ToXchange Other Internship Opportunities
Many groups provide research experience that can help students prepare for graduate study and career planning. Listings with deadlines that have passed are provided so that students can check for current or future programs. Information from research program sponsors should be sent to Betty Eidemiller.
The American Physiology Society (APS) Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship program funds full-time undergraduate students for 10 weeks during the summer in the laboratory of an established APS investigator. The intent of this program is to excite and encourage students to pursue a career as a basic research scientist. The application deadline was February 1, 2012.
Amgen, a global biotechnology company, supports the Amgen Scholars programs in both the United States and in Europe. Students apply through one of the host universities. Applications deadlines vary by host institution, but are generally in early to mid-February.
AAMC provides a list of Summer Undergraduate Research Programs at member institutions.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums provides a list of job and internship openings on their website. These openings are in different specialties at many locations across the country.
Biogen Idec was among the world’s first biotechnology companies, created to serve unmet medical needs. Biogen Idec offers internships and co-ops for students majoring in life science and non-science disciplines in areas including drug discovery and clinical development. Students have the opportunity in Cambridge/Weston, Massachusetts, and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, to enter one of the largest biotech companies in the world, participate in a collaborative teaching environment to develop skills, and learn first-hand about Biogen teamwork, collaboration, and commitment to providing the service to patients.
California Institute of Technology (CalTech) hosts the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program to introduce students to research under the guidance of seasoned research mentors at Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The program is modeled on the grant seeking process with students identifying and developing a project with their potential mentor to work on during the 10 week experience. The application deadline is February 22, 2012.
The Committee on Institutional Cooperation program for talented undergraduates has the goal of increasing the number of underrepresented students who pursue academic careers by enhancing their preparation for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors. This program is a consortium of the Big Ten Universities and the University of Chicago. The application deadline is February 10, 2012.
Alabama’s Dauphin Island Sea Lab will offer seven undergraduate fellowships in marine science funded by the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, and the DISL. This program is for undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers or graduate studies in Marine Sciences. Students selected for the program will participate in an intensive 12-week research experience in which they will work within a faculty research group and develop and complete their own independent research project. The application deadline is February 10, 2012.
With roots in the plant sciences and focusing on agricultural sustainability, crop protection, and quality crops, Dow AgroSciences has positions available for students seeking summer internship opportunities. Students with biology, chemistry, informatics, and agricultural related majors are eligible for full-time positions from May until August. Preference is for students who have completed at least their junior year.
The Ecological Society of America supports the Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS), an education program targeted mainly at undergraduate students. It works to stimulate and nurture the interest of underrepresented students in the field of ecology. SEEDS has an Undergraduate Research Fellowship for 2012–2013, but the deadline was November 1, 2011.
Eli Lilly is a global pharmaceutical company. Most internships are located at the corporate headquarters in Indianapolis and last 10–12 weeks, from May until September. Many interns are recruited through campus events and association and professional organization events. If students are unable to attend any of these options, some internship opportunities may be posted on Lilly’s job website.
This is a list of internship and volunteer opportunities all over the country that are in fields dealing with the environment. Application deadline and requirements vary by position. Some of the available opportunities are for more than a summer.
Genzyme is a biotech company that has pioneered the development and delivery of transformative therapies for over 30 years. Work side-by-side with experienced professionals and participate in activities that directly affect patients’ lives around the globe. Through Genzyme’s student programs, highly qualified college and graduate students participate in paid, temporary assignments primarily in our Massachusetts and other US locations. Both co-op (“cooperative education”) assignments and internships provide exposure to a fast-paced and collaborative environment, allowing students to work closely with Genzyme professionals.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) hosts the Janelia Undergraduate Scholars program which provides a 10 week summer research experience as an intern in the lab of a HHMI mentor at Janelia Farm in Northern Virginia. Students receive funds for transportation and living expenses, and a stipend. The program deadline was January 13, 2012.
Loma Linda University hosts the Undergraduate Training Program (UTP) for students interested in pursuing a career in science. The UTP is a nine-week summer program in a research laboratory of selected research mentors and includes mentoring, participation in scientific seminars, educational enrichment activities, participation in our Health Disparities Research Symposium, and opportunities to attend national meetings to make scientific presentations.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Summer Research Program (MSRP) is an institutional effort to address the issue of underrepresentation of African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, and Puerto Ricans in engineering and science in the United States. This program identifies talented sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors who might benefit from spending a summer on MIT’s campus, working in a research laboratory under the guidance of experienced scientists and engineers who are MIT faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and advanced graduate students. The application deadline was February 3, 2012.
Merck is a research-oriented pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. Merck’s Future Talent Program is a formal intern and co-op program designed to provide exemplary university students with the opportunity to work on meaningful assignments and gain real-world experience. Opportunities are listed on Merck’s job site on a rolling basis in the fall.
National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) has a Campus to Careers (C2C) Program dedicated to fostering and guiding environmentally motivated students in their transition to professional careers and beyond into leadership roles in the government as well as nonprofit and private sectors. C2C provides meaningful, paid internships, fellowships, and other short-term positions to expose college students and recent graduates to real world experience as well as mentoring and career networking opportunities in the environment and energy fields. With support from the UPS Foundation, NCSE has created a clearinghouse that enables university students to search for internships in the environmental field and provides a forum for internship providers to tap into a solid community of quality applicants.
