Human Interactive Driving Research Intern, Machine Learning & Optimization

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team in Automated Driving, Energy & Materials, Human-Centered AI, Human Interactive Driving, Large Behavior Models, and Robotics.

This is a Summer 2026 paid 12-week internship opportunity. Please note that this internship will be a hybrid in-office role.

Team

TRI's Optimization team applies mathematical optimization techniques to enhance all aspects of Toyota's business. Our current topics include mixed-integer optimization for factory logistics, diffusion models for engineering design, and the interplay between continuous optimization and Generative AI.

About the Internship

We are looking for a motivated intern to pursue new avenues of research consistent with the team's mission. This is an opportunity to apply your knowledge to novel research questions and work towards a publication with professional researchers. The internship will be in our Cambridge office and includes competitive compensation befitting the challenging, but fun, nature of the research work at TRI. Applicants with relevant publications in the fields above and good collaboration skills are highly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities:
• Define project scope and agree on project direction with your mentor.
• Undertake a well-scoped research project in a relevant area and bring it to publication in an appropriate venue.
• Have a high level of self-initiative to prioritize and manage workload and meet project deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Work and collaborate with other stakeholders and HID team members.

Qualifications:
• Current Ph.D. student in related fields - ML/AI, optimization, computer science, applied mathematics, or similar.
• Publication background in relevant venues (e.g. NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, SIOPT, Math Programming).
• Proficient at Linux, PyTorch.
• Experience with distributed computing (e.g. AWS) a plus.

Please add a link to Google Scholar to include a full list of publications when submitting your CV for this position.

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $40 and $58/hour for Massachusetts-based roles. Base pay offered will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, business or organizational needs, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. TRI offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, and paid time off benefits (including holiday pay and sick time). Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

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