The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Teacher Summer Institute is a four-week program designed to equip high school STEM educators in East Tennessee with the skills and knowledge to grow the future STEM workforce. Each participant will be paired with ORNL’s world-class research and technical staff in an externship focused on professional development, curriculum design, and hands-on learning. 

ORNL Teacher Summer Institute Details

• The appointment is a 4-week summer program, held from June 15-26, 2026 and from July 6-17, 2026. 
• Participants are required to participate full-time each week of the program.
• The appointment will take place on-site at ORNL.
• Participants will receive a $1,400 weekly stipend based on full-time participation.
• The program provides opportunities to learn from world-renowned scientists and engineers.
• Professional development sessions will focus on curriculum innovation.

To be eligible, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be teaching middle school or high school courses on a full-time basis.
• Must be a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) teacher during the 2025-2026 academic year.
• Must plan to continue as a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) teacher during the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Must be willing to follow all program and safety instructions.
• Must be able to participate in all activities for the full-program period, June 15-26, 2026 and July 6-17, 2026.

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Any degree .
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
  • Engineering (29 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (51 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
  • Physics (16 )
  • Science & Engineering-related (2 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (29 )