Now is the time to begin thinking about off-campus summer research experiences for Summer 2013. There are a number of opportunities available at government agencies, other colleges and universities, nonprofits, and corporations. Many of these opportunities offer stipends and/or funds for room and board. Acceptance to these programs is competitive and requires application and letters of recommendation.
If you are interested, don’t delay; some programs are already accepting applications for summer 2013, and others will begin accepting applications soon. Generally the application period will close in January or February, depending on the individual program you are interested in. Please visit the individual site for eligibility and application requirements. This is by no means an exhaustive list. A Google search with the keywords “undergraduate summer research” will bring up these and many other opportunities.
This is a 10-week experience involving research in the areas of engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological/life sciences, environmental science, emergency and incident management, and social sciences. The projects are offered at the national research laboratories: Argonne, Idaho, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, Sandia, Savannah River; the DHS laboratories: Transportation Security Laboratory; and other research facilities, including Air Force Research Laboratory, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
A $5,000 stipend plus travel expenses is offered. U.S. citizenship is required. The application deadline is January 5, 2013. The program is administered by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. For more information, visit www.orau.gov/dhsinternships.
REU Sites are listed by research discipline and geographic area (state). Students must contact the individual sites for application information and materials. Individual sites may have specific eligibility requirements. Most of these opportunities offer stipends and allowances for travel or housing. A variety of academic disciplines are represented. Use this link to search for REU sites: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm.
Summer programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide an opportunity to spend a summer working at the NIH side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. The NIH consists of the 240-bed Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center and more than 1200 laboratories/research projects located on the main campus in Bethesda, MD and the surrounding area, as well as in Baltimore and Frederick, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Phoenix, AZ; Hamilton, MT; Framingham, MA; and Detroit, MI.
Awards cover a minimum of eight weeks, with students generally arriving at the NIH in May or June. The NIH Institutes and the Office of Intramural Training & Education sponsor a wide range of summer activities, including lectures featuring distinguished NIH investigators, career/professional development workshops, and Summer Poster Day. Applications for most opportunities are accepted beginning November 1, 2012.
NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program offers internships in engineering, science, and mathematics at NASA Centers and research support facilities. Application period for the Summer 2013 session is November 1, 2012 to February 1, 2013. For more information, visit http://usrp.usra.edu/.
The National Security Agency Director’s Summer Program (DSP) seeks to reach the nation’s most outstanding mathematics majors to put their problem-solving skills to the test in mathematics, cryptology, and communications technology. Applications are accepted from September 1 – October 15 of each year. For more information, go to: http://www.nist.gov/surfboulder/index.cfm
The National Institutes of Standards and Technology offer a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program for students majoring in science, mathematics and engineering. Application deadline is February 15, 2013. For more information, go to: http://www.nist.gov/surfboulder/index.cfm .
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at the Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 17 DOE National Laboratories including: The Ames Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, or the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Students perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects related to ongoing programs. For more Information go to: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/.
Science.gov searches over 45 databases and over 2000 selected websites from 14 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results. The Internship and Fellowship Opportunities in Science section is intended for use by students, teachers, and professors who are looking for internships or fellowships in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). http://www.science.gov/internships/undergrad.html
The U.S. Department of State offers six different internships, fellowships and paid programs to help students get a jump start on their careers while still undergraduates. Most of the programs offer pay and access to medical benefits. http://careers.state.gov/students/programs
The Summer Intern Program provides bright undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience at the Federal Reserve Bank. Through project-oriented assignments and professional development activities, interns receive a solid overview of the business of the Bank while contributing to their designated Fed departments.
Most interns join from late May to mid June when summer break begins and normally work 40 hours per week. Typically, internships last for 10 consecutive weeks in the summer. Some interns may continue to work part-time if the department prefers to retain them during the year.
