Applied Deep Learning PhD Research Intern, Reinforcement Learning for LLMs - Fall 2026

at Nvidia

USD 30-94 per hour

INTERN

✅ On-site

Tech Stack
Tag name is followed by "@" symbol and proficiency level value. About proficiency levels:

1-2 — basic awareness. Minimal hands-on experience, and a rudimentary understanding of the technology's purpose;

3-6 — daily use. Comfortable and regular usage, capable of handling common tasks and challenges related to the technology;

7-9 — you are an expert, you can teach others, you know all the pitfalls and tricks;

10 — exceptional knowledge, comprehensive understanding, and adeptness in all aspects of the technology, including advanced problem-solving. Think twice before claiming or demanding such level.

AI @ 3 Algorithms @ 6 Debugging @ 3 Deep Learning @ 3 Experimentation GPU LLM @ 3 Machine Learning @ 3 Mathematics @ 3 NLP PyTorch @ 3 Python @ 3 Reinforcement Learning @ 6

Details

NVIDIA is looking for PhD research interns excited to advance the next generation of large language models through reinforcement learning. The applied deep learning research team has helped pioneer projects such as Megatron, MT-NLG, and DLSS. The team builds state-of-the-art foundation models and develops methods to improve their reasoning, alignment, reliability, and ability to solve real-world tasks.

This internship will focus on algorithmic research at the intersection of reinforcement learning and large language models, with an emphasis on hands-on experimentation and rapid prototyping at scale.

Responsibilities

Develop and prototype reinforcement learning algorithms for large language models.
Explore methods for improving reasoning, alignment, instruction following, and multi-turn interaction.
Design experiments to evaluate model behavior, robustness, hallucination, and task performance.
Implement research ideas in Python and PyTorch.
Run experiments on large-scale GPU clusters.

Requirements

Pursuing a PhD in AI, machine learning, computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, physics, or a related field.
Strong background in reinforcement learning and natural language processing.
Excellent programming skills, especially in Python.
Experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch.
Comfort with experimental research, debugging models, and working with large-scale training pipelines.

Preferred Qualifications

Publications or open-source contributions in reinforcement learning, large language models, alignment, reasoning, or post-training.
Experience with RLHF, RLAIF, policy optimization, reward modeling, or agentic LLM systems.
Strong intuition for both algorithms and large-scale implementation.

Compensation and Benefits

Internship hourly rate: 30 USD - 94 USD, based on position, location, year in school, degree, and experience.
Eligible for intern benefits.
Applications will be accepted at least until May 10, 2026.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.