This is a list of opportunities for students to gain research experience at universities, nonprofits, and pharmaceutical companies during their studies. Most occur in the summer. These are updated for Summer 2025 but dates may vary – please check the websites of each program for their deadlines and requirements.
More comprensive databases of biological sciences research internships can also be found here: Council on Undergraduate Research Internship Lists and Pathways to Science Internship Directory.
National Institute on Drug Abuse Summer Research Programs
Application Deadline: January 6, 2025
NIDA’s Office of Research Training, Diversity, and Disparities offers paid summer research internships to expose undergraduate students to the field of substance use and addiction research. Selected students work with distinguished scientists at research institutions across the United States for eight weeks during the summer. Internships involve hands-on experiences that may include laboratory experiments, data collection, data analysis, formal courses, participation in lab meetings, patient interviews, manuscript preparation, library research, literature reviews, and more. This effort is intended to provide opportunities for talented students, particularly those who have fewer opportunities for research experience available to them.
Eligibility:
- Must be an undergraduate student in good standing at the time of application
- Must be at least 18 years old by May 31, 2025
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Must be available to work full-time for eight consecutive weeks over the summer
Note: Returning interns are eligible by invitation only.
Support Provided:
NIDA partners with Rose Li & Associates, Inc. (RLA) to manage intern payments, including:
- $15/hour, up to a maximum of $4,800 for eight weeks
- Up to $2,500 for housing reimbursement (additional cost reimbursement considered with documentation on a case-by-case basis)
- Up to $500 for travel expenses (additional cost reimbursement considered with documentation on a case-by-case basis)
NIDA does not cover costs for conference attendance, meals, utilities, or household furnishings.
How to Apply
Applicants should complete all sections of the application, including the selection of three preferred internship sites from the program guide, and explain how each aligns with their interests. Application materials must include:
- Completed application
- Unofficial transcripts in PDF format
- Two letters of recommendation on letterhead submitted electronically
For more information about the NIDA Summer Research Internship Program, contact:
Julie Huffman
Program Coordinator, NSRIP
Office: 301-443-9798
Genomics Summer Research for Magnificents Program (GSRM)
About GSRM:
The GSRM Internship is a paid, 10-week research opportunity for undergraduates interested in precision medicine, biosciences, or bioinformatics, with a focus on genomics research and the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomics.
Program Highlights:
- Financial Support: $5,500 stipend, housing, travel support for out-of-state participants, and national conference attendance.
- Internship Dates: May 28th – August 1st, 2025
- Research: Conduct 40 hours a week of research and learn lab skills with a near-peer mentor.
- Academic Enrichment & Professional Development: Gain skills in writing abstracts, analyzing data, creating posters, and presenting at the Undergraduate Research Symposium and national conference.
- Connection: Participate in events like mentor lunches, hikes, cookouts, and concerts.
Applications: Apply on the GSRM website by January 31st, 2025.For More information, watch this short highlight video or our Breaking Barriers to Applying to Internships workshop.
Novartis US Biomedical Research internship programs
Imagine performing research at a leading global pharmaceutical corporation while gaining practical experience and contributing to the search for new disease therapies. Through internship programs at the Biomedical Research (BR) division of Novartis, your contribution to the search for new disease therapies can begin early in your scientific education journey. Our internship programs are designed to engage talented undergraduate students and recent college graduates to drug discovery research together with rigorous training and development opportunities.
To expand or minimize each internship program, click on the plus or minus sign beside the name of program.
Our ten-week Summer of Science Internship Program provides research training opportunities for students to actively contribute to a team project in industry research. This program enables students to gain research experience that enhances their preparation for careers in biomedical research and application to top graduate programs. Interns will learn about BR’s approach to patient-driven research as they work on their own research project under the guidance of a BR scientist mentor at our research facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts or San Diego, California. BR’s research covers many disease, science, and technology areas that allow us to closely match each intern’s specific interests with one of our labs. Double majors and/or minors in both STEM and business or finance are also encouraged to apply for a limited number of slots to be paired with BR finance mentor.
