Summer High School Research Intern - Computational Biology

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Richland, WA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.
Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.
The Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate (EBSD) leads critical research in four areas: Atmospheric, Climate & Earth Sciences, Biological Sciences, Environmental Molecular Sciences, and Global Change. Our vision is to develop a predictive understanding of biological and Earth systems in transition. We aim to understand energy and material flows within the integrated Earth system; to understand, predict, and control the response of biosystems to environmental and/or genomic changes; and to Model the Earth system from the subsurface to the atmosphere.
The Biological Sciences Division has 17 collaborative, interdisciplinary biology-based teams to tackle major challenges in ecosystem sustainability, bioenergy, human health, and national security. Teams use unique field sites, advanced instrumentation, and integrated computational approaches to explore molecular-scale processes. Strategic efforts focus on advancing molecular measurement capabilities, uncovering the structure and function of molecular dark matter, identifying control points in complex systems, and developing domain-aware AI to accelerate discovery and hypothesis-driven research.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is seeking a high school student for the Summer High School Research Internship (HSRI). This internship provides an opportunity for students interested in preparing for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) to work during the Summer with a scientist/mentor in a specified research area. HSRI is a 10-week program, estimated based on start date; the anticipated start date for summer cohort will be June 16, 2026.
This is for the Computational Biology summer internship program. This is a continuation of the program we began 2 years
ago. Selected High School students participating in the program will participate in computational research and receive a 2-
week educational experience. Up to 10 local high school students will be selected to participate in the Computational Biology summer internship program.
After selection, they will be paired with PIs from a variety of projects, primarily through the Predictive Phenomics LDRD
Initiative. Selected interns will receive a 2-week course in mathematics, computer science, and biology, and participate in
actual computational biology research projects over an 8 week internship.
Due to the nature of this program, applicants must be currently enrolled in a local Tri-Cities, WA area high school. This internship is designed to be onsite and requires interns to work in person at our Richland, WA location to support hands-on learning and collaboration.

Requirements

• Applicants must be currently enrolled as a sophomore, junior or senior in a public or private high school at time of application
• Applicants must be 16 years of age by start date
• Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (from beginning of 9th grade to current standing)

Nice To Haves

• Desired Interest in biology, mathematics, and/or computer science is desired.
• Experience with R and/or python is useful, but we will teach basic proficiency
• Strong communication skills and willingness to participate in science research broadly.

Responsibilities

• Selected High School students participating in the program will participate in computational research and receive a 2-week educational experience.
• Selected interns will receive a 2-week course in mathematics, computer science, and biology, and participate in actual computational biology research projects over an 8 week internship.

Benefits

• Employees are offered an employee assistance program and business travel insurance.
• Employees are eligible for the company funded pension plan and 401k savings plan, once eligibility requirements are met.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: High school or GED