DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Spring 2027: Paid STEM Research at National Laboratories

DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Spring 2027: Paid STEM Research at National Laboratories

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program is accepting applications for its Spring 2027 term. This is a paid, mentored research opportunity for eligible undergraduate students and recent graduates who want to work at a participating DOE national laboratory or facility. The application deadline is September 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

SULI is more substantial than a short workshop or a general campus placement. Participants join a research team, work under the guidance of a scientist or engineer, and take part in a full-time appointment. The program’s published structure for a semester term is 16 consecutive weeks. It also includes professional development, laboratory-based training, and research reporting. The current official benefits page lists a $650 weekly stipend, eligible domestic travel reimbursement for participants who live more than 50 miles from the host laboratory, and housing information or an allowance where a laboratory does not provide direct housing arrangements.

This guide focuses on the Spring 2027 application that is open now. It explains the confirmed requirements and the practical decisions an applicant needs to make before submitting. Exact placement availability and some term-specific administrative details can depend on the host laboratory, so applicants should read the official SULI pages and the live application system when completing the application.

Key details at a glance

What the SULI opportunity offers

SULI places students on research projects at DOE laboratories and facilities rather than assigning them to a generic administrative internship. The official program describes work guided by a scientist or engineer, with projects connected to the scientific and technical missions of the Department of Energy. Areas may include computing, artificial intelligence for science, quantum information, nuclear science and technology, biotechnology, critical minerals and materials, fusion, energy research, and other laboratory programs. The exact project menu depends on the term and the participating sites.

The program page identifies 17 participating DOE laboratories and facilities across the program network. A student does not receive a guarantee of a particular laboratory simply because it is listed. The application asks for laboratory or facility preferences and research interests, and later placement depends on the applicant’s qualifications, the available projects, and the needs of the host site.

The financial support is intended to make a semester research appointment more workable. At $650 per week, a full 16-week appointment would represent $10,400 before any applicable tax treatment, assuming the participant completes all payable weeks. The official page states the weekly amount but applicants should review the offer documents for the payment schedule and any host-specific administrative terms. DOE also says that stipends are reported to the Internal Revenue Service and does not provide individual tax advice.

Travel and housing support are useful but should not be treated as an unlimited relocation package. The benefits page says that a participant whose permanent address is more than 50 miles from the host laboratory may receive one round-trip domestic travel reimbursement. The amount is based on the most direct route. Private automobile travel is reimbursed at the current government rate up to $500 or the cost of the lowest commercial airfare, whichever is lower; air travel is reimbursed at the lowest commercial airfare. Housing arrangements vary by laboratory, and an allowance may be offered when the laboratory does not provide direct housing.

Who is eligible to apply

SULI is designed for undergraduate students and eligible recent graduates. A current student must be enrolled full time at an accredited community college, two-year college, or four-year institution. The official eligibility page says the applicant must have completed at least one semester as a matriculated undergraduate. Advanced Placement credits and other credits earned before matriculation do not satisfy that requirement.

By the application deadline, the student must have completed at least six credit hours in STEM fields and at least 12 total undergraduate credit hours. Those courses and grades must appear on the submitted transcripts. The program also requires a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. DOE calculates this across applicable matriculated postsecondary coursework, including prior institutions attended within the relevant five-year period. Courses taken only while the applicant was still in high school are excluded from the GPA calculation.

Recent graduates may also qualify. The published rules include people who earned an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, completed a combined BS/MS program, or finished an undergraduate degree and moved into graduate study. For the recent-graduate category, the degree must have been earned no more than two years before the internship start date. The start-date test matters, so a person whose graduation falls near the boundary should check the current program language rather than relying on the year of application alone.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old when the internship begins. They must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of application. Lawful permanent residents may need additional time for laboratory access approval, and the official eligibility page encourages them to contact the prospective site during the application period. The appointment must be completed in the United States or its territories.

