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    Pathways Internship Program

This program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while still in school and while getting paid for the work performed. Students can work full-time or part-time as temporary or non-temporary interns. Students must be continuously enrolled on at least a half-time basis at a qualifying educational institution and be at least 16 years of age. Student interns on appointments scheduled to last longer than 90 days will earn 4 hours of annual leave and 4 hours of sick leave each pay period.
 
Applications will normally be collected on a quarterly basis. The following vacancy announcement schedule will be used for recruiting our student intern positions:
 
  • February 21-23, 2024
    May 14-16, 2024
    August 13-15, 2024
    November 12-14, 2024
In preparation for the announcement openings, students are encouraged to establish their USAJobs account and prepare their resume in advance. Students MUST apply to vacancy announcements in order to be considered for a Pathways intern position.
 
How to apply for NRL Pathways Internship opportunities:
 
1. Access USAJOBS via http://www.usajobs.gov to create an account.
2. In the “Keyword” box on the Home page, enter “Naval Research Laboratory Internship”.
3. Select the NRL Internship position(s) in which you wish to apply.
4. Click “Apply Now”.
 
Temporary Interns (Summer or short-term):
Interns can be hired on a temporary basis for up to one year for an initial period and may be extended for one additional year.
 
Non–Temporary Interns:
Non-temporary interns may be converted to a permanent position within 120 days of successful completion of the program. To be eligible for conversion, Interns must complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program, complete their degree or certificate requirements, and meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted. Conversion is not guaranteed or mandatory.
 
GPA Requirement:
Non-temporary and temporary interns hired into the NP track (S&E majors) must maintain a 3.0 GPA (based on 4.0 scale) in a related degree field to maintain eligibility as an intern. Interns hired into positions in the NR (S&E Technical), NO (Administrative Professional), and NC (Administrative Support) are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA (based on 4.0 scale).
 
Tuition Assistance:
Students are eligible for payment of school tuition and books, provided the following conditions are met:
 
  • The student is pursuing a STEM major that meets OPM science and engineering qualifications requirements.
  • The division in which the student is employed fully intends to convert the student to a permanent position upon graduation.
  • The student agrees in writing that upon graduation, he/she will continue to work at NRL for a period equal to three times the length of time for which tuition assistance was paid.
 
Tuition is not a guaranteed benefit. Payment for tuition must be recommended by the student’s supervisor.
 
Contact NRL’s Human Resources Office at (202)767-3031 or by email at intern@nrl.navy.mil.
 
Additional Information:
Salary is set commensurate with selectee’s background, experience, and market considerations. The Naval Research Laboratory is under an approved Personnel Demonstration Project. To learn more about our Demonstration Project, as well as our benefits package, applicants are encouraged to visit NRL’s Careers web site at http://www.nrl.navy.mil/careers.
 
Equal Employment Opportunity:
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military status or other non-merit factor.
 
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should include a reasonable accommodation request in the email with your application materials. If you are contacted for an interview, every effort will be made to meet the needs of your accommodation request. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.