Summer High School Research Intern - Environmental Data Analysis

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • College Park, MD

7h • 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 Global Change Division is home to the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI). JGCRI is a global leader in the interdisciplinary field of integrated assessment multi-sector analysis. Research at the institute is conducted to advance fundamental understanding of human and Earth systems and provide information related to global change, energy, and environment that is unbiased and decision-relevant but not policy prescriptive. The institute is a partnership between PNNL and the University of Maryland, supporting research, modeling, and integrated analysis at the interface of human, energy, and Earth systems.

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 project will involve analyzing the spatial patterns of soil water and respiration (the soil-to-atmosphere CO2 flux) measured in an ongoing ecosystem-scale experiment at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. In this computational project, the student will use artificial intelligence and/or machine-learning algorithms to understand what factors drive their variability. This will require learning about the underlying processes and collaborating with the research group of the primary mentor, Dr. Ben Bond-Lamberty.
Due to the nature of this program, applicants must be currently enrolled in a local College Park, Maryland area high school. This internship is designed to be onsite and requires interns to work in person at our College Park, Maryland 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)

Responsibilities

• Analyzing the spatial patterns of soil water and respiration (the soil-to-atmosphere CO2 flux) measured in an ongoing ecosystem-scale experiment at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
• Use artificial intelligence and/or machine-learning algorithms to understand what factors drive their variability.
• Learning about the underlying processes and collaborating with the research group of the primary mentor, Dr. Ben Bond-Lamberty.

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