There are also participation limits. An applicant may apply to SULI a maximum of four times and may participate in no more than two SULI internships. Applicants may be able to see more than one WDTS program in the online system, but the FAQ says an applicant can submit only one application per term. Choose the program that best matches your background before pressing the final submission button.

How the application works

The application is submitted through the DOE WDTS online system. The required online fields include contact and education information, citizenship status, laboratory or facility choices, research interests, and essays. The system is also used to upload transcripts and to request electronic recommendations. Mailed or emailed materials are not accepted as substitutes for the required online submission.

The transcript rules deserve careful attention. SULI accepts official or unofficial undergraduate transcripts, but each file must be a clear PDF that shows the applicant’s name, the institution’s name, courses and grades, and cumulative GPA. Screenshots, degree audits, and advising reports are not accepted. The current or recently graduated institution’s transcript must have been printed or accessed no earlier than the application opening date. Applicants must also submit transcripts from other undergraduate institutions attended as matriculated postsecondary students during the five years preceding current enrollment, including institutions that supplied transfer credits.

Before uploading, remove Social Security numbers and full dates of birth. DOE states that an application containing this protected personally identifiable information is non-compliant and will not be released to host laboratories for review. The upload system includes a redaction tool, but the applicant remains responsible for checking the final PDF. Redaction should not cover the name, institution, grades, or GPA that the reviewers need to verify eligibility.

Two letters of support are required. Applicants may request up to three, but only the first two completed in the system will be included. Suitable recommenders include STEM instructors, research advisers, internship mentors, or supervisors who can discuss the applicant’s training, aptitude, reliability, and potential. Family members, friends, classmates, and peer SULI or CCI interns are not acceptable recommenders unless the former participant also qualifies through a professional or academic role stated by the program.

How selection and placement work

DOE first checks whether an application is complete and whether the applicant meets the stated eligibility rules. Only applications that pass that compliance review proceed to merit review. Reviewers consider academic performance, especially STEM coursework; the strength of the recommendation letters; the applicant’s scientific interests; and the relationship between the applicant’s background, experience, accomplishments, interests, and the research programs at host laboratories.

A strong application therefore needs both compliance and fit. Meeting the GPA threshold does not by itself make a student competitive. The essays and recommendations should help reviewers understand what the student has already done, what questions or technical areas they want to explore, and why a DOE laboratory setting is a sensible next step. Classroom projects, lab courses, coding work, design projects, technical employment, independent study, and sustained service can all provide evidence when described precisely.

After merit review, highly rated applications may be examined by laboratory scientific and technical research advisers. Those advisers work with laboratory education directors or program administrators to identify candidates whose skills and interests fit available projects. Final selection and appointment rest with the host laboratory education director, with ultimate authority held by the WDTS associate director. This means a thoughtful laboratory preference helps, but it cannot guarantee a particular placement.

What participants must be ready to do

SULI is a full-time commitment. The participant obligations page says that internships are conducted on-site, require health insurance coverage for the entire appointment, and generally involve approximately 40 hours per week on the research project or required professional development. Students must complete the entire consecutive 10-week summer or 16-week semester program. Spring applicants should plan around the full semester rather than assuming that classes, travel, or another job can interrupt the appointment.

Participants also have defined reporting duties. Before the appointment ends, they must present and submit their research findings as an oral or poster presentation, submit a 1,500-to-3,000-word research project report, provide a general-audience abstract, and complete a one-page peer review of another intern’s presentation. Participants must complete entrance and exit surveys, and laboratories may withhold an initial or final stipend payment until the surveys are submitted.

The initial survey is especially important. DOE says that missing the pre-survey deadline can result in immediate termination, removal of the participation record, and ineligibility for future WDTS programs. Late deliverables can also affect future eligibility. Applicants should view the reporting duties as part of the opportunity, not as optional paperwork added after the research is complete.

How to prepare a credible application

Begin with the research-interest section, not with a list of prestigious laboratories. Read about the participating facilities and identify two or three technical areas that genuinely connect to your completed coursework or projects. Then describe the connection in plain language. A student does not need to claim expertise in quantum computing or fusion to be credible; it is enough to show how statistics, programming, materials work, instrumentation, mathematics, biology, or another current skill could transfer to a laboratory project.

