MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Department of Defense R&D center run by MIT in Lexington, Massachusetts; has developed air traffic control technology for the FAA since 1971.
Overview
MIT Lincoln Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center established in 1951 and managed by MIT for the Department of Defense, located at Hanscom Air Force Base in Lexington, Massachusetts. Its mission areas include air and missile defense, space systems, cyber security, and air traffic control. It has supported the FAA since 1971 on aircraft surveillance, aviation weather sensing, collision avoidance, and decision support tools for controllers, and now also works on sense-and-avoid systems for uncrewed aircraft. All employees must be U.S. citizens eligible for a security clearance. It hires more than 200 students each summer.
Student Insights
Citizenship and clearance apply to everyone
Lincoln Laboratory states that applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible to obtain a security clearance, which is required of all Laboratory employees. This applies to student positions as well.
Summer program details
In recent summers the lab has hired more than 200 students. It offers weekly pay, travel assistance for students relocating from more than 50 miles away, discounted housing at Northeastern University for up to 11 weeks, and a free weekday shuttle from the Northeastern and MIT campuses. Co-ops are drawn from MIT, Northeastern, Wentworth, and other area colleges.
An engineering route into air traffic control
The lab's Air Traffic Control and Weather Systems group builds tools that controllers and traffic managers use, such as weather sensing and forecasting and decision support systems. This is a path for students who like ATC problems but want to work as engineers or scientists.
AI Outlook
The laboratory operates its own supercomputing center and applies image analytics and automation in its air traffic and weather research, for example estimating visibility from camera images.
Student Hiring
Typical Roles
Notable Programs
- FAA air traffic control R&D (since 1971)
- Ground-Based Sense-and-Avoid System for uncrewed aircraft
- Summer Research Program
Career Connections
AeroEd career pathways relevant to MIT Lincoln Laboratory.