Students & Training
Internships, theses and hands‑on experience in applied nuclear physics
Internships and Thesis Projects
Want to work with a real particle accelerator instead of just reading about one? Come spend time in our labs. You’ll get hands-on with the actual research — dating ancient samples by AMS, analysing materials with ion beams, building detectors, or helping make medical isotopes. We welcome students from physics, engineering, materials science and related fields — and you don’t need to have it all figured out yet, just curiosity and a willingness to learn.
Skills you will build
- Hands‑on work with accelerators, detectors and analytical methods
- Data analysis, simulation and experimental design
- Collaboration in interdisciplinary research teams
Who should apply?
Undergraduate and graduate students with a background in physics, nuclear engineering, electronics, materials or biomedical engineering who are eager to learn and contribute.
Opportunities are available year‑round; summer placements are popular and competitive.
Internships
Practica programme placements across DFNA labs
DFNA hosts students for summer and academic-year internships. Apply directly to the named contact and CC negret@nipne.ro (IFIN-HH scientific secretary).
Radiochemistry and isotope separation, metal chemistry
Production and separation of radioisotopes for medical applications (diagnosis and treatment).
For: chemistry (analytical, radiochemistry), chemical engineering, materials science.
Contact: dana.niculae@nipne.ro
AI & software automation: image analysis for SEM and AFM
Develop local AI and software automation for image recognition and material classification on SEM and AFM datasets. We provide hands-on sample prep, analysis and image data; you contribute programming (Python or Google Cloud preferred).
For: students with strong programming skills, team-work and communication.
Contact: cristina.ionescu@nipne.ro · paul.mereuta@nipne.ro
Developments for ion sources, ion optics and IBA setups
Develop novel systems for ion sources, ion optics, diagnostics, and IBA hardware at the 3 MV Tandetron. Skills used: 3D design, Python, LabVIEW, hardware development and accelerator-physics fundamentals.
For: engineering and physics students.
Contact: radu.andrei@nipne.ro
Optical microscopy techniques and image analysis
Improve image analysis across BF, DF, FL, PC, RL and PL methods used in microbiology and materials science. Located at the 1 MV Tandetron lab; combine results with dedicated Python scripts.
For: students interested in microscopy, image analysis, microbiology or materials.
Contact: radu.andrei@nipne.ro
Prototyping scientific equipment with microcontrollers and FPGAs
Develop scientific equipment using digital electronics, microcontrollers, prototyping boards and FPGA systems. Includes 3D CAD, microcontroller and FPGA programming, hardware integration. Hosted in the 1 MV building R&D lab.
For: physics and engineering students with interest in automation and experimental physics.
Contact: radu.andrei@nipne.ro
Bragg-curve software from nuclear parameters (A, Z, E) for gas-pressure estimation in particle detectors
Develop a Bethe–Bloch-based application that generates Bragg curves from particle parameters and uses energy loss to estimate the gas pressure in particle detectors.
For: programming, applied physics, rare-particle detectors, engineering.
Contact: menache@nipne.ro · alexpetre@nipne.ro · melania.istrati@nipne.ro
Chemical protocols for low-iodine water samples — 129I by AMS
Develop and optimise iodine separation/extraction protocols for water samples; prepare samples for 129I AMS analysis. Applications in nuclear-pollution physics.
For: chemistry, radiochemistry, applied physics, particle accelerators.
Contact: menache@nipne.ro · alexpetre@nipne.ro · melania.istrati@nipne.ro
Didactic mockup of a 1 MV AMS installation — 3D printing + Arduino
Understand the radiocarbon dating principle; produce 3D drawings, 3D-print parts; integrate Arduino electronics into the mockup; program in the Arduino IDE.
For: engineering (automation, electronics, programming), applied physics, particle accelerators, experimental-device development.
Contact: alexpetre@nipne.ro · melania.istrati@nipne.ro
Dating glacial landforms with cosmogenic 10Be — case study: Livingston Island, Antarctica
Quartz separation, optimisation of beryllium chemical extraction, AMS sample preparation, and computation of surface-exposure ages from the 10Be/9Be ratio. Reconstructs glacier retreat and past climate variability.
For: chemistry, radiochemistry, applied physics, particle accelerator science.
Contact: daniela.pascal@nipne.ro
Radiocarbon dating of environmental and archaeological archives
14C measurements on wood, charcoal, peat, or bone — chemical pretreatment, conversion to CO2 then graphitisation, and AMS measurement. Chronologies up to ~50,000 years for environmental, archaeological and palaeoclimate reconstructions.
For: chemistry, radiochemistry, applied physics, particle accelerator science.
Contact: cristian.manailescu@nipne.ro
From Beam to Data: engineering measurement systems for accelerated ion beams
Characterise accelerated ion beams at the 3 MV Tandetron — precision CNC motion, high-vacuum fundamentals, DAQ electronics, particle-detector principles, and development/testing of real ion-beam detection systems.
