Graduate Intern (9 months) Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Energy Systems

$42,700 - $68,300/Yr

National Renewable Energy Laboratory - Golden, CO

Full-time - Intern

Golden, CO

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The Graduate Intern position at NREL focuses on developing privacy-preserving zero-trust architecture in Distributed Energy Resource (DER) systems. The intern will engage in research related to zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and privacy-enhancing technologies, contributing to the mission of advancing energy efficiency and integration research. This role offers a unique opportunity to work alongside domain scientists and contribute to technical publications in the field.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with NREL domain scientists to develop zero-knowledge proofs for identity verification mechanisms in DER systems.
• Analyze privacy preservation through formal security proofs.
• Conduct experiments to demonstrate the scalability of ZKP-based identity verification mechanisms.
• Author, present and assist in the preparation of technical papers, reports and conference proceedings on topics related to zero-knowledge proofs and zero-trust architecture.

Requirements

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master's degree program from an accredited institution or have earned a master's degree within the past 12 months.
• Demonstrated experience in the field of applied cryptography, especially zero-knowledge proofs.
• Strong background in computer security and privacy, familiar with recent advances in privacy-enhancing technologies and zero-knowledge proofs.
• Strong foundation in at least one of the following coding languages: Python, C++, Rust and collaborative software development experience (i.e. using GitHub for version control).

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with devising formal security proofs for cryptographic protocols, especially ZKP.
• Knowledge of privacy-preserving AI research (e.g., federated learning, differential privacy, etc.).
• Experience with power systems and/or renewable energy.
• Good publication track record.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match.
• Sick leave (where required by law).
• Potential eligibility for performance-, merit-, and achievement-based awards.