Visiting Faculty
ORNL offers a number of opportunities to visiting faculty to do hands-on research during the summer months. Faculty may be accompanied by up to two students. ORNL’s commitment to diversity in the science workforce encourages faculty from historically black colleges and minority educational institutions to apply. The Higher Education Research Experience (HERE) program allows visiting faculty to participate in research during the summer or on a semester basis.
Historical Black Colleges and Universities/ Minority Education Institutions
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) cosponsor summer research appointments for faculty of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Educational Institutions (MEIs). The objective is to increase the number of collaborations and foster long-term between ORNL research staff and HBCU/MEI faculty members. Successful applicants will serve appointments up to 10 weeks at ORNL. Faculty must apply to posted research projects by January 10. There is no citizenship requirement — unless listed within the project posting.
Undergraduates
ORNL offers several programs for promising undergraduate students. Students interested in summer, fall, or spring internships can apply to various interdisciplinary and discipline based programs. Programs include the Higher Education Research Experience (HERE), Nuclear Engineering Science Laboratory Synthesis (NSELS), Research Alliance for Math and Science (RAMS), Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI), Volkswagen Scholars, and the Oak Ridge Science Semester, through ORAU and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). In 2013, there were 426 undergraduates actively engaged in research and study, during the summer and throughout the academic year. For more information or to apply to opportunities please visit http://orau.org/ornl.
K-12 Students and Teachers
In 2013, 385 K─12 students and 59 of their teachers were engaged in projects and events at ORNL. Tens of thousands more annually participate in classroom outreach programs organized by the lab and its university partners across the country. Programs for young students include Farming for Fuels, the National Geographic JASON Project, Tectonic Fury, and SNS in the Classroom. The laboratory also offers an Oak Ridge Summer Camp, Siemens Teachers as Researchers, Appalachian Regional Commission programs, and programs for high schools in which students interact with ORNL researchers/mentors.
Science Saturdays
Following last year's popular pilot program, Science Saturdays are back with a new series of topics. The ORNL-sponsored outreach effort invites 8th-12th grade students to attend a series of free Saturday lectures and hands-on activities led by lab scientists and science teachers from local schools. The lectures are free to participants and the program website is open for registration.
Sessions are scheduled for Jan. 18, Feb. 1, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at West High School. Volunteer lab science teams have been formed to lead topics in the fall session of the Science Saturdays program. The science teams and teachers will be developing lesson plans and hands-on activities for topics on batteries, building technologies, superconductors and solar energy.
Science Saturday organizers are still looking for additional volunteers to help set up and assist during hands-on activities, logistics support and more. You don’t have to be a scientist to help. Sign up online or contact program coordinator Julia Abbott (865.241.7501, julia.abbott@orau.org) with questions.