Eligibility
Inclusion of the broadest and best talent is very important to us. We encourage applications from talented individuals who are currently underserved in the sciences as defined by NIH. Examples include first-generation college students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, individuals with learning differences, underserved populations, and individuals with a disability that inhibits one or more major life activities. We also encourage Military veterans to apply who are currently enrolled in a 4-year college/university. All candidates would need to meet the following criteria:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the start of the program
- Applicants must have completed at least three semesters or four quarters at an accredited U.S. college or university before the start of the internship
- Applicants must attend a school in a U.S. state or territory and be eligible to work in the United States
- Applicants must have a strong desire to pursue a Ph.D. in a biomedical field
- Applicants should have a GPA of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale
Students who are enrolled in Ph.D., Master’s, PharmD, or M.D. programs are not eligible to apply to this program.
Pay
The program is a paid, full-time, research opportunity. Pay is competitive with local internship wages.
Housing and Travel: Financial support for housing, travel, and local transit systems will be provided based on the Company’s non-discriminatory assessment. All interns have the opportunity to reside in local university residences within the heart of the city, where access to local transit systems is readily available.
Health Insurance: The Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law requires that all adult residents (permanent and temporary), age 18 and older, must have health insurance. In Cambridge, health insurance will be provided to those who will not have continuous coverage from another source during the summer.
Locations: BR Summer Internships are available at our research headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts or our West Coast site in San Diego, California.
Application process – applications were due 11/25/2024
National Institutes of Health Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship (BESIP)
Below are requirements for the Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship Program:
Applicants must be at least 18 years old by 6/15/2025.
Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents.
Applicants must have an average GPA of 3.0 or greater.
All interns must be present on-site to participate in the entire ten-week program between June 2, 2025 and August 8, 2025. Please do not apply if any other plans would preclude you from being present for the full 10 weeks. It is sometimes possible for students attending schools that break for summer later than the program start date (June 2) to participate by getting permission from their professors to take some final exams proctored at NIH.
For BESIP-BME:
Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited college or university in the United States and be working towards a bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical science, or computer science. At least one of your letters of recommendation should come from a faculty member or MD, PhD, or MD/PhD research supervisor who can speak directly to your aptitude for research. Applicants should have completed at least three years of undergraduate study by summer 2025, be returning to school for at least one more semester (i.e., graduate no earlier than December 2025) , and have had prior hands-on experience in biomedical engineering research.
For BESIP-STEM:
Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited community college, college, or university in the United States as an undergraduate, have completed at least one year of study by summer 2025, and be returning to school for at least one more semester (i.e., graduate no earlier than December 2025.)
BESIP-STEM is for students who want to “beta-test” biomedical engineering as a future goal. Interested students for this program:
Are majoring in engineering, physical science, and computer science but have not had a previous opportunity to pursue an in-person biomedical engineering research experience.
OR
Are NOT majoring in engineering, physical science, or computer science but are interested in pursuing biomedical engineering in graduate school or as a career. This could include applicants from other science majors such as biology, biochemistry, mathematics, chemistry, and other related biomedical disciplines.
How to Apply:
Applications for BESIP are completed online using the NIH SIP application form. Go to the NIH Application Center and follow the Instructions to create an Account and to Apply for the BESIP Specialty Program.
Cytokinetics Summer Internship Program
Cytokinetics is a late-stage, specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which cardiac muscle performance is compromised. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact myocardial muscle function and contractility.
At Cytokinetics we are dedicated to supporting the next generation of biotech professionals through our annual Cytokinetics Internship Program. We believe that investing in enthusiastic students and recent graduates brings fresh perspectives and insights to our teams and we take pride in providing opportunities to contribute to meaningful projects. Through our Internship Program we aim to provide a challenging and rewarding experience to build a strong foundation for a career in the biopharmaceutical industry.
This is a paid internship at our South San Francisco headquarters. The program runs for a total of 12 weeks beginning in late May/early June.
