Physics & Nuclear Engineering Internships Offered by the PaNE Department View all USMA internships Physics & Nuclear Engineering Internships Offered by the PaNE Department View all USMA internships Breadcrumb academics departments physics and nuclear engineering internships Physics and Nuclear Engineering (left) MENU Physics & Nuclear Engineering Home Majors & Minors Research Internships Events & Activities Faculty & Staff About PaNE InternshipsThe Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) program provides cadets with an opportunity to observe and implement concepts from their education in physics, nuclear engineering, and space science over several weeks during summer internships. USMA’s AIAD program is a key portion of the institution’s “Margin of Excellence Concept.” Cadets spend two to four weeks during the summer academic break (late May to early August) conducting academically enriching studies, service, research, and cultural immersions.The AIAD program enables cadets to perform research with leaders in government and private sector laboratories, both stateside and abroad. These unique experiences broaden cadets’ perspectives and provide them with practical, advanced education related to their field of study and real-world application of science in the military. Examples of PaNE Internships National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) The Military Academy Collaboration (MAC) is a cooperative research program administered by NNSA’s Office of Defense Programs, through which cadets, midshipmen, and faculty are temporarily assigned to one of nine locations (Los Alamos National Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Sandia National Lab, the Pantex Plant, the Nevada National Security Site, The Kansas City National Security Campus, the Y-12 Plant, the Sevanah River Site, and the NNSA Headquarters) across the Nuclear Security Enterprise. The MAC program provides select cadets, midshipmen, and faculty an opportunity to explore cutting-edge research and development in disciplines and technologies of mutual interest to the Military/Service Academies, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, and the National Nuclear Security Administration. Office of Defense Programs Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) DTRA sponsors multiple research projects with academic, commercial, and military organizations supporting research into the detecting the presence of, preventing the deployment of, and mitigating of the use of weapons of mass destruction. Missile Defense Agency The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is pleased to offer internships for the summer of 2026. Internships offer military service personnel, who are pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields professional work experience within the MDA enterprise. 9 projects are available: 1. Data Driven Decisions 2. PD-26 Aegis Element Lead Assistant 3. Missile Defense Future Architecture Study 4. Next Generation Missile Defense 5. Planning and Truth Lead Analysis 6. Operational Radar Analysis 7. Model-Based Decision Analysis 8. Technical Improvements for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Operational Lessons Learned 9. AI Tools for Command and Control Efforts. Integrating Technical Capabilities with SOF in EUCOM AOR Cadet(s) will work in an innovation lab at Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) with Space Operations (FA40) and Nuclear Operations (FA52) emphasis. The project applies science and technology to real world problems in the AOR. Cadets must understand coding languages (Python), be interested in building innovative high tech capability solutions applied to real world operational gaps, and they need to be a talented type-A personality capable of working with tier-1 operators. Photos from Past Partnerships Work with a research university on developing better radiation detectors. Help develop systems for spaceflight at NASA-Johnson Space Center. Work with Army scientists at the Army Research Labs developing future technologies for combat. Interested Cadets Cadets interested in learning more about current PaNE internship opportunities should contact one of the AIAD coordinators:Dr. Dan SchultzPhone: (845) 938-5009LTC Cathleen BarkerPhone: (845) 938-3090 AIAD SharePoint (requires login)