Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Internship 2027–2028: How to Apply

Last updated: October 2026

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science lab managed by the University of California, has one student door open today and another about to open. The DOE's Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) application for summer 2027 opened on 14 October 2026 and closes at 5:00 PM ET on 6 January 2027. The lab's Computing Sciences Area says it accepts direct-hire applications in November for the following summer. SULI pays $650 a week for 10 weeks. In plain words: you apply this fall and winter, you intern from about late May to August 2027, and you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Quick Facts

SULI summer 2027 is open until 6 January 2027, 5:00 PM ET; Berkeley Lab's own job board had no student requisition on 16 October 2026, and Computing Sciences direct-hire is expected in November.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The Pfizer Advanced AI-Powered Document Insights Externship builds data and AI skills for computing-sciences roles, and the ARCeH Data Analytics, Health Outcomes Externship fits environment and energy data work. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Internship?

A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory internship is a paid, on-site research placement at a DOE national laboratory in Berkeley, California, run by the University of California for the Department of Energy. Berkeley Lab's Workforce Development & Education hub lists programs from Community College Internships to graduate fellowships. The route most undergraduates use is SULI, a DOE-wide program at 17 participating laboratories, where you apply once on the DOE system and rank the labs you want. This guide covers Berkeley Lab, not the separate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

When Do Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Berkeley Lab has two summer 2027 routes with different calendars. The DOE's SULI key dates list applications opening 14 October 2026, due 6 January 2027 at 5:00 PM ET, offer notices beginning about 3 February 2027 and all DOE offers complete by about 14 April 2027. The Computing Sciences Area says it accepts direct-hire applications in November and decides in March and April, though decisions can come later. Lead time is about 7 months from SULI opening to a late-May start, and about 6 to 7 months for Computing Sciences.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

SULI is a hard deadline. The DOE says the application system closes at 5:00 PM Eastern on 6 January 2027 and no materials are accepted afterward, and recommendations count toward that deadline. For Computing Sciences the Area tells students to apply early, and last cycle's requisition was already closed by March 2026, so watch jobs.lbl.gov from the start of November.

Which Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Internship Programs Should You Target?

Berkeley Lab hosts students through several programs. These are the main routes for summer 2027.

BLUR is open only to students with an established Berkeley Lab collaboration. The Community College Internships (CCI) program follows the DOE's own calendar; check its DOE page. Full list: Berkeley Lab student programs.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

SULI eligibility comes from the DOE and is applied the same way at every lab.

• Enrollment: full-time undergraduate at an accredited institution, community colleges included, with at least one completed semester, or a recent graduate within two years of the start.

• Credits: at least 6 credit hours in STEM and 12 total undergraduate credit hours by the deadline. AP and high-school credits don't count.

• GPA: a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

• Citizenship: U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at application. The DOE tells permanent residents to contact the lab early, because site access approval takes lead time.

• Limits: no more than two SULI internships, and no more than four applications.

• Computing Sciences (last cycle's posting): graduate students in computing sciences-related fields, and undergraduates between their junior and senior years with core computer science or mathematics courses.

Do the SULI Rules Apply to Every Berkeley Lab Program?

No. The 3.0 GPA, the credit minimums and the $650 stipend are SULI rules. Computing Sciences direct-hire and ASPIRES have their own requirements, and ASPIRES has removed its GPA and prior-experience requirements for Cal State East Bay students. Read the specific posting before you assume a number applies.

What Skills Does Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Berkeley Lab publishes program-level skills rather than job descriptions. Computing Sciences: computational research, high-performance computing, high-speed networking, scientific data and applied mathematics. ScienceIT: R, Python or basic statistics for embedded research support, and technical writing or video for the communications track. SULI: a research project mentored by a lab scientist, with professional-development workshops and a final presentation.

Note: Method: skills read from Berkeley Lab and DOE program pages on 16 October 2026. The lab's job board had no student requisitions, so there were no job descriptions to count and no skill-frequency chart is shown.

How Is Demand for Research Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a Berkeley Lab program skill to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to describe.