Job Description:
- Performing experiments in cardiac and skeletal muscle cells including measuring changes in mitochondrial function
- Assessment of changes in mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential by fluorescence microscopy
- Support in vitro and in vivo studies with other scientists within the department
- Perform primary literature searches to identify novel drug targets for future development
- Conduct data analysis and present findings to the research team
- As a member of a multidisciplinary team, this person will work closely with team members to identify, characterize, and advance compounds through research and preclinical development
Requirements:
- Have completed two or three years at a US college or university at the time of the program
- Have a GPA of at least 3.0 (4.0 scale)
- Seeking a BS/MS/PhD degree in cell/molecular biology, biochemistry, and/or related fields
- A self-starter with good communication skills, and enjoys working as a member of a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced drug discovery environment
- Experience in general laboratory techniques, data analysis, and computer software packages and databases are preferred
Actual salary at the time of hire may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant qualifications, skills, and experience, as well as the service line and location where this position may be filled.
Salary Pay Range
$22—$45 USD
Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.
Please review our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy PRIOR to applying.
Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.
Please visit our website at: www.cytokinetics.com
Insmed Summer Research Internship
The Insmed Summer Internship Program gives students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a corporate environment in the pharmaceutical industry, receive mentoring from highly skilled professionals, and work on dynamic team projects. Our 2025 Summer Intern program is a full-time (40 hours per week), paid internship. The internship may present opportunities for rotational assignments within the function, and the intern will be assigned goals and objectives that will support the strategic business plan of the company. Interns will conduct independent research in their areas of interest under the supervision of Insmed Gene Therapy scientists. Techniques involving molecular and cellular biology as well as biochemistry will be employed in the project. Located in San Diego Metropolitan Area.
Responsibilities
- Conduct experiments and analyze data under the direction of a supervising scientist.
- Cloning of expression vectors and analysis of DNA sequences.
- Utilize PCR to analyze gene expression.
- Mammalian cell culture and transfection.
- Characterization of biomolecules with analytical method, biological assays, spectroscopy and molecular biology methods.
Qualifications
- Interested in pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry
- Currently in full-time pursuit of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in biology, microbiology, cell biology, pharmaceutics, or related field.
- High level understanding of molecular and cellular biology
- Experience working in a research laboratory is desired.
- Self-motivation and enthusiasm for research.
- Ability to work independently.
- Must have excellent communication skills (verbal and written).
- Highly organized with a strong attention to detail, clarity, accuracy and conciseness.
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
- Must successfully exhibit Insmed’s five (5) corporate values: Collaboration, Accountability, Passion, Integrity & Respect; along with any other position specific competencies.
- Individuals must demonstrate the ability to interact successfully in a dynamic and culturally diverse workplace.
Salary Range
$23 – $24 an hour
Compensation & Benefits
Eligible for paid company holidays during the intern program.
Millipore/Sigma Summer Research Internship (St. Louis, MO)
Scientific Internship
Summer 2025
100% Onsite in St. Louis MO
Pay: $22.00
Candidates getting degree in lifescience
Purpose of the Position
Support Qualifying relevant investigations using the developed metabolomics platform. Work closely with senior team members on multiple aspects of analytical testing, documentation, and data review to support the establishment of new capabilities.
Essential Job Functions
• Undertake assigned projects and writing of reports.
• Follow regulatory, customer, and quality system requirements.
• Write reports on results of project work, document methods on project/product design, test specifications
• Maintain a clean and safe working environment.
• Technical Expertise
o Operation of laboratory instrumentation (example: mass balances).
o Thorough understanding of the principles regarding dilutions, mixtures, and solubility.
• Documentation
o Write reports on results of project work, document methods on project/product design, test specifications.
o Maintain lab notebooks and other documentation.
Basic Qualifications:
Education: Working towards a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering or other related scientific discipline.
Experience: Completed general chemistry laboratory course and at least one semester of organic chemistry.
Knowledge and Skills:
• Basic understanding of the relevant subject matter field (e.g. organic chemistry, analytical chemistry)
• Demonstrated initiative and critical thinking to learn new skills and technologies.
• Strong verbal and technical writing skills.
• Ability to utilize a variety of software tools involving databases, spreadsheets and project scheduling.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate well with peers.
Environmental conditions:
Laboratory Environment: Comfortable working in chemical laboratory and handling various chemicals including organic, inorganic, volatiles, acids, and bases. Requires routine use of PPE including but not limited to: gloves, lab coat, face shield, respirator. Routine use of engineering controls including fume hoods and glove boxes.
Physical Requirements: Hearing, vision within normal limits. May sit at PC for periods of time. May stand working at a bench for long periods of time.