Build a concise record of evidence for the essays. Note the question you faced, the method you used, the result, and what you learned. Specific examples are stronger than broad statements about loving science. If a project did not work, explain how you diagnosed the problem and changed your approach. Research mentors expect uncertainty, iteration, and careful reporting; an honest account can show more maturity than an inflated description of a small assignment.

Ask recommenders early. Give each person the SULI description, your resume, the deadline, and a short note identifying the work they personally observed. A recommender who can explain how you handled a difficult lab, learned a technical tool, or contributed to a team will usually provide more useful evidence than someone with a more impressive title who barely knows your work. Remind recommenders that they must submit through the online system by the deadline.

Finally, create a submission checklist. Confirm the GPA and credit-hour requirements, redact every transcript, verify that every required prior transcript is included, check that PDFs are legible, and submit well before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 30. Keep the confirmation information and a copy of the submitted essays. If the application system has a technical problem, contact the program office at [email protected] while there is still time to resolve it.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most serious mistake is treating SULI as a flexible remote internship. The official benefits rules state that internships are on-site and that remote participation is unavailable. A student who cannot relocate or attend the host facility should resolve that issue before investing time in the application.

Another frequent problem is submitting a transcript that looks convenient but is not acceptable. A screenshot, degree audit, advising report, or unredacted PDF can make an otherwise strong application non-compliant. Transfer students should not omit earlier institutions simply because the current transcript lists the transferred credits. DOE asks for the underlying undergraduate transcripts within the stated five-year window.

Applicants also lose time by choosing recommenders after completing the essays. The letters must arrive electronically by the application deadline, and late or emailed letters are not accepted. Start the requests early, monitor the status in the application system, and send a polite reminder well before the final week.

Do not overpromise a research background. Reviewers are looking for academic performance, interests, experience, and alignment with available laboratory programs. A clear account of a course project or first research experience is more useful than unsupported claims about advanced expertise. Also remember that the $650 weekly stipend and travel or housing support do not eliminate the need to budget for taxes, meals, deposits, local transportation, and costs that the host laboratory does not reimburse.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Spring 2027 SULI application open?

Yes. DOE’s SULI page says the Spring 2027 application is open and is due September 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

How much is the stipend?

The official benefits page lists a weekly stipend of $650. A typical 16-week spring appointment would total $10,400 before applicable taxes if every week is payable, but applicants should rely on the offer and host payment schedule for final terms.

Can international students apply?

Not under the current eligibility rules. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents at the time of application.

Can a freshman apply?

A first-year student may qualify only after completing at least one semester as a matriculated undergraduate, at least six STEM credit hours, and at least 12 total undergraduate credit hours by the deadline. AP or pre-matriculation credits do not count toward those thresholds.

Does SULI pay for relocation?

It offers limited support rather than an unlimited relocation package. Participants whose permanent address is more than 50 miles from the host laboratory may receive one round-trip domestic travel reimbursement subject to the program’s stated limits. Housing options vary by laboratory, and an allowance may be available when direct housing is not offered.

What happens after I am selected?

The host laboratory provides appointment instructions, site-specific training, and the schedule for stipend payments and required activities. Participants must maintain health insurance, work full time on-site, complete the appointment consecutively, and submit the required surveys, presentation, report, abstract, and peer review.

Official links and next steps

Start with the official DOE SULI program page, then review the dedicated eligibility requirements, benefits and financial support, application instructions, and selection process. Those pages are the controlling sources for the Spring 2027 application.

The immediate next steps are practical: verify your credits and GPA, collect current and prior undergraduate transcripts, redact protected information, choose appropriate recommenders, and draft essays around real academic or technical evidence. Attend the official application assistance workshop or office hours if you need clarification. Then submit the complete online application, including both electronic recommendations, before the September 30 deadline. For questions that are not answered in the official guidance, contact the SULI program at [email protected].