Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) Technology Commercialization Internship Program
Why should I apply?
Program Benefits
- Stipend: $850 per week
- Virtual appointments – no relocation required
- Travel arrangements and reimbursement for participants to visit their assigned hosting site during the appointment
- In-person closing ceremony at a national laboratory. Travel arrangements and reimbursement will be provided. In-person closing ceremony will provide interns an opportunity to showcase their summer projects.
As a program participant, you will:
- Participate in and contribute to OTT mission-related research, technical and policy activities under the guidance of technology transfer experts and/or OTT staff.
- Learn and collaborate with Technology Transfer specialists at DOE national laboratories working on commercialization efforts related to the OTT mission, and establish long-term relationships between yourself, technology transfer experts, and OTT staff.
- Gain deep insight into the federal government's role in the creation and implementation of policies that will affect energy technology development.
- Enhance your education and training in OTT-related fields and increase your future marketability in these disciplines.
Am I Eligible?
You must meet the following to be eligible for an internship:
- Be at least 18 years of age by June 1.
- Be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. For non-U.S. citizens, appointments are contingent upon having a valid immigration status. Selected candidates must provide suitable documentation to verify status at the time appointment is accepted.
- Be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student during the 2022-2023 academic year pursuing a degree in science, technology, mathematics, engineering, or business with an interest in entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. You must provide proof of enrollment at the time of application. Candidates selected for an internship appointment will be required to provide proof of enrollment for Spring term.
- Have coverage under a health insurance plan during the appointment. Selected candidate must provide proof of such coverage before the appointment start date.
- Be available to participate virtually in a summer long appointment. Length of the appointment will depend on the project assignment and mentor and candidate’s availability.
Students from disadvantage communities, underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and Minority Serving Institutions are encouraged to apply.
Application Requirements
A complete application consists of:
- Profile Information
- Program Specific Questions (goals, experiences, and skills relevant to the OTT Technology Commercialization Program)
- Goals: Please list your personal, educational, and professional goals and interests and explain how this opportunity may enable you to achieve those. Describe any experiences or situations that you feel have influenced your interest.
- Technical Skills: Please list your professional/technical skills and abilities that are relevant to this opportunity, including knowledge/skills related to specialized laboratory equipment or techniques, computer hardware, software, or computer languages and/or applications.
- Professional Experience: Please list any research, technical and/or professional experience that was focused on (1) technology development; (2) technology commercialization; and (3) entrepreneurship.
- Personal Experience: The Office of Technology Transitions recognizes that (1) diversity is a critical element in the development and advancement of new concepts and ideas; and (2) students’ potential for success goes beyond academic background and experiences. As part of the next generation of thought leaders and researchers, you have a unique opportunity to influence the impact of technology commercialization may have in our nation. Please tell us about how your life’s experiences and beliefs, background, and interests have shaped who you are, led you to your current academic/career path, and contributed to a unique perspective for impacting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in technology commercialization.
- Resume (PDF)
- Transcripts/Academic Records - Unofficial transcripts or copies of the student academic records printed by you or an academic advisors from internal institutional systems may be submitted. Transcript or academic records must clearly show your name, name of the academic institution, enrollment during the fall academic term, in progress/completed courses, grades, most recent cumulative GPA, and degree in progress. Documents must have all social security numbers, student identification numbers, and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) prior to uploading into the application system.
- Academic or Professional Recommendation - Recommendation should address your academic record and potential for success in an appointment, such as demonstrated intellectual merit, communication and teamwork skills. Recommenders will be asked to submit a recommendation in Zintellect. Letters of recommendation submitted via email will not be accepted. Recommendation must be submitted by February 15, 2023, 8:00 AM Eastern Time Zone.
Notes:
- All documents must be submitted via Zintellect. All application components must be received in the system in order to be considered.
- Do not forget to check the status of your recommendation. You may check the status of your recommendation at any time from your Zintellect Dashboard. You may request more than one recommendation but only the first one received will be attached to your application. Your application is not available for consideration until your application is completed with a recommendation.
Program Details
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Application Selection
Applications will be reviewed for eligibility and compliance before moving forward to the merit review and final selection.
OTT will review applications for merit and relevance before mentors at national laboratories review applications to determine if there is a match between your knowledge, skills and interests and the available projects. OTT and mentors may contact you for interviews. OTT will submit final selections to ORISE. Note that only ORISE, on behalf of OTT and based on the recommendations of the hosting laboratories, can offer you an internship. Formal offers will be sent through Zintellect.
