# PhD-level Research Intern - AI HW/SW Co-Design, Hardware Accelerator Architecture, IC Design Methodology, and VLSI Design

**Company**: NVIDIA
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: internship
**Salary**: 38 USD - 94 USD
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://nvidia.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NVIDIAExternalCareerSite/job/US-CA-Santa-Clara/PhD-Research-Intern--AI-Accelerator-Design-and-VLSI---2027_JR2026584-1?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_c2666619-88f

## Description

NVIDIA Research is seeking PhD-level students to work as research interns at the intersection of AI HW/SW Co-Design, Hardware Accelerator Architecture, IC Design Methodology, and VLSI Design.

Ideal candidates will have a broad perspective across areas including machine learning fundamentals, quantization and numerical methods for machine learning model optimization, digital VLSI circuits for computer arithmetic, high-productivity VLSI design and verification methodologies including applications of agentic AI to hardware design, AI hardware micro-architecture, and VLSI methodology and implementation.

**What You'll Be Doing:**

- Accelerator Design: Contribute to novel research advancing the state-of-the-art in the design of accelerators for AI and other high-impact workloads.

- VLSI: Research creative and innovative ASIC and VLSI design techniques and/or novel digital VLSI circuits. Apply machine learning, agentic AI, and state-of-the-art tools and methodologies to automated ASIC and VLSI design tool flows.

- AI HW/SW Co-Design: Research and develop creative and innovative numerical methods for quantization, sparsity, or tensor decomposition grounded in computer arithmetic fundamentals and digital VLSI circuits.

- Collaborate on the development of research prototype testchips.

- Collaborate with AI researchers and hardware team members in research and product teams.

- Plan to publish and present your original research.

**What We Need To See:**

- Pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.

- Publication records in leading ML, architecture, VLSI, or circuits conferences.

- Excellent programming skills in Python/PyTorch and hardware design languages such as SystemVerilog/C++;

- Experience with High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools is a plus.

- VLSI Implementation Skills: Experience in hardware design with proficiency with modern EDA tool flows; Tapeout experience is a plus.

- Excellent self-motivation, a high degree of creativity, and a passion for research, collaboration skills, and the ability to work effectively within a research team.

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with proven experience communicating technical work (e.g., academic presentations, poster sessions); ability to synthesize and explain complex technical concepts.

Our internship hourly rates are a standard pay based on the position, your location, year in school, degree, and experience. The hourly rate for our interns is 38 USD - 94 USD.

You will also be eligible for Intern benefits.

## Skills

### Required
- Python
- PyTorch
- SystemVerilog
- C++
- High-Level Synthesis (HLS)
- VLSI Implementation
- ASIC design
- Machine Learning
- Agentic AI

### Nice to have
- Tapeout experience
- Experience with EDA tool flows

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Source: [Apply at nvidia.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com](https://nvidia.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NVIDIAExternalCareerSite/job/US-CA-Santa-Clara/PhD-Research-Intern--AI-Accelerator-Design-and-VLSI---2027_JR2026584-1?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)