North Carolina State University Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs has links to various research opportunities both at NCSU and at other institutions. This list includes both academic semester and summer opportunities.
Oregon Health Sciences University hosts the Equity Summer Research, Dental and Medicine Internship Program to offer economically and socially disadvantaged students the opportunity to spend 8–10 weeks working with faculty and graduate students in a research setting. Students must have completed at least one year of college coursework, including coursework in the sciences and in mathematics. The application deadline is April 4, 2012.
Oregon State University sponsors the Saturday Academy, a nonprofit, extracurricular, precollege education program. The program enlists community professionals to share their facilities, equipment, and expertise through hands-on classes, workshops, and mentorships to extend and augment the science curriculum of the school systems. Saturday Academy places special emphasis on the sciences, math and technology. Financial assistance is available to all who qualify.
Pfizer’s Summer Student Worker Program places talented college students into short-term roles at Pfizer to help meet business needs during the summer months while also providing students with valuable exposure to a corporate environment.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals offers internship opportunities for high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctorals to gain hands-on, real-world experience in the biotechnology industry. Interns are involved in important projects related to research and clinical and drug development and receive guidance from Regeneron employees. Regeneron has an extensive Summer Internship Program as well as occasional internships during the school year for local interns.
The Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF) has members including scientific and educational organizations that advance science and public education in renewable natural resources, including the application of scientific knowledge to the management of renewable natural resources. This group provides a list of links to internship and job opportunities at many of RNRF’s member organizations.
The UNCF/Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Awards provides scholarship fundung up to $30,000 and mentoring by a Merck scientist during a summer research internship at a Merck facility. The internship may also include a stipend and includes the summers after the junior and senior years. The recipient’s department at the home institution may also provide for grant support. Applications are accepted from African American (Black) students who are enrolled full time in any four-year college or university in the United States in a life sciences, physical sciences, or engineering major.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), is one of the host institutions for the Amgen Scholars Program. This is a national summer program for students committed to pursuing a PhD in science or engineering. Students interested summer research in any area of biomedical science, chemistry, bioengineering, or chemical engineering with at least a 3.2 GPA are encouraged to apply. The 10 week summer program includes a stipend, room, and board. The application deadline was February 1, 2012.
The University of Maryland hosts the Sea Grant Research Experiences for Undergraduates program for students to conduct marine research on the Chesapeake Bay. The program is for students majoring in such fields as biology, chemistry, ecology, physics, engineering, mathematics and marine and environmental science. Each student will work with a mentor on an individual research project at either the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's (UMCES) Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Maryland, or its Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, Maryland. A stipend, dormitory costs, and transportation expenses are provided. The application deadline is February 28, 2012.
The University of Michigan Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research provides the 2012 Great Lakes Summer Student Fellowship Program. The 2012 program is hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and by NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan. This summer fellowship program provides students with a broad range of fields and an exciting opportunity to conduct research in the Great Lakes Region under the mentorship of an individual scientist or professional. The deadline for applications is February 29, 2012.
The University of Montana Center for Environmental Health Sciences sponsors a summer educational research experience for outstanding college undergraduates. The Summer Undergraduate Research Program is part of a national program to attract and train undergraduates to research careers in the environmental health sciences. The ten-week summer program presents opportunities to learn from experts about the philosophy and practice of conducting current biomedical research. Participants receive a stipend nd gain extensive hands-on research experience. The application deadline was February 1, 2012, but late applications may be considered if there are open slots. The program is funded through a grant obtained from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS, R25ES016247).
The University of South Alabama offers an interdisciplinary undergraduate research program sponsored by the National Science Foundation to work for 10 weeks over the summer semester in the area of structure and function of proteins. Students accepted to the program must have a strong interest in basic research, and are expected to work full time in their projects under the direction of faculty advisors. The application deadline is February 24, 2012.
At the University of Utah, the Huntsman Cancer Institute summer interns are assigned a faculty mentor in the Department of Oncological Sciences, and if the student expresses an interest in a particular research area, the program director will try to accommodate their preferences when assigning research projects. Candidates must have completed at least their freshman year of college or are recent graduates who have not begun graduate or medical studies. Preference will be given to students in higher semesters who have demonstrated a strong commitment to biomedical research. At the end of the 10 weeks, interns will give a poster presentation of their research to the scientific community at the University of Utah. The application deadline is March 1, 2012.
The University of Virginia School of Medicine offers summer research internship opportunities to qualified college undergraduates considering a career in biomedical research. The program targets, but is not limited to, racially and ethnically diverse students in their junior and senior years. Interns receive support for expenses, including housing and travel. Those selected participate in laboratory research, learn about careers in biomedical research, receive GRE tutoring, and gain tips for successfully applying for graduate school.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Ocean Alliance has three internship programs: the Primary Education Internship (PEI), the Cetacean Education Through Awareness (CETA) Program, and the Research Vessel Odyssey Internship. All of these are volunteer positions, and interns are responsible for paying for their accommodations and travel costs. The Research Vessel Odyssey Internship is only open to people who have previously participated in another Ocean Alliance internship, and room and board will be provided, but you must be available to spend 2 to 4 months onboard ship.
Yale Univeristy provides a list of fellowships and research opportunities in a variety of specialties in the sciences at Yale.