BATTERI offers its first cohort of interns clean tech industry insight and hands-on lab experience

The inaugural cohort of interns in the Institute for Materials and Manufacturing Research’s (IMR) newest experiential learning program, Bridging Academic Training Through Experiential Research and Innovation (BATTERI), developed industry insight vital to the fast-growing battery sector and gained hands-on experience and built technical skills while working in multiple IMR-operated labs at The Ohio State University, including the recently renovated Battery Cell R&D Center.

Through an intensive 10-week program, seven students from Ohio State, Columbus State Community College and Wilberforce University developed skills and insights to launch careers in advanced battery manufacturing through access to state-of-the-art facilities, experience operating cutting-edge systems, and guidance from expert mentors in both industry and academia.

BATTERI was established with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program.

“This program is more than a vehicle to explore new technologies; it will serve as a catalyst that will shape advanced manufacturing by lighting pathways for a diverse STEM workforce,” said IMR Director of Innovation Jay Sayre, BATTERI lead principal investigator and research associate professor in Materials Science and Engineering.

Interns learned lab safety and scientific communication, and received hands-on training while working on real-world projects in multiple labs through the technical training curriculum portion of the program. In the entrepreneurial mindset portion, interns learned from mentors how to uncover and bring new discoveries to the market. 

“As an electrical engineering and economics student, I was particularly drawn to how the program seamlessly wove together engineering innovation and entrepreneurial strategy,” said Achraf Elinani, who studies at Columbus State Community College. “The training offered me meaningful exposure to market analysis, value proposition development, and practical insights into what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur down the road.”

For intern Bennett Kolda, an undergraduate student in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Ohio State, the off-site facility tours of industry labs and manufacturing centers were particularly impactful. He then stayed on as an IMR intern, along with Elinani and Ohio State undergraduate student Austin Porter, at the Battery Center through Autumn 2025.

“Through the BATTERI internship, I was able to return to the Battery Center this fall and continue working as a student employee. I am excited for the opportunity to continue the work we started this summer and contribute to the operations and research of the Battery Center!”

The application window for BATTERI 2026 internships is open Monday, December 1, 2025 – Friday, January 23, 2026. Visit the BATTERI webpage to learn more: https://imr.osu.edu/experiential-learning/batteri.