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Hosting Facilities
Opportunities will be available virtually at DOE national laboratories across the United States.
Internship assignments will be determined by OTT based on recommendations from mentors at the national laboratories. In the application, you will be asked to list in order of preference your top three national laboratories. While your preferences will be taken into consideration during the final selection process, you are not guaranteed that an offer will come from any of the selected sites.
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Conditions of the Appointment
Information on commitment, health insurance, reporting and policies.
Verification of enrollment: At the time appointment is accepted, you must provide proof of enrollment during Spring academic term. Proof may include one of the following:
- Letter from authorized academic department official or other document issued/authorized by the academic institution confirming your enrollment. Letter or document must include your name and official university markings such as the registrar’s signature, university logo or stamp, letterhead or watermark, signature of the authorized official, etc.
- Copy of the official transcript issued by the Registrar’s Office including official university markings such as the registrar’s signature, university logo or stamp, letterhead or watermark, etc. Transcript must include courses in progress during the Spring academic term.
Length of Appointment: Internships will be for 10-12 consecutive weeks beginning on or about June 5, 2023. Alternate dates may be considered depending on your class schedules and facility schedules. Appointments may also be extended upon request from the hosting facilities and approval from OTT.
Full-time commitment: You will be expected to commit to full-time participation at the assigned hosting facility for the period specified in your letter of appointment. Part-time appointments may be possible to accommodate the participant and mentor schedules.
Health insurance: You are required to have health insurance coverage during your appointment period and to provide proof of coverage prior to the start of your internship.
Written Report and Feedback Form: You will be required to write a final report about your internship experience and complete an online feedback form to help assess the effectiveness of the program.
Pitch Competition: At the end of the internship, you will be asked to create and deliver a 10-minute presentation. These presentations will be judged by a panel of experts in technology commercialization.
Policies/regulations of the Hosting Facility: You will be required to adhere to the existing policies, regulations and procedures of your hosting facility including security clearance, health, and safety requirements. Appointments are subject to confirmation from the assigned hosting facility that you have access to the resources needed for your appointment.
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Application Cycle
Timeline for the 2023 Application Year
2023 Application Year
Online Applications Open
November, 2022
Application Deadline
February 15, 2023, 8:00 AM Eastern Time Zone
Recommendation Deadline
February 15, 2023, 8:00 AM Eastern Time Zone
Application Review
February 2023
OTT review applications for merit and relevance. Mentors review applications and make selection recommendations to OTT. OTT makes final selections.
Selection Notification
February/March 2023
- ORISE notifies candidates after receiving OTT approval.
- Students return required forms to ORISE.
March/April 2023
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Selected candidates contact mentors to ensure internship dates are appropriate for the student as well as the mentor and coordinate access to resources needed to participate in the program.
Internship Period
June – August 2023
Selected candidates complete their internships as scheduled. Participants are expected to avoid obligations that will interrupt their appointment during the agreed upon term.
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Nature of Appointment
This program is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).
Interns do not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, OTT, or hosting laboratory. Instead, interns are affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section includes frequently asked questions about the OTT Technology Commercialization Internship Program.
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To be considered you must be pursuing a degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) discipline or business with an interest in entrepreneurship and technology commercialization.
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To apply, you may upload unofficial transcripts or copies of the student academic records printed from internal institutional systems. If selected, you will have to provide official documentation as proof of enrollment as detailed here.
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Yes. Editing an application requires you to unsubmit your application. You must re-submit your application before the opportunity closes to be considered for the opportunity. Please ensure that the application status shows as Submitted - complete in your dashboard by the deadline.
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If you have requested a recommendation from someone previously, they will get another request for recommendation and will have the option to reuse the prior recommendation or customize the recommendation for this opportunity.
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No, all recommendations must be submitted via Zintellect. If your recommender has problems submitting a recommendation on your behalf, please ask them to contact us at OTT-Internships@orise.orau.gov.
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No. Candidates must be enrolled during the Spring term to participate in the program. You must provide proof of enrollment during Spring academic term at the time appointment is accepted.
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Yes. If selected, you must provide proof of enrollment during Spring academic term at the time appointment is accepted.
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In the application, you will be asked to list in order of preference your top three national laboratories. While your preferences will be taken into consideration during the final selection process, you are not guaranteed that an offer will come from any of the selected sites.
Connect with ORISE...on the GO!
The ORISE GO mobile app helps you stay engaged, connected and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond. Visit the ORISE GO page for more info on how to download the app to your mobile device.