Centralizing Internship Programs at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

At PPPL, internships have long played a vital role in developing future scientists, engineers, and operations professionals. We host ~40 interns per year at various academic levels. Prior to 2021, however, PPPL’s internship opportunities were decentralized across departments, leading to inconsistent processes, limited visibility, and missed opportunities for broader institutional impact. To address this, the Science Education Dept. launched an initiative to centralize all internship programs- high school. undergraduate, graduate, and with the goal of streamlining efficiency, coordination, and intern experience.

This centralization involved creating a unified infrastructure for recruitment, onboarding, and intern support across both technical and operational divisions. A streamlined intern request process, funding guidance, and centralized management of logistics, contribute to a more cohesive and well-supported experience for both interns and mentors.

Since implementation, the number of departments hosting interns has grown to include areas outside of research and engineering. This approach has not only strengthened PPPL’s internship programs by improving consistency and expanding participation across the lab, but it has also created a replicable framework that could benefit other institutionsnations facing similar challenges. We aim to serve as a model for centralized internship coordination across the DOE complex and beyond, demonstrating how a unified structure can enhance program quality, streamline operations, and maximize the return on investment in early-career talent.