Graduate Intern (9 months) – Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Energy Systems

Posting TitleGraduate Intern (9 months) – Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Energy Systems

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LocationCO - Golden

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Position TypeIntern (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week40

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Working at NRELThe National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

Join a team of world-class scientists, engineers, and visionaries dedicated to shaping the world’s energy future through cutting-edge research and innovation. From our vision to our NREL community, we are unique in the research community. We are focused on impact. From our work in basic sciences to systems engineering, analysis, demonstration, and deployment, we are focused on solving market-relevant problems that result in advanced, secure, reliable, and affordable energy systems. We are trusted clean energy leaders, developing cost-saving solutions that make U.S. industries more competitive, and support job creation and economic growth across rural and urban communities.

At NREL, we offer a unique, mission-driven work environment with cutting-edge facilities and multidisciplinary research teams. NREL's environment offers strong partnerships with industry, academia, and other national laboratories, as well as professional development opportunities and a competitive benefits package for employees.

Learn about NREL’s critical objectives: NREL's Mission and Vision.

Job Description

The AI, Learning and Intelligent Systems Group (ALIS) in the NREL Computational Science Center leverages expertise in computational science, AI, and applied mathematics to drive advancements in energy efficiency and energy systems integration research. To learn more about this group, check out this link here:Artificial Intelligence Research | Computational Science | NREL.

The ALIS group has an opening for a graduate student researcher to work on developing a privacy-preserving zero-trust architecture in DER systems.  The researcher will assist in researching zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and other privacy-enhancing technologies for protecting user privacy in identity verification mechanisms.

We are looking for a dynamic, motivated researcher with an interest in the mission of NREL and a strong technical background in applied cryptography.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with NREL domain scientists to develop zero-knowledge proofs for identity verification mechanisms in DER systems.
• Analyze privacy preservation through formal security proofs
• Conduct experiments to demonstrate the scalability of ZKP-based identity verification mechanisms
• Author, present and assist in the preparation of technical papers, reports and conference proceedings on topics related to zero-knowledge proofs and zero-trust architecture.

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Basic QualificationsMinimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.
Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.
Please Note:
• Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process.
• If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process.
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• The successful candidate will have completed or be enrolled in a graduate degree in engineering, computer science, data science, physics, applied math, or related field.
• ​Demonstrated experience in the field of applied cryptography, especially zero-knowledge proofs.
• Strong background in computer security and privacy, familiar with recent advances in privacy-enhancing technologies and zero-knowledge proofs
• Strong foundation in at least one of the following coding languages: Python, C++, Rust and collaborative software development experience (i.e. using GitHub for version control)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with devising formal security proofs for cryptographic protocols, especially ZKP
• Knowledge of privacy-preserving AI research (e.g., federated learning, differential privacy, etc.)
• Experience with power systems and/or renewable energy
• Good publication track record

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Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)Job Profile: / Annual Salary Range: $43,700 - $69,900

NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits SummaryBenefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; and sick leave (where required by law). NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits.

* Based on eligibility rules

Badging RequirementNREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation. Intern assignments extending beyond six months will be subject to this requirement.

Drug Free Workplace

NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

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Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations

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