Science & Research Jobs in California with F-1 OPT Sponsorship
California is one of the top states for F-1 OPT science and research jobs, anchored by institutions like UC San Diego, Stanford, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and biotech employers concentrated in the Bay Area and San Diego. OPT students in STEM-designated programs benefit from the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving employers more flexibility when considering international candidates.
See All Science & Research JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 504+ Science & Research F-1 OPT Sponsorship Jobs in California jobs
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
See all 504+ Science & Research F-1 OPT Sponsorship Jobs in California jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Science & Research F-1 OPT Sponsorship Jobs in California roles.
Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Honda Research Institute USA (HRI-US) is seeking a self-motivated PhD Student to join our Intelligent Robotics Research Division. The intern will contribute to the development of core simulation technologies for robotics-related simulation. Example areas include complex physical phenomena (e.g., fracture and cracking), advanced rendering problems (e.g, multilayer translucent materials), and gradient-based optimization of nonlinear dynamical systems in large state spaces (e.g., system identification, control optimization).
LOCATION
San Jose, CA
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop core simulation technology for robotics applications with strong grounding in the underlying physics and mathematics.
- Formulate research hypotheses, design experiments, and evaluate results.
- Identify and address numerical issues that arise in simulation and optimization, including ill-conditioning and solver instability.
- Contribute to the portfolio of patents, and publish research results when applicable at top-tier conferences and journals.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in computer science, computer graphics, robotics, or related fields.
- Minimum of 1-year research experience relevant to the position (e.g., physics simulation, material rendering, optimization).
- Strong background in physics and mathematics (especially calculus and linear algebra).
- Programming skills including sufficient technical depth to critically evaluate and validate outputs from AI-assisted coding or research tools if used.
BONUS QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience or understanding of simulation methods involving contact barriers.
- Experience or understanding of robot dynamics, PD controllers, and real-world hardware (e.g., gears, joint friction).
- Experience or understanding of implicit time-integration methods for dynamics, Newton-based solvers, ill-conditioning in numerical solves.
- Experience or understanding of contact-rich manipulation.
- Experience or understanding of physically based rendering, appearance modeling, differentiable rendering, or complex material modeling.
ADDITIONAL NOTE
Experience using existing robot simulation frameworks is NOT required and by itself is not sufficient. We are particularly interested in candidates who can reason about and develop the underlying simulation methods, numerical algorithms, and physical models.
YEARS OF WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIRED 0
DESIRED START DATE 9/14/2026
INTERNSHIP DURATION 3 Months
POSITION KEYWORDS Physics Simulation, Rendering, Nonlinear Dynamics, Robot Dynamics
WARNING: You do not have the permission to access the upload fields on this form. Contact the form owner or portal administrator to request the access.
INTRODUCTION
Honda Research Institute USA (HRI-US) is seeking a self-motivated PhD Student to join our Intelligent Robotics Research Division. The intern will contribute to the development of core simulation technologies for robotics-related simulation. Example areas include complex physical phenomena (e.g., fracture and cracking), advanced rendering problems (e.g, multilayer translucent materials), and gradient-based optimization of nonlinear dynamical systems in large state spaces (e.g., system identification, control optimization).
LOCATION
San Jose, CA
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop core simulation technology for robotics applications with strong grounding in the underlying physics and mathematics.
- Formulate research hypotheses, design experiments, and evaluate results.
- Identify and address numerical issues that arise in simulation and optimization, including ill-conditioning and solver instability.
- Contribute to the portfolio of patents, and publish research results when applicable at top-tier conferences and journals.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in computer science, computer graphics, robotics, or related fields.
- Minimum of 1-year research experience relevant to the position (e.g., physics simulation, material rendering, optimization).
- Strong background in physics and mathematics (especially calculus and linear algebra).
- Programming skills including sufficient technical depth to critically evaluate and validate outputs from AI-assisted coding or research tools if used.
BONUS QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience or understanding of simulation methods involving contact barriers.
- Experience or understanding of robot dynamics, PD controllers, and real-world hardware (e.g., gears, joint friction).
- Experience or understanding of implicit time-integration methods for dynamics, Newton-based solvers, ill-conditioning in numerical solves.
- Experience or understanding of contact-rich manipulation.
- Experience or understanding of physically based rendering, appearance modeling, differentiable rendering, or complex material modeling.
ADDITIONAL NOTE
Experience using existing robot simulation frameworks is NOT required and by itself is not sufficient. We are particularly interested in candidates who can reason about and develop the underlying simulation methods, numerical algorithms, and physical models.
YEARS OF WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIRED 0
DESIRED START DATE 9/14/2026
INTERNSHIP DURATION 3 Months
POSITION KEYWORDS Physics Simulation, Rendering, Nonlinear Dynamics, Robot Dynamics
WARNING: You do not have the permission to access the upload fields on this form. Contact the form owner or portal administrator to request the access.
Job Roles in Science & Research in California
See all 504+ Science & Research California jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Science & Research California roles.
Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Which science and research companies sponsor F-1 OPT visas in California?
Major sponsors include national laboratories like Lawrence Berkeley, SLAC, and Lawrence Livermore, along with biotech and life sciences companies such as Genentech, Gilead Sciences, and Illumina. Large tech firms with research divisions, including Google, Apple, and Meta, also regularly hire OPT candidates. University research centers across the UC system and Stanford are consistent sources of OPT-eligible positions.
Which cities in California have the most science and research F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
The San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose and South San Francisco, leads due to its concentration of biotech firms and tech research labs. San Diego is a major hub for life sciences, genomics, and pharmaceutical research, home to companies like Illumina and the Salk Institute. Los Angeles has a growing presence in aerospace research and bioscience, and Sacramento offers opportunities tied to environmental and agricultural research.
What types of science and research roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship in California?
Roles that commonly qualify include research scientist, data scientist, bioinformatics analyst, computational biologist, environmental scientist, chemical engineer, and laboratory research associate. Positions tied to a STEM-designated degree program are eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, which significantly broadens hiring opportunities. Postdoctoral research roles at universities and national laboratories are also frequently open to OPT candidates.
How do I find science & research F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students and filters science and research jobs in California by visa type, including F-1 OPT. Rather than sorting through general job boards and guessing which employers are open to sponsorship, you can search directly for roles where OPT eligibility is confirmed. This saves time and helps you focus on employers who have a track record of hiring OPT candidates in science and research fields.
Are there any California-specific considerations for F-1 OPT sponsorship in science and research?
California employers must comply with state labor laws that run parallel to federal OPT requirements, so employment terms should align with both. Many research positions are funded through federal grants, which can affect hiring timelines and headcount decisions. STEM OPT positions require a formal training plan submitted through your university's designated school official, and the employer must be E-Verify enrolled, which is a federally mandated requirement for all STEM OPT extensions.
See which science & research employers are hiring and sponsoring visas in California right now.
Search Science & Research Jobs in California