Georgetown & Lawrence Livermore National Lab
Spend your summer with an immersive research opportunity at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Northern California! This program is open to Georgetown students interested in conducting hands-on research at one of the nation’s premier applied science laboratories, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department of Energy (DOE).
Overview
This program is designed to enhance ties to the National Labs and foster collaborative research among DOE researchers and Georgetown students and faculty. Students are paired with an LLNL mentor to further develop a summer research project that fits their interests as well as the interests of the lab where they are placed.
Previous LLNL Mentors
Areas of Study
Carbon cycling and climate change
Viruses and extreme environments
Bacterial infections and microbial ecology
Biogeochemistry and isotopes
Participants receive a $6,000 stipend, as well as housing just four minutes away from LLNL.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s main campus fits into a one-square-mile footprint, sometimes called the smartest square mile in America.
Allegra Mayer, one of the LLNL mentors, currently works at both UC Berkeley and at LLNL’s Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS).
The Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico
“At CAMS, I am measuring radiocarbon to analyze changes in soil carbon storage and turnover over three decades in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico.”
-Allegra Mayer
Lawrence Livermore scientist Jennifer Pett-Ridge. Photo by Julie Russell/LLNL.
How to Apply
Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis! We encourage students to submit as soon as possible.
Final Deadline: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 12pm (noon)
To apply, submit your 1-2 page CV and 1-page cover letter to undergradresearch@georgetown.edu with the subject title “LLNL Summer Program Application.” In the email message, please include your availability for interviews on Friday, January 30 and Monday, February 2.
Eligibility
Applicants must be currently enrolled Georgetown University undergraduates to apply and during their participation in the research program.
We are seeking students eager to represent Georgetown’s scientific research community. Ideal candidates are collaborative, adaptable, demonstrate strong professionalism, and are committed to contributing to a dynamic research environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
I already submitted an application for the CRF Summer Research Fellowship. Can I still apply?
Yes! Students are welcome to apply for both opportunities.
What is the selection process like?
Students submit their CV and a cover letter. After initial review of application materials, certain students will be invited to an interview as part of the final stage of the selection process.
What are the dates?
Students should nominally plan to spend ten weeks at LLNL between May and August (arrival and departure dates are flexible). For scheduling conflicts or accommodations, please reach out to undergradresearch@georgetown.edu.
Is housing provided?
Yes! Students are provided housing just minutes away from LLNL.
What should I include in the cover letter?
Please discuss your background, your interest in this opportunity, and how you see this unique experience fitting in with your overall academic trajectory.
Program Experience
LLNL hosts extraordinary centers like the National Ignition Facility, which Georgetown students were able to tour last summer.
Students present their work on the viral ecology of antarctic soil microbial communities.
Georgetown research assistants and LLNL mentors enjoying the Welcome Picnic at the start of the summer.
In 2024, LLNL installed a new, state-of-the-art NanoSIMS. The LLNL group has pioneered NanoSIMS use in environmental microbiology.
Mentors and students visit Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Students had a chance to explore Yosemite National Park.
A weekend excursion to the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.