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National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Undergraduate/Graduate (Summer) Intern - Formal Verification Methods for Cybersecurity

Posted 11 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
In-Office
Golden, CO
35K-56K Annually
Internship
In-Office
Golden, CO
35K-56K Annually
Internship
Work with Isabelle/HOL to formally specify and verify communication-path security in energy systems. Develop Adversarial Logic models, conduct literature reviews, translate requirements into formal specifications, document proofs, present progress, and help build reusable formal frameworks for operational technology cybersecurity.
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Posting TitleUndergraduate/Graduate (Summer) Intern - Formal Verification Methods for Cybersecurity

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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 NLRNLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

About the Center 

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) Cybersecurity Center conducts cutting-edge research to strengthen the nation's energy grid against evolving cyber threats. Pillars of our center are cyber threat emulation, novel Cybersecurity technologies for complex energy systems, Cybersecurity risk analysis, and the development of new Cybersecurity standards, all aimed at securing advanced energy technologies and highly distributed energy systems. 

About the Group 

The Foundational Cybersecurity Sciences group at NLR advances the core science of cybersecurity and translates breakthroughs into field-ready solutions to prepare for a future of advanced cyber threats and diversifying operational systems. Our research encompasses formal methods, artificial intelligence, and cryptographic approaches for verifiable operational technology cybersecurity, with a focus on increasing complexity and interconnectedness in energy systems. 

Project Overview 

The intern will work on the formal verification of system-level properties of energy systems, with a specific focus on verifying the properties of communication paths connecting components of energy systems of systems. Using the Isabelle/HOL interactive theorem proving environment, the intern will help develop and apply Adversarial Logic frameworks to rigorously model and reason about the security of these communication paths. This research contributes directly to NLR's mission of delivering verifiable, high-assurance cybersecurity solutions for operational technology. 

Job Duties and Tasks 

  • Use the Isabelle/HOL interactive theorem proving environment to formally specify and verify properties of communication paths in energy systems. 

  • Develop and apply Adversarial Logic models to reason about potential attack vectors and system vulnerabilities. 

  • Conduct literature reviews on formal methods, interactive theorem proving, and cybersecurity of operational technology systems. 

  • Collaborate with research staff to translate system-level cybersecurity requirements into formal specifications. 

  • Assist in documenting proof strategies, findings, and formal models for internal reports and potential publications. 

  • Participate in team meetings, present progress updates, and contribute to technical discussions on research directions. 

  • Support the development of reusable formal frameworks that can be applied to a range of energy system components and configurations. 

What You Will Gain 

This internship offers a unique opportunity to work at a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory, gaining hands-on experience in a world-class research environment at the intersection of formal methods and energy systems cybersecurity. Interns will build rare, highly sought-after skills in interactive theorem proving and adversarial reasoning, contribute to impactful research that directly supports the security of the nation's critical energy infrastructure, and develop professional competencies in scientific communication, collaborative research, and applied cybersecurity. 

Learn More 

To learn more about the work this group and center do, check out these links: 

  • Foundational Cybersecurity Sciences: https://www.nlr.gov/security-resilience/foundational-cybersecurity-sciences 

  • NLR Cybersecurity Center: https://www.nlr.gov/security-resilience/cybersecurity 

  • Related Research Publication: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-66064-1_5 

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Basic QualificationsMust be enrolled as a full-time student in a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree program, or graduated in the past 12 months from an accredited institution. Candidates who have earned a degree may work for a period not to exceed 12 months. Must have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
Please Note:
•You will need to upload 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.

Additional Required Qualifications

Required background: Expect a candidate who has completed BS in computer science, or computer engineering, or applied mathematics, or electrical engineering. 

Or a candidate who is currently pursuing or completed a master’s in computer science, or applied mathematics, or computer engineering, or software engineering, or cybersecurity, or information security, or electrical engineering. 

Or a candidate who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science, or computer engineering, or applied mathematics, or electrical engineering, or cybersecurity. 

Required skills: familiarity with proof assistants such as Isabelle/HOL, or Lean, or Coq, etc. 

Required research experience:  formal verification methods.   

Preferred Qualifications

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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: Undergraduate III / Annual Salary Range: $34,800 - $55,700

NLR 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). NLR 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 RequirementNLR 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

NLR 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 NLR, 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 NLR 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

E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.

E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce. 

Top Skills

Isabelle/Hol,Lean,Coq,Proof Assistants,Interactive Theorem Proving,Formal Verification,Adversarial Logic

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, Colorado, USA Office

15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO , United States, 80401

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