Undergraduate​/Graduate Intern; year-round) –Chemical Engineering​/Biomass conversion​/Catalytic upgrading​/Organic

Posting Title Undergraduate/Graduate Intern (year‑round) –Chemical Engineering/Biomass conversion/Catalytic upgrading/Organic Chemistry . Location CO - Golden . Position Type Intern (Fixed Term) . Hours Per Week 40 . Working at NLR NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation’s primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world‑class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost‑effective energy solutions.

Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

The Integrated Carbon Conversion Processes Group within NLR’s Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale‑Up Center is seeking an Intern to provide researchers within our group the support necessary to achieve their cutting‑edge research safely. Our group’s mission is to de‑risk and accelerate the scale‑up of technologies for producing chemicals, fertilizers, and critical minerals from domestic biomass resources and waste resources. Our multidisciplinary team integrates expertise in process engineering, process science, catalysis, and computational modeling of integrated processes to translate laboratory discoveries into technically and economically viable processes suitable for pilot‑scale demonstration and eventual commercialization.

The directorate’s research encompasses multiple areas including analysis & characterization, biochemical processes, downstream processing, bioenergetics, and thermochemical processes. Our research group is focused on developing chemicals, critical minerals, fertilizers, and materials from terrestrial and algal biomass. Our team brings together a wide range of technical expertise and global experience unified by a passionate drive to increase the technoeconomic feasibility and global adoption of biorefineries.

Interdisciplinary collaboration and a relentless pursuit of advancing understanding at the intersection of fundamental science and industrial application is paramount to every member of our team.

• Batch and flow reactor operation for algal pretreatment, conversion, chemical production and polymer synthesis
• Develop renewable polyurethane materials for a broad range of applications.
• Benchtop wet chemistry, including sample preparation and derivatization,
• Operation and maintenance of analytical instrumentation, (e.g. FTIR, NMR, TGA, DSC, GC-MS, etc.)
• Separations, including liquid‑liquid and solid‑liquid extractions.
• Bioprocessing scale‑up

The ability to conduct laboratory experiments and follow written procedures, with minimal supervision and with the utmost regard to safety is required. Self‑motivation, adaptability and an aptitude for learning are critical for this role. This is an excellent opportunity for a student invested in the NLR mission who desires relevant laboratory experience in preparation for graduate school or a career in the chemical industries.

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Undergraduate:
  Must be enrolled as a full‑time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Undergraduate:
  Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate:
  Must be enrolled as a full‑time student…