DOE Laboratory Practicum

Review abstracts for current and past practicum experiences at Sandia, California >>

Sandia is a multiprogram science and engineering laboratory operated for the Department of Energy with major facilities at Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California, and employees working at various sites in the U.S. and abroad. Since its formation over 70 years ago, Sandia has established itself as a major research and development center with a strong emphasis on computational science and engineering. Sandia employs about 13,000 people, with the highest fraction of R&D staff working in the areas of engineering (mechanical, electrical, computer, nuclear, aero, chemical), computer science, physics, and chemistry. A strong science, technology, and engineering foundation enables Sandia's mission through a capable research staff working at the forefront of innovation, collaborative research with universities and companies, and discretionary research projects with significant potential impact.

Research Areas

Research in computational science at Sandia ranges from exploring issues in theoretical and applied computer science to the development of new numerical algorithms for novel architecture computers. Sandia focuses on developing applications software to perform scientific and engineering calculations on massively parallel computers. The primary goal of this effort is to develop a unique capability for performing large-scale simulations and to investigate important scientific and engineering questions that would otherwise be impossible using conventional supercomputers and software.

Possible areas and centers for computational science practicum research:

• Advanced Simulation and Computing
• Bioscience
• Combustion Research Facility
• Computing and Information Science
  • Center for Computing Research
  • Scalable Algorithms
• Engineering Science
• Earth, Energy, and Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Nanodevices and Microsystems
• Neuroscience and Computing
• Radiation Effects and High Energy Density Science

Livermore Site

Sandia’s second principal laboratory is on the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area in Livermore, a city of approximately 100,000 people with 4.5 million living in the entire metropolitan area. With its Bay Area location, Sandia’s Livermore facility is near top-tier universities, Silicon Valley companies and other research labs and facilities. On average, Livermore has 260 days of sunshine a year, an average temperature between 73 and 46 degrees, and a fairly dry climate. Things to do in Livermore include visiting the nearby vineyards and beaches, visiting the numerous state parks, attending cultural or sporting events, and exploring the Bay Area.