National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) introduced me to how working in research and development is outside of university. Overall, I enjoyed the process of how a research project went from an idea on paper to a fully funded study in the lab.
What I wish was different
Overall, there wasn’t anything I wish was different with the experience I had in the lab or the work I did in the office. The only consideration to be made is that NETL has strict safety procedures. So, for the first week or two you will be doing formal training to familiarize yourself with both the facility and the people that run it. This is not to say that their safety protocols should change, this is saying to ready yourself for how in depth NETL will go for your well being.
Advice
The advice I’d give, like any other internship, is that you are there as a student, not an employee.
Your goal is to gain experience with your department and get involved with your mentors and pears. It may be tempting to walk in, email your superior about what you should do today, and then work with your face buried in your computer screen; however, this doesn’t expose you to how NETL operates. NETL is a large community of people that are deeply involved with the activities of the people around them. By getting involved in that community, you quickly learn both what you dislike doing and what you like doing. You learn if the style of research that NETL has is appealing to you and, ultimately, what area of STEM you prefer.
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Inter/Lab Assistant
July 2019 • Pittsburgh, PA
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
NETL opened my eyes to the field of government research. Research, in its entirety, is a tedious process made even moreso by the rules enacted by the Department of Energy. Your time usually consists of attending meetings, writing reports, and preparing presentations; all without setting foot into the lab to record information. Once you get into the lab, the work become monotonous; by taking similiar measurements over and over again, you are trying to get enough data to write reports and create presentations. However, your work is not perpetually tiresome.
Research was explained to me, by two of my collegues at NETL, to be a "... celebration of information...". Your work is an investigation into the natural world, finding an explanation for the unknown; in all, your time at NETL is a pursuit of knowledge. Every measurement you take, every meeting you attend, only furthers your education. NETL provides an environment with a diverse set of people, of different backgrounds and skill sets, all continuing their education.
If your academic path will be taking you to post-grad school and/or you don't mind stringent regulations and tedious processes, NETL would be a good fit in your pursuit of knowledge.
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Mickey Leland Energy Fellow
June - August 2019 • Pittsburgh, PA
What I liked
I enjoyed working with scientists from diverse backgrounds and hearing what their opinions were on the future of US energy.
What I wish was different
I wish that I would have been able to gather some of my own data from the field to confirm the findings I generated in my model.
Advice
Always be willing to learn something new, especially if you think you already know all there is to know about the subject.