None of these Externships is connected to Berkeley Lab or the DOE. They help because SULI essays and direct-hire resumes both reward concrete project experience.

What Is the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps below come from the DOE SULI pages and Berkeley Lab's Computing Sciences page.

1. Check the numbers. Confirm the 3.0 GPA, 6 STEM credits, 12 total credits and your citizenship or permanent resident status.

2. Apply to SULI on the DOE system. Submit transcripts and essays, rank Berkeley Lab among the labs, and have recommendations submitted before 6 January 2027.

3. Use DOE's help sessions. Attend the workshop on 4 November, the virtual internship fair on 12 November and office hours on 2, 9 and 16 December.

4. Apply to Computing Sciences separately. When the posting appears in November, apply online on jobs.lbl.gov; the Area accepts online applications only.

5. Wait for decisions. SULI offers begin around 3 February 2027, and Computing Sciences decides in March and April.

All SULI offers depend on DOE funding, and dates are tentative.

What Students on Reddit Say

Reddit has a few first-hand threads on interning at Berkeley Lab; one is from 2019, so treat it as dated.

How Do You Stand Out for a Berkeley Lab Internship?

First, meet the SULI thresholds early and line up recommenders, since letters count toward the 6 January deadline. Second, if you study computer science, data science or mathematics, also watch jobs.lbl.gov in November for the Computing Sciences posting, and apply early. Third, name specific research areas and skills in your essays, because the programs are matched to lab projects. Berkeley Lab doesn't publish applicant counts, class sizes or a conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students targeting Berkeley Lab often also rank other DOE laboratories on the same SULI application.

For more federal options and USAJOBS timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Berkeley Lab internship?

No. SULI summer 2026 and last cycle's Computing Sciences Student Program, whose requisition was closed by March 2026, are over. The summer 2027 SULI application is open now and closes on 6 January 2027 at 5:00 PM ET, and Computing Sciences direct-hire is expected to open in November.

When is the SULI summer 2027 deadline?

6 January 2027 at 5:00 PM ET, including recommendation letters. The application opened on 14 October 2026, and the DOE says the system closes at that time and accepts no materials afterward. Offers begin on or around 3 February 2027, and all DOE offers complete around 14 April.

How much does a Berkeley Lab SULI internship pay?

SULI participants receive a $650 weekly stipend, about $6,500 over the 10-week summer. The DOE also reimburses one domestic round trip for eligible interns and provides housing information or an allowance, depending on the lab. Pay for Computing Sciences direct-hire isn't published on the pages we read.

Who can apply to SULI at Berkeley Lab?

Full-time undergraduates, including community college students, and recent graduates within two years of the start. You need a cumulative 3.0 GPA, 6 STEM credit hours and 12 total credit hours by the deadline, and you must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident aged 18 or older.

Is there a Berkeley Lab program for computing students?

Yes. The Computing Sciences Area runs a summer program for undergraduates and graduate students, and it accepts direct-hire applications in November for the following summer, with decisions in March and April. Last cycle's posting described 10 to 12 weeks. Apply online on jobs.lbl.gov.

Can I do a Berkeley Lab internship remotely?

Not through SULI. The DOE says all SULI internships are conducted on site and remote participation isn't available. The Computing Sciences work happens at the lab in Berkeley, California. Check any other program's posting for its own format, since ScienceIT and ASPIRES are separate.

Does Berkeley Lab have internships on its own job board?

Not today. Berkeley Lab's job board showed 72 open jobs on 16 October 2026 and none for students; the Students category returned zero results. Student requisitions appear seasonally, such as the Computing Sciences posting expected in November. SULI is applied for through the DOE portal.

What if I attend Cal State East Bay?

Watch for ASPIRES, a paid summer research program open only to Cal State East Bay College of Science undergraduates. Its page says ASPIRES will return for summer 2027, with applications expected in spring 2027. The 2026 program ran 1 June to 7 August, with a stipend plus housing support of roughly $9,000 to $10,000.

The SULI deadline is 6 January 2027 at 5:00 PM ET, and the Computing Sciences posting should appear in November. If you want a finished project to write about, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.