Job Description

The Homeland Protection Systems group works with U.S. government agencies and military partners to develop, assess, and rapidly transition advanced systems in support of the Homeland’s strategic interests. The group has deployed novel technology solutions to address security challenges in the national airspace, in urban centers, and at critical infrastructure sites. We specialize in algorithm and hardware prototyping, systems integration, systems analysis, and field testing, especially as related to air security operations. Our research efforts also include climate change, air, land, and maritime border security, and disaster response. Learn more about what our group does here 

Position Description

Our group is seeking motivated graduate students and experienced undergraduates to assist with projects addressing homeland security challenges with machine learning. Summer student assignments may include research on state-of-the-art algorithms in computer vision, reinforcement learning, and/or representation learning applied to challenging, real-world datasets. The candidate will work in a team-oriented development environment.

The summer internship program is open to candidates with varying educational levels, including those in the process of earning a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degree in a Computer Science, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field.

Experience in the following is required:

• Proficient in Python
• Experience with one or more machine learning and data science libraries such as PyTorch (possibly PyTorch Lightning) and Scikit-learn
• Experience with software engineering concepts, including version control (e.g., Git), and unit testing

Experience in one or more of the following is desired:

• Proficient with data analysis libraries (e.g., Pandas, Polars) or languages (e.g., Matlab, Julia)
• Experience with applying ML algorithms to real-world datasets
• Experience with Linux systems

Summer Research Program Overview

The Summer Research Program offers students the chance to apply their academic knowledge to real-world national security challenges while working alongside leading scientists and engineers. As an SRP intern, you’ll engage in hands-on research, receive dedicated mentorship, and take part in professional development opportunities including workshops, tech talks, and networking events—all while building connections within a vibrant community of peers.

• Internships are typically 10–12 weeks, with flexible start and end dates, typically May through early August.
• Housing support is available for eligible non-local interns, including access to discounted university housing in Boston and a one-time taxable relocation payment.
• Complimentary daily shuttle transportation is provided from Boston-based housing to and from the Lab.

Learn more about the Summer Research Program at:

Compensation

Hourly pay rates below are effective January 2025 – December 2025 and will be reviewed again for Summer 2026.

• Freshman (BS expected May/June 2029): $24.50/hour
• Sophomore (BS expected May/June 2028): $26.00/hour
• Junior (BS expected May/June 2027): $28.00/hour
• Senior (5-year BS program, completed 4 years by May/June 2026): $31.00/hour
• Bachelor’s degree completed in 2026: $34.50/hour
• BS + 1 (BS completed May/June 2025, 1st year of MS in 2025–26): $36.00/hour
• BS + 2 (BS completed May/June 2024, 2nd year of MS in 2025–26, degree not yet conferred): $37.50/hour
• MS (Master’s degree expected May/June 2026): $38.00/hour
• MS + 1 (MS completed May/June 2025, 1st year of PhD in 2025–26): $40.50/hour
• MS + 2 (MS completed May/June 2024, 2nd year of PhD in 2025–26): $42.00/hour
• MS + 3 (MS completed May/June 2023, 3rd year of PhD in 2025–26): $43.00/hour

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.

Requisition ID: 42482 

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