.
• Experience or exposure in applied data science in research or technical environments.
• Experience or exposure in AI-enabled technology development or optimization.
• Experience or exposure in agentic AI integration or related experimentation.
• Curiosity, innovation, and interest in applying AI to research.

Responsibilities

• Learn about and evaluate AI-related tools and resources available within A2SO.
• Collaborate with project teams to help them understand how to access and effectively use available tools.
• Assess and clearly communicate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks of using AI in A2SO research areas.
• Develop and execute an independent research project experimenting with AI integration into current or future A2SO efforts.
• Present findings, recommendations, and prototype results to A2SO leadership and project teams at the conclusion of the internship.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed