Berkeley Lab | ASPIRES Internship Program

Career Awareness and Preparation Program

Berkeley Lab | ASPIRES Internship Program

Advancing STEM Pioneers in Research in Energy Sciences (ASPIRES)

Program dates: June 1 - August 7, 2026

Now in its sixth year, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has partnered with the Institute for STEM Education’s Career Awareness and Preparation (CAP) Program to offer a ten-week paid summer research internship for students in �ѿ�� Bay’s College of Science.

The Advancing STEM Pioneers in Research in Energy Sciences (ASPIRES) internship provides undergraduate students with hands-on research experience, mentorship, and exposure to Berkeley Lab’s vast scientific network. Through the program, students explore potential career pathways connected to disciplines including biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, engineering, mathematics, physics, and statistics.

The CAP Program and Berkeley Lab have worked together to make ASPIRES more accessible by removing GPA and previous laboratory experience requirements, helping reduce barriers for students who may not have traditionally had access to research opportunities. CAP supports students throughout the application process through workshops focused on strengthening resumes and cover letters and preparing competitive applications.

From June 1 through August 7, 2026, 11 �ѿ�� Bay undergraduate students participated in the ASPIRES internship. Berkeley Lab provided each intern with a stipend and additional housing support, totaling approximately $9,000–$10,000 in financial support over the course of the summer.

During the ten-week program, each ASPIRES intern worked alongside a scientist from Berkeley Lab’s on an individual research project. Students conducted research across ESA’s two national user facilities, the Advanced Light Source and Molecular Foundry, and two science divisions, the Materials Sciences Division and Chemical Sciences Division.

The summer concluded with a Poster Session and Slam Competition, where interns shared the research they conducted throughout the program. The Poster Session gave students an opportunity to present their work and findings to Berkeley Lab scientists, mentors, fellow interns, and guests, while the Slam Competition challenged students to communicate their research through engaging one-minute presentations.

2026 ASPIRES Cohort

Congratulations to the 11 �ѿ�� Bay students who completed the 2026 ASPIRES Internship:

Francisco Lopez
Owen Linton
Hugo Calderon-Delgado
Matthew Salas
Allison Veliz
Qi Lin
Shane Reyes-Kelly
Phoenix Fox
Mateo Alado
Ohenewaa Darko
Thanh Nyguen

The continued success of ASPIRES is made possible through the partnership between Berkeley Lab and �ѿ�� Bay. Special thanks to Alison Hatt and Anastasia Palmer for their leadership and coordination of the program at Berkeley Lab, and to Anabelle Lourenco for supporting students throughout the application process and summer internship experience. We also recognize Dr. Erik Helgren and Bruce Simon for their continued leadership and commitment to ASPIRES and to expanding meaningful research opportunities for �ѿ�� Bay students.

Through six years of collaboration, ASPIRES continues to strengthen the connection between �ѿ�� Bay and Berkeley Lab, creating pathways for students to explore scientific research, build professional networks, and envision themselves pursuing careers in STEM.

ASPIRES will return for Summer 2027, continuing the partnership between �ѿ�� Bay and Berkeley Lab to provide undergraduate students with meaningful research experiences in the energy sciences. The application process for the 2027 ASPIRES cohort is expected to begin in Spring 2027, so interested students are encouraged to check back for additional information and application details then.

Projects

Interns: Hugo Calderon-Delgado, Matthew Salas, Qi Lin, Mateo Alado, & Ohenewaa Darko

The is a specialized particle accelerator that generates bright beams of x-ray, extreme ultraviolet, and infrared light for scientific research. The light is directed through about 40 beamlines to numerous experimental endstations, where scientists from around the world (“users”) can conduct research in a wide variety of fields, including materials science, biology, chemistry, physics, and the environmental sciences. As a DOE national user facility, the resources of the ALS are available to scientists around the world and attract more than 2,000 researchers annually.
Interns: Francisco Lopez

The is the home of fundamental research in chemistry and chemical engineering. CSD's work provides a basis for new and improved energy technologies and for understanding and mitigating the environmental impacts of energy use. To fulfill its vision and mission, CSD pioneers an integrated research portfolio in fundamental chemistry that seamlessly spans broad length and time scales and closely couples theory and experiment.
Interns: Owen Linton, Allison Veluz, Shane Kelly Reyes, Phoenix Fox, & Thanh Ngyuen

The is a nanoscale science research facility that provides users from around the world access to cutting-edge expertise and instrumentation in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment. The Foundry’s broad spectrum of capabilities allow users to increase the scope, depth and impact of their research. The Foundry is made up of seven closely coupled facilities that specialize in nanomaterial synthesis, characterization, theory and fabrication.
The advances the fundamental science of materials within the context of global energy-related challenges. MSD scientists develop experimental and theoretical techniques to design, discover, and understand new materials and phenomena at multiple time and length scales. MSD's core programs and research centers cultivate a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to materials research and help train the next generation of materials scientists.