Undergraduate or Graduate Internship for Critical Material Enabling Analysis

About the role#

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is seeking an undergraduate or graduate intern to join the Integrated Modeling and Economic Analysis (IMEA) team. This role supports the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Facility (METALLIC) project by conducting economic and sustainability analyses of critical material conversion technologies. This is a full-time, paid, fixed-term position.

What you'll do#

• Develop conceptual process designs and perform economic and sustainability analyses.
• Collect supply chain data and incorporate insights into the analysis of critical minerals and manufacturing locations.
• Support activities for the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Facility (METALLIC) project.
• Utilize process simulation software, such as Aspen Plus or PrOMMiS, to develop conceptual process models.
• Apply knowledge of life cycle assessment (LCA) and retrieve data from LCI databases such as US Federal Data Commons or Ecoinvent.

What you'll need#

• Current enrollment as a full-time student in a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD program in Chemical, Environmental, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering, or graduation within the past 12 months.
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• Proficiency in Python coding.
• Experience or knowledge in process and design engineering, scale-up, costing, and TEA methodologies.
• Ability to pass a pre-employment drug test and obtain required federal security clearances.

Location & details#

• Location: Golden, Colorado.
• Work Modality: Remote, with the intent to be on-campus during the summer.