Supercomputer Institute Internship with Los Alamos National Laboratory

View brochure here.

When: June 2 – August 14, 2020
Where:  Los Alamos, New Mexico
Who: Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, who have computer science, computer engineering, information technology, or related experience are eligible.

Deadline to apply: December 1, 2019

Program Overview
The Supercomputer Institute is an intense, paid, 11-week, hands-on technical internship for people of all majors interested in the growing field of high-performance computing. You will obtain a thorough introduction to the techniques and practices of HPC; no HPS experience is required.

The program begins with two weeks of “boot camp”. Small teams of interns build, configure, test, and operate an HPC compute cluster starting from stratch, turning a head of equipment, cables, and electricity into a working mini-supercomputer that can run real HPC applications.

Next, the project phase begins. Teams of interns work under the guidance of HPC Division staff mentors on applied research and development projects that address real challenges currently faced by the division. Some projects use the mini-supercomputers built during boot camp, and others use existing LANL resources. These projects regularly influence the division as well as the field of high-performance computing.

Finally, teams present their accomplishments as a poster and technical talk to Laboratory management, staff, and fellow interns in an end-of-summer celebration of intern work.

Minimum Requirements
Interns must meet the following minimum requirements. If you are unsure whether you meet them, email super@lanl.gov. We don’t want miss someone because they meet requirements in a way we did not anticipate.

  • Computer science, computer engineering, IT, or related experience/training.
  • Intermediate understanding of the Linux OS. For example, this might mean you have basic understanding of how an operating system works, some experience using Linux, and some knowledge of how Linux differs from desktop (e.g., Mac, Window) or phone OSes (Android, iOS).
  • Intermediate command line skills. You should have basic knowledge of the terminal using a shell such as tcsh or Bash. This doesn’t necessarily have to be on Linux (Macs also have a nice command line).
  • Scripting or programming experience of some kind.
  • Collegial, personable, plays well with others; the program is a team sport. Please note this does not mean you have to be “normal”; neurodiversity is encouraged.
  • Well-rounded and curious.
  • Can deal with reasonable deadlines. It’s a fast-paced program, but not high pressure.
  • Meets LANL undergraduateor graduate student program requirements, as applicable.

Desired Skills
In addition to the above, we’re looking for interns that also have some of the following skills. Note that few interns have all of them.

  • Strong communication skills (written and/or oral).
  • Interesting experience with Linux, hardware, networking, security, filesystems, etc.
  • HPC experience, whether sysadmin or user.
  • C or systems programming experience.
  • Interesting novel perspectives. Can you expand our horizons?

Application procedure
To apply, send the following in PDF format to super@lanl.gov.:

  • current resume
  • unofficial transcript, including GPA
  • cover letter describing:
    • your professional interests, experience, and goals
    • why you are interested in the Supercomputer Institute
    • how you meet the minimum and desired skills above
    • what you hope to contribute to our team environment

For more information, visit the Supercomputing Institute’s website.

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