DOE Laboratory Practicum

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

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

Albuquerque Site

Most Sandians work at the Albuquerque site in north-central New Mexico. Albuquerque, a city of about 550,000 people with around 900,000 in the entire metropolitan area, has affordable housing, a reasonable cost of living and minimal traffic congestion. It has an average of 278 days of sunshine a year, average temperatures between 78 and 40 degrees, and a generally dry climate. Things to do in Albuquerque include outdoor recreation (hiking, skiing, snowboarding and parks), museums, sports, exploring Native American and Hispanic culture, enjoying New Mexico cuisine such as green chile dishes, observing wildlife – including roadrunners, the state bird – exploring the vibrant art community, and attending the International Balloon Fiesta each October.