About the role#
General Motors is looking for a student to join the Energy and Propulsion Systems Research team for a summer internship focused on aftertreatment catalysis. You will support research into automotive emissions-control technologies, including catalyst performance, durability, and data-driven materials discovery. This role is flexible and project assignments will align with your specific background in experimental science, computational modeling, or artificial intelligence.
What you'll do#
- Design, conduct, and analyze laboratory experiments to evaluate catalysts, washcoats, and powders.
- Prepare samples and operate laboratory reactor systems and analytical tools.
- Investigate catalyst activity, selectivity, thermal durability, and degradation mechanisms.
- Apply characterization methods such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, microscopy, and surface-area analysis.
- Develop reaction-kinetic, performance, or system-level models.
- Process experimental data using Python or MATLAB.
- Apply machine learning, statistical learning, or optimization to materials datasets.
- Build tools to accelerate catalyst screening and reduce reliance on hardware testing.
- Correlate material properties with operating conditions to identify design principles.
- Document methods, summarize results, and present findings to engineering teams.
- Collaborate with internal teams, national laboratories, and university partners.
- Follow laboratory safety procedures and data-quality standards.
What you'll need#
- Currently pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, computer science, data science, physics, or a related STEM field.
- Availability to work full-time, 40 hours per week during the summer of 2027.
- Interest in heterogeneous catalysis, reaction engineering, emissions control, or materials science.
- Experience with laboratory experimentation, mathematical modeling, or data science.
- Ability to work independently and within a multidisciplinary research environment.
- Strong analytical, communication, and technical documentation skills.
- Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee, or refugee) due to export control restrictions.
Location & details#
- Location: Warren, Michigan.
- Work Modality: Hybrid (minimum three days per week on-site).
- Term: Summer 2027.
- Employment Type: Full-time internship.
- Sponsorship: General Motors does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role.
About General Motors
General Motors is a public company based in Detroit, Michigan. It operates in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry. The company employs over 106,000 people. Its work spans the design and production of cars, trucks, and transportation technology, including software, electrification, and AI.
How to get in at General Motors
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