Materials Project Intern

Posted on: 08/13/2024

Contact: Patrick Huck (phuck@lbl.gov)

Description: We’re looking for senior undergraduates ready for hands-on experience in web development in the context of data-driven materials science. You’ll be working alongside the Materials Project infrastructure team at Berkeley Lab, and helping to enhance our website interface, ensure effective data organization, managing contributor relations, and supporting other related tasks.

This is a great chance for you to make contributions to the world’s largest materials informatic platform and create impact on the open-source materials science ecosystem. You will be working with, and learning from, a team of scientists/engineers, and be part of a research group with diverse research interests. You will be exposed to advancement in the interdisciplinary forefront of materials, physics, chemistry and computer science. If you want to kickstart your STEM career, while making a real impact on the open-source scientific community, this is a great environment for you.

As an intern, you will be engaged in a range of exciting activities:

Website Interface Enhancement:

• Collaborate with the development team to improve the overall user interface of our website
• Work with internal and external contributors to understand their scientific goals, help write interfaces, and finally, incorporate them into our production website
• Improve the user data contribution experience in our existing MPContribs Explorer App

Data Organization:

• Work with the team to maintain efficient data organization, including data ingestion, parsing, and document building
• Ensure accuracy and consistency in data storage and retrieval

Contributor Relations:

• Engage with our collaborators to facilitate data contributions by attending meetings, understanding their data, and helping to coordinate internal workflows
• Maintain a good relationship with our user community by actively understanding their scientific needs, answering forum questions, and implementing solutions

As an intern, you can expect to:

• Identify opportunities for process improvement in our user experience
• Attend our weekly update meetings and learn about the work of the infrastructure team
• Commit to completing assigned tasks, and collaborating effectively, which will be key to making the most of this experience
• Engage in one-to-one meetings with senior developers to receive guidance, feedback and support
• Network with other group members and identify areas for improvement and collaborations

Qualifications:
Requirements:

• Currently a senior enrolled full-time in a related accredited undergraduate program
• Experience in programming with Python
• Experience with data visualization or basic web development principles
• A good team player with a focus on problem solving and collaboration

Desirable qualifications:

• Proficiency in software development with Python, Javascript, and other web development frameworks such as Plotly Dash, React etc.
• Familiarity with the Materials Project and its common usage in materials science
• Experience in data management
• Excellent communication skills to interact with internal and external collaborators
• Ability to quickly acquire new skills and adapt to a fast-paced, collaborative work environment

How to Apply: Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter highlighting their relevant experience.