Oxford Sigma
Summer Internship - LITHIUM CERAMICS SUPPLY, DEMAND AND IMPACT OF IMPURITIES (Neutronics)
Lithium breeder materials are required to generate the tritium used to drive fusion reactions, which will allow fusion devices to become self-sufficient and commercially viable. While fusion commercialisation is gaining momentum, demand for lithium is expected to see a sixfold increase over the coming decade and lithium impurities originating from mining and manufacture have the potential to limit performance.
This 8-week paid internship project focuses on developing Monte Carlo neutron transport (neutronics) simulations to assess how impurities will influence the performance of lithium ceramic breeder blankets. Working alongside another intern, who will focus on a materials analysis of the lithium supply chain, a final report and/or peer-reviewed publication will be produced detailing the lithium supply chain, impurities, and the impacts on the scale-up of fusion energy to commercial deployment.
Student Suitability
Suitable for students studying a range of STEM subjects, including but not limited to, physics, nuclear engineering, materials science/engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, and mathematics or other related disciplines. Applicants should have basic experience with programming in Python.
Student Responsibilities
The intern will be embedded within Oxford Sigma’s multidisciplinary materials and design teams and will:
Be embedded into the Oxford Sigma Design and Analysis team, being exposed to a range of projects.
Work with a fellow intern embedded into the Oxford Sigma Materials team to reach the common goals for the project.
Contribute to a literature review that identifies potential lithium impurities.
Construct and execute neutronics simulations to evaluate how these impurities influence breeder blanket performance.
Write up findings in a technical report.
Present the output of the project to the wider Oxford Sigma team.
The Internship will provide exposer to:
Fusion breeder blanket concepts and tritium breeding requirements
Lithium ceramic manufacturing processes
The interface between materials science, supply chain constraints, and neutronics performance
Industrially relevant research with potential contribution to a peer-reviewed publication.
This is an in-person role based at our office in Summertown, Oxford as well as the potential to spend time in our lab in Culham.
This internship is in collaboration with UKAEA’s Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research (FOSTER) programme, which supports the UK Fusion Energy Strategy’s objective to grow the skills and talent pipeline required for fusion commercialisation. This internship position at Oxford Sigma is part of the Summer Internship Scheme which enables students to undertake paid placements within host organisations related to the fusion industry.
EligibilityThe candidate must have the right to work in the UK
The candidate must be an Undergraduate, Postgraduate or PhD student who is still classified by their university as a student at time of internship start.
Salary
£25,931 FTE (pro-rata)
Apply
We’d love to understand more about you, and why you want to get involved in fusion.
Applications will be reviewed fortnightly, until all our spaces are filled, or until 12:00 20th April 2026 – whichever comes first. This is one of four summer Internship opportunities at Oxford Sigma in 2026, across three projects.
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