Summer 2026 Research Intern - Materials Discovery Research Institute

UL Research Institutes • Skokie, IL

2d

About The Position

Underwriters Laboratories Research Institutes (ULRI) Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) is seeking a motivated and dedicated Research Intern to join our team for Summer 2026. This summer internship provides a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a non-profit research environment, contribute to meaningful projects, and develop valuable skills in research and analysis. UL Research Institutes expands the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, ULRI has studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared its findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. ULRI identifies critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because it believes a safer world begins with knowledge. The Materials Discovery Research Institute works to develop and deploy new materials with the potential to address current global safety challenges. Pursuing materials that will help produce transformational safety breakthroughs, MDRI harnesses the power of advanced computing and high-throughput experimental methods to create innovative materials that will produce resilience for a sustainable future and protect individual and societal health. MDRI focuses on today’s critical challenges, working to create new and better materials that will support renewable energy and environmental sustainability. Among its top priorities is research into materials capable of carbon capture and energy storage, with an eye toward reducing the adverse impacts of humanity’s reliance upon fossil fuel resources and enabling a transition to renewable energy sources. Above all, its research builds on its commitment to a safer, more sustainable future.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor's or master's program in a related field (e.g., engineering, chemistry, materials science, etc.).
• Strong interest in the non-profit sector and research related to safety, social or environmental issues.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Proficiency in data analysis software (e.g., Excel, Python, LabView) and research tools.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• An eagerness to learn, adapt, and take on new challenges.

Responsibilities

• Assist in conducting research projects related to Materials Discovery mission and goals. This may involve literature reviews, data collection, data analysis, and synthesizing information from various sources.
• Assist in the discovery of new materials for the extraction and separation of critical minerals to support technologies such as direct lithium extraction.
• Assist in data collection from discovery to bench-scale experiments.
• Help analyze data to draw meaningful insights and trends.
• Support in creating reports, presentations, and visualizations summarizing research findings.
• Prepare materials for internal and/or external presentations.
• Work closely with the research and engineering teams to gather information, share insights, and contribute to a collaborative and innovative research environment.
• Stay current with relevant literature, trends, and developments in the field to contribute valuable insights to ongoing projects.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Associate degree