SQMS Center

Internships and fellowships

Training the quantum workforce

QUANTUM UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP | CAROLYN B. PARKER FELLOWSHIP

SQMS Quantum Undergraduate Internship

Sponsored by the Department of Energy Office of Science, the SQMS Quantum Undergraduate Internship places undergraduate sophomore and junior physics and engineering majors in a paid 10-week summer internship program at the SQMS Center. Students gain hands-on experience through access to state-of-the-art facilities under the mentorship of SQMS experts across the Center’s 24 partner institutions.

Students have the opportunity to work on campus at Fermilab or at one of the Center’s partner institutions, such as Rigetti Computing, Northwestern University, Ames National Laboratory, or NASA Ames Research Center.

Whether developing skills in building hardware for quantum computing research, helping construct unique quantum algorithms, investigating advanced quantum materials or aiding SQMS researchers in the search for dark matter, participants receive hands-on experience across a variety of disciplines within the emerging field of quantum information science.

“My favorite memory as an intern was realizing that I missed the loud pulse tube sounds when the dilution refrigerator was in the process of warming up. It’s the moment I realized I had completely integrated with the lab.

– Lana

SQMS Carolyn B. Parker Fellowship

The SQMS Carolyn B. Parker Fellowship honors and preserves the legacy of the first African American woman to earn a postgraduate degree in physics. The Carolyn B. Parker Fellowship prioritizes the representation and inclusion of historically and contemporarily minoritized individuals underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and quantum computing research specifically. One Fellowship is awarded annually. This fellowship is sponsored by the Department of Energy Office of Science.

The SQMS Carolyn B. Parker Fellowship is available to Black and African American scholars with a background in physics or engineering seeking a research assistantship. This is a unique opportunity to engage with the SQMS Center to build and deploy a beyond state-of-the-art quantum computer based on superconducting technologies.

To enrich the research experience and enhance scientific collaboration, the selected Fellow will conduct research with domestic and international SQMS partner institutions and organizations. Additionally, the Fellow will contribute to SQMS committees, write scientific papers and reports, highlight progress at weekly and bi-weekly center meetings and may present at national and international workshops and conferences.