US National Labs and Government-Funded Research: What International Students Can Join

Why some federal research stays closed to international students

The US Department of Energy runs national laboratories, including Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia, that carry out classified defense and nuclear weapons work. Positions and internships tied to that work stay restricted to US citizens because they require a security clearance, and non-US citizens do not qualify for one.

Even outside classified work, US export control law restricts the release of certain controlled technology and technical data to foreign nationals without a license. Universities and labs call this a deemed export, and it applies even when the international student never leaves the building, because sharing controlled information with them counts as an export to their home country under the rule.

DOE internships that require citizenship

The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program, one of the main entry points into DOE lab research, requires applicants to hold US citizenship or lawful permanent residency at the time of application, according to DOE Office of Science .

As of August 2026, students on F-1 or J-1 status do not qualify.

Permanent residents should plan for extra lead time. DOE labs still run a site-access approval after acceptance, and the program office notes this step adds lead time before your start date.

Where international students still find federally funded research

National labs also run non-classified basic science divisions in fields like materials science, high-energy physics, and computing. Labs including Argonne, Oak Ridge, Fermilab, and Lawrence Berkeley host foreign national researchers through university partnerships and guest-researcher agreements, but each visitor still goes through a foreign national access review before badge issuance. Ask your faculty advisor or the lab's visitor office about this process directly, since requirements differ by lab and by your country of origin.

University research funded by federal grants runs on a separate track from lab employment, and most of it takes international students. A professor's NSF or NIH grant normally pays a graduate research assistant regardless of citizenship, because the restriction sits with specific award types, not with federal funding as a whole. Individual fellowship programs are the exception.

NIH training grants known as T32 awards restrict appointments to US citizens, permanent residents, and noncitizen nationals, according to the NIH Grants Policy Statement , so a student on an F-1 or J-1 visa cannot draw salary from that specific funding line even inside a lab that takes international members.

Work authorization still applies

Finding a lab position that accepts international students solves only part of the problem. You still need work authorization for any paid research.

During your program, this usually means Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorized by your DSO before your start date. After graduation, Optional Practical Training (OPT) covers it.

Confirm the authorization sequence with your DSO before you accept a paid research offer, since starting paid work without authorization puts your F-1 status at risk.

How the foreign national access process works

A lab host submits a visitor request on your behalf, and the lab's security office reviews your citizenship, field of study, and the specific facility area you would work in against a list of technologies and countries that require extra screening. Approval times vary by lab and by your country of citizenship, so ask your host for a realistic estimate rather than assuming a fixed number of weeks. Common controlled categories include certain nuclear technology, advanced semiconductor fabrication methods, and some cryptography research.

Badge issuance and building access do not happen until this review clears, even after your advisor has already agreed to host you.

Alternatives if a lab or program is closed to you

If a specific internship or grant line excludes international students, look for the same research area funded through a different route. Many university departments run their own funded research assistantships that are open regardless of citizenship, even when they collaborate with a national lab on the science. A professor's general research budget, a university fellowship, or a non-restricted NSF award funds the same kind of work that a citizenship-restricted internship covers, so ask your advisor about alternative funding lines before ruling out a research area entirely.

Before you apply

• Read the eligibility section on the specific program page, not only the lab's general website

• Ask whether the position is funded through a restricted mechanism like SULI or a T32 grant

• Ask your prospective advisor whether the project touches controlled or classified data

• Start any required foreign national access paperwork as soon as you accept an offer

• Talk to your university's export control or international student office if you are unsure

Sources

• DOE Office of Science: SULI Eligibility
• NIH Grants Policy Statement: Eligibility