Technical Institute Programs
Critical skills of critical importance
Hone your skills in a specific research area by interning at one of Sandia’s technical institutes.
In addition to offering technical and business internships in various departments, Sandia has established unique technical institutes at our New Mexico and California sites. These institutes provide opportunities to work on projects with Sandia scientists and engineers in specific technical areas, including cyber security, computer and computational science, predictive simulation, remote-sensing technologies, electrical and mechanical engineering, the physical sciences, and software engineering.
Technical institute interns perform leading-edge research under the guidance of a Sandia research mentor and use world-class, state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. Examples of intern activities include designing the programmable logic for a prototype system, contributing to a predictive-simulation model, and working with pulsed-power experiments.
The internship experience is supplemented with technical seminars, tours, and workshops, as well as a myriad of social activities — giving interns an excellent overview of Sandia's mission, research, and organizational culture.
Sandia currently has eight institutes:
- Center for Cyber Defenders (CCD)
- Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI)
- Enabling Predictive Simulation Research Institute (EPSRI)
- Monitoring Systems and Technology Intern Center (MSTIC)
- National Security Engineering Institute (NSEI)
- Physical Sciences Institute (PSI)
- Sandia Institute for Modeling and Simulation (SIMS)
- Science of Extreme Environments Research Institute (SEERI)
See how the institutes compare…
| Institute name and description | When it’s offered | Who can apply |
|---|---|---|
Center for Cyber Defenders (CCD)Learn to combat cyberattacks right in your own backyard — gaining practical experience in understanding computer systems, network operations, and information protection. |
Year-round |
High school through Ph.D.-level students majoring in computer science, engineering, or other technical areas |
Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI)Conduct focused, collaborative research on Department of Energy computer and computational science problems in areas such as scalable solvers, dynamic load-balancing, etc. |
Year-round |
University faculty in computer science, math, statistical science, or engineering and upper-division undergraduate (juniors/seniors) through Ph.D.-level students majoring in those fields |
Enabling Predictive Simulation Research Institute (EPSRI)Pursue technical solutions and research for real-world applications of mechanics. |
Summer |
Upper-division undergraduate and graduate students majoring in engineering, materials science, computer science, or a related field |
Monitoring Systems and Technology Intern Center (MSTIC)Focus on remote sensing and technologies. |
Year-round |
Undergraduate and graduate students majoring in computer science, optical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, materials, physics, mathematics, geophysics, seismology, or a related field of study |
National Security Engineering Institute (NSEI)Get hands-on experience in designing innovative electrical- and mechanical-engineering solutions for advanced technologies, systems engineering, reliability, and much more. |
Summer |
Upper-division undergraduate and graduate students majoring in computer science or electrical, mechanical, or computer engineering |
Physical Sciences Institute (PSI)Conduct collaborative research with top-notch scientists and engineers in areas such as microfluidics, reacting flows, combustion chemistry, engine combustion, hydrogen and combustion technologies, remote sensing and energetic materials, and laser diagnostics. |
Summer |
Undergraduate through Ph.D.-level students |
Sandia Institute for Modeling and Simulation (SIMS)Conduct engineering research, design, and development in support of exploratory computer and software engineering — contributing to national-security projects in the areas of enterprise modeling and parallel simulation, distributed-sensor systems, mobile-device applications, and ad hoc wireless networking. |
Year-round |
Undergraduate and graduate students majoring in computer science or software engineering |
Science of Extreme Environments Research Institute (SEERI)Gain experience in the areas of radiation effects sciences, pulsed-power engineering, and high-energy-density sciences. |
Year-round and summer |
Undergraduate and graduate students majoring in engineering, physics, or math |