Supercomputer Institute

A technical summer program offering hands-on experience building and operating state-of-the-art and next-generation compute clusters, high-speed networks, containers, security, and more.

May 26–August 7, 2026

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 HPC experience is required.  

The program begins with three weeks of "boot camp". Small teams of interns build, configure, test, and operate an HPC compute cluster starting from scratch, 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. 

Professional Development

In addition to the technical portion of the program, interns also participate in fast-paced, focused professional development work, including:

• Intense mentoring
• Teamwork and professional collaboration
• Resume writing and evaluation
• Technical poster/presentation design and public speaking
• Technical seminars on current HPC topics. Past seminars include AI, high-speed networking, Linux, containers, parallel filesystems, facilities, and more.
• Science lectures given by staff from across the Laboratory, from ocean modeling to AI.
• Opportunities to sign up for tours of our world-class facilities, including the particle accelerator, million-core supercomputer, and a demo of the Boston Dynamic robot dogs. 
• Brownbag opportunities to have face-to-face time with our managers and staff.

How to Apply

Eligibility

The program is targeted to rising juniors or seniors, master’s students, and recent graduates with a bachelor’s or associate’s degree. Very highly qualified rising sophomores have been successful in the past, as well as occasional master’s graduates and Ph.D. students, who can make a good case that they need hands-on practical training, rather than a research internship. Computer science, computer engineering, information technology, or related experience are desirable, but all majors are eligible. We consider talent, experience, potential and interest in High Performance Computing among other things.

Deadlines

Applicants who have applied to our job ad by the First Tuesday in January will be considered.

Minimum requirements

Interns must meet the following minimum requirements. If you are unsure whether you meet them, please ask us! We don’t want to miss someone because they meet requirements in a way we did not anticipate.

1. Computer science, computer engineering, IT, or related experience/training.
2. 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).
3. 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).
4. Scripting or programming experience of some kind.
5. 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.
6. Well-rounded and curious.
7. Can deal with reasonable deadlines. It’s a fast-paced program, but not high pressure.
8. Meets Laboratory undergraduate or 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.

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

Application procedure

To apply, submit the required documents below to the appropriate job ad when they are posted if no ads are currently available, please check back later.

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

Past Interns Say...

We consistently receive positive feedback from interns about the program. Recent intern quotations include:

• “[Instructor] was an outstanding instructor and I could not have expected anything better.”
• “It was an amazing experience, and I wish it wasn’t over. I think it’s enough to say that I came in kind of regretting accepting since I really wanted to go into industry, and came out considering a career working here at LANL.”
• “My expectations for this boot camp were blown away and I have already recommended this boot camp / internship to people who had never even considered LANL prior ....”
• “[Instructor was] super smart and extremely positive. He made me feel comfortable asking questions, and he was always trying to make sure that I was succeeding.”
• “[T]he connections I made this summer will be beneficial moving forward, both career-wise and as lasting friendships once the internship is over.”
• “It was a great experience. I came hoping to learn about a new facet of computer science and I did just that. Being part of the amazing community of Los Alamos and networking with people at LANL has made me consider coming back to the Lab.”
• “[Mentor] was an excellent source of information and took time out of his day to explain things to me and give our project additional direction and advice.”
• “Do as much as you can here, both in and outside of work. The people here are awesome, so network as much as you can, and the area might be even cooler so check it out at every opportunity.”