The best way to learn about a potential career at a National Laboratory such as PPPL, in fusion, or in a science or engineering career is to participate in a research internship. The National Undergraduate Fellowship (NUF) enables you to work at a number of fusion-based research laboratories around the country or at PPPL, while the Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) and Community College Initiative (CCI) program gives you hands-on experience working at one of the premier Department of Energy National Laboratories.  Student and faculty teams from small colleges and universities may apply to conduct their research at PPPL through the Faculty and Student Teams (FaST) program.

All students complete a rigorous one-week course in plasma physics at PPPL and then conduct 9 weeks of research. They present their research through a poster session at the end of the summer and write paper about their research. Students are encouraged to submit their research to the Journal of Undergraduate Research

and to attend APS-DPP meeting in November.

In addition, female undergraduates are encouraged to join the locally-based mentorship program, PathSci, meant to foster relationships among female scientists at different stages in their career. 

The Science Education Department at PPPL has also supported three teams in preparation to go to NASA’s Microgravity University to conduct research in a zero-gravity environment.  Past projects have investigated astrophysical dusty plasmas.