For: engineering (mechanical, electrical, electronics, automation), applied physics, particle accelerators, materials physics, radiobiology.
Contact: mircea.lechintan@nipne.ro
Full-Stack Web Developer Intern — administrative web apps
Extend our internal admin software suite with JavaScript web apps for HR, vacations, business trips and acquisitions, integrated with Google Workspace via Apps Script. Full cycle: design, implementation, testing, validation, documentation. Mentorship and onboarding time included.
For: Computer Science students (ACS, ETTI, FILS, etc.) — JavaScript/OOP a plus, basic web dev and Git.
Contact: andrei.hotnog@nipne.ro
Radiochemistry and isotope separation, metal chemistry
Production and separation of radioisotopes for medical applications (diagnosis and treatment).
For: chemistry (analytical, radiochemistry), chemical engineering, materials science.
Contact: dana.niculae@nipne.ro
Radiochemical synthesis and labelling of bioactive molecules with radioisotopes
Methods to enhance the synthesis of bioactive compounds in the mycelium of the phytoparasitic fungus Inonotus obliquus through submerged fermentation.
For: chemistry (radiochemistry, bioinorganic, organic), chemical engineering, pharmacy, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry.
Contact: dana.niculae@nipne.ro
Automation of chemical processes
Advanced training in the analysis, design and implementation of control systems for chemical and biochemical installations.
For: chemical engineering, materials science, applied sciences.
Contact: dana.niculae@nipne.ro
Production of medical radioisotopes at the cyclotron
Production of short and medium-lived radioisotopes and their radiochemical processing.
For: nuclear physics, medical physics, physics engineering, applied sciences.
Contact: dana.niculae@nipne.ro
Preclinical testing in drug development
Safe estimation of initial drug doses for human clinical studies. Studies of drug toxicity and carcinogenic or disease-causing toxic effects.
For: pharmacy (pharmacology, toxicology), biochemistry, biology, medicinal chemistry, medical physics, chemical engineering, applied sciences.
Contact: dana.niculae@nipne.ro
Multidisciplinary research at the TR-19 medical cyclotron
Cyclotron-driven neutron generator for radionuclide production; proton-beam radiobiology; FLASH-irradiation experimental platform; extension of the cyclotron's irradiation capability into the experimental hall.
Contact: cliviu@nipne.ro
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)
Measurement of radiocarbon (14C) in diverse sample types lets us determine ages from hundreds up to tens of thousands of years. Sample preparation can be highly laborious — existing protocols are sometimes insufficient and the search for new procedures is essential.
For: chemistry, applied physics, particle accelerators.
Contact: cristian.manailescu@nipne.ro
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)
Hands-on participation in AMS measurement campaigns at the 1 MV Tandetron and associated radiochemical sample-prep work.
For: applied physics, particle accelerators, chemistry, radiochemistry.
Contact: menache@nipne.ro · daniela.pascal@nipne.ro
Elemental analysis and material modification with accelerated ion beams
IBA techniques (PIXE, RBS, ERDA, NRA) and ion-beam modification at the 3 MV Tandetron.
For: engineering (mechanical, electrical, electronics, automation), applied physics, particle accelerators, chemistry, radiochemistry, materials physics, radiobiology, experimental-device development.
Contact: mihai.straticiuc@nipne.ro
Topological and morphological analysis of complex materials by SEM
Scanning Electron Microscopy of materials used in physics and applied nuclear physics.
For: materials physics, development of materials used in physics and applied nuclear physics.
Contact: paul.mereuta@nipne.ro
Surface characterisation by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
Hands-on AFM imaging and analysis on the Veeco MultiMode NanoScope III A in the DFNA NANOMAT lab.
For: materials physics, development of materials used in physics and applied nuclear physics.
Contact: cristina.ionescu@nipne.ro
High-power, high-precision electronic circuits in particle accelerators
Design and maintenance of high-power, high-precision electronics used at DFNA's accelerator facilities.
For: engineering (electrical, electronics, automation).
Contact: laurentiu.teodorescu@nipne.ro
From Beam to Data: engineering measurement systems for accelerated ion beams
Work directly with real applied-nuclear-physics technologies at DFNA. Activity centred on characterising accelerated ion beams at the 3 MV Tandetron — precision CNC motion systems for sample positioning, fundamentals of high vacuum, data-acquisition electronics, particle-detector principles, and development and testing of real detection systems for ion beams.
For: engineering (mechanical, electrical, electronics, automation), applied physics, particle accelerators, materials physics, radiobiology, experimental-device development.
Contact: mircea.lechintan@nipne.ro
Benefits across all placements: access to dedicated research infrastructure, hands-on experience in applied nuclear physics, and the opportunity for long-term collaboration.
Student Testimonials
In their own words
Experiența mea în DFNA m-a făcut să realizez că există posibilitatea de a face lucruri mărețe chiar și în România alături de cea mai importantă resursă a noastră, aceasta fiind oamenii.