Undergraduate/Graduate Intern (year-round)

About the Role

National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is seeking an Intern to support researchers in the Integrated Carbon Conversion Processes Group within the Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-Up Center. The group's mission is to de-risk and accelerate the scale-up of technologies for producing chemicals, fertilizers, and critical minerals from domestic biomass and waste resources.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on laboratory tasks and experimentation.
• Operate batch and flow reactors for algal pretreatment, conversion, chemical production, and polymer synthesis.
• Develop renewable polyurethane materials.
• Conduct benchtop wet chemistry, including sample preparation and derivatization.
• Operate and maintain analytical instrumentation (e.g., FTIR, NMR, TGA, DSC, GC-MS).
• Perform separations, including liquid-liquid and solid-liquid extractions.
• Engage in bioprocess scale-up.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Ability to conduct laboratory experiments and follow written procedures with minimal supervision.
• Utmost regard for safety.
• Self-motivation, adaptability, and an aptitude for learning.
• Chemical Engineering, Biomass conversion, Catalytic upgrading, or Organic Chemistry focus.
• Experience with wet chemistry, catalytic conversion, process scale-up, polymer synthesis and characterization, and advanced analytic chemistry is preferred.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

• Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a degree-granting program from an accredited institution, or have graduated within the past 12 months.

• Internship period cannot exceed 12 months past graduation.

• Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, or a related discipline.

• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled in a bachelor's degree program.

• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor's degree within the past 12 months.

• Graduate: Must be enrolled in a master's degree program.

• Post Graduate: Earned a master's degree within the past 12 months.

• Graduate + PhD: Completed master's degree and enrolled as a PhD student.