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Research Experience for Undergraduates

UTK-MRSEC × UT-ORII • SMaRT Internship Partnership

UTK-MRSEC Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program

UTK-MRSEC has partnered with the University of Tennessee–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) for its Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) Internship Program. The SMaRT Program recruits the nation’s best and brightest undergraduates. For 10 weeks each summer, our interns gain firsthand research experience working alongside researchers from the University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and other local organizations.

Learn about SMaRT

Partners & Support

UTK-MRSEC’s partnership with UT-ORII’s SMaRT Internship Program provides a 10-week, cross-disciplinary research experience where you can explore Advanced Materials & Manufacturing and the growing role of AI/ML, whether you’re already committed or just curious. Work side-by-side with researchers from UT and ORNL in cutting-edge facilities, gain real project experience, and discover your next step. UTK-MRSEC provides partial financial support for SMaRT interns and supplies projects and additional professional and social development activities. A growing number of SMaRT interns return to UT for graduate school, with some now serving as graduate mentors for the SMaRT Program!

Team Science Experience

Hands-on research with expert mentors

Students report substantial growth in research skills, including hands-on experience with advanced instrumentation (e.g., Raman spectroscopy, SEM, XRD), increased autonomy in experiment design and data analysis, and improved project and time management. The experience helps clarify academic and career goals—especially through exposure to national labs like ORNL and emerging fields such as AI/ML. Cohorts also build a strong peer community for collaboration and communication.

  • Mentored by UT/ORNL researchers and graduate student mentors
  • Weekly professional development workshops
  • Poster/presentation at end of program

Benefits

Stipend

$694 per week

Housing

On-campus

Single-room housing at UT Knoxville

Travel

Support

Up to $1,200 if traveling from 50+ miles away


Focus Areas

What you can work on

Advanced materials & manufacturing
Electrochemical energy systems
Predictive systems biology
Autonomous, smart & resilient energy

*Data science & engineering threads are woven through each of these areas. UTK-MRSEC specifically provides SMaRT with projects in Advanced Materials & Manufacturing.

Eligibility

Who should apply

  • Rising college sophomores, juniors, and seniors
  • Interested in advanced materials, manufacturing, and interdisciplinary science & engineering
  • Questions? Email oriismart@utk.edu

How to Apply

Application status

Closed: UT-ORII is no longer accepting applications for its 2025 SMaRT internship cohort.

Next cycle: Applications for Summer 2026 will be available at a later date. For updates, email oriismart@utk.edu or visit the SMaRT Internship page.

Student Voices

Hear from recent SMaRT interns

Chloe Davis — Western Carolina University. Ceramic thermal-barrier research (pyrochlore titanates) using XRD, SEM, and transient plane source methods.

Courtnei Powell — Xavier University. Hands-on summer research within the UT-ORNL ecosystem.

Aisling Gonzalez — Cal Poly Pomona. Machine-learning-assisted phase identification for XRD data at UT’s Institute for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing.

Stay in the loop

We’ll post 2026 application details as soon as they’re live

Request Updates
Visit SMaRT Site