Applicants must have a strong academic record and a demonstrated interest in economics, business, finance, math, marketing, information technology or a field of study relevant to the business of the Bank. Excellent analytical and interpersonal skills are essential. http://www.philadelphiafed.org/careers/internships/
A variety of hands-on training programs are offered for undergraduate or graduate students, and for health professionals who are in training. All offer a unique experience in one of the many exciting public health fields. http://www.cdc.gov/fellowships/StudentInternships.html
The Summer Honors College Program introduces undergraduate students pursuing degrees in such areas as accounting, economics, finance, human resource management and information technology/information security, among others, to the regulation of the securities markets and the work of the Commission. Students have the opportunity to work for ten weeks during the summer at the Commission's Washington, D.C. headquarters or in one of its 11 regional offices nationwide. http://www.sec.gov/jobs/jobs_students.shtml
The Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) is a gateway to graduate education at CIC universities. The goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue graduate study and research careers. SROP helps prepare undergraduates for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors and enrichment activities. For more information and complete program details, go to http://www.cic.net/Home/Students/SROP/Introduction.aspx.
Amgen Scholars is an undergraduate summer research program in science and biotechnology providing hundreds of students with the opportunity to engage in hands-on research experience at one of ten host universities in the U.S. Each host university has its own application process. You can apply to participate in as many universities as you are interested in. The application at each host university requires, at a minimum, the submission of an official transcript, a letter of recommendation, and a personal statement or essay. The application deadline is early February. http://www.amgenscholars.com
The association maintains a list of summer undergraduate research programs in medicine and medical research at member intuitions with links to the individual programs. https://www.aamc.org/members/great/61052/great_summerlinks.html
The CHOP Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP) is a formal, competitive internship designed to provide undergraduate students with theoretical knowledge, practical training in academic research, and critical exposure to pediatric-focused career trajectories under the direct mentorship of CHOP faculty. Full-time immersion in a lab or research group allows interns to experience science and discovery first hand. http://www.research.chop.edu/programs/crissp/
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers University are pleased to invite applications for the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) in molecular and developmental neurobiology. The goals of the program are to:
Applicants from all schools are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to minority groups that are underrepresented in the sciences, first-generation college students, or students who attend schools with limited research opportunities. http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/departments_institutes/neuroscience/grad_pgm/summer_prog/
The SUIP provides an intense research experience to students interested in graduate study in the biomedical and biological sciences. The program has been in existence since 1993.
Approximately 30 college students from across the U.S. participate each year; most are rising juniors and seniors, but occasionally a rising sophomore is admitted. Interns complete ten weeks of full-time laboratory research, attend state-of-the-art research seminars, receive career counseling from program faculty and administrators, and attend The Leadership Alliance National Symposium. The program seeks to encourage and prepare talented students to pursue careers in scholarly research. http://www.med.upenn.edu/bgs/applicants_suip.shtml
The Sackler Institute in coordination with the M.D./Ph.D. Program and the Office of Diversity Affairs offers a Summer Undergraduate Research Program for qualified sophomores and juniors who are interested in pursuing M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or Ph.D. degrees and a career in research.
Students may work with faculty in the disciplines of biochemistry, biomedical imaging, cellular and molecular biology, developmental genetics, immunology, microbiology, molecular oncology, molecular pharmacology, neuroscience and physiology, parasitology, structural biology, forensic pathology, computational biology and virology. Students are matched with an investigator of their choice or placed in a laboratory working in an area of their interest.
Undergraduate researchers are given their own project, which they present at a poster session at the end of the summer. They are expected to perform on a graduate student level. Applications are due by February 1, 2013. http://sackler.med.nyu.edu/surp/
The Summer Internship Program (SIP) provides experience in research laboratories to students of diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented minority students and students from economically disadvantaged and underserved backgrounds that have completed one or more years of college. The purpose of this exposure to biomedical and/or public health research is to encourage students to consider careers in science, medicine and public health. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/graduateprograms/sip.cfm
Undergraduate research opportunities & internships: http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/research-opps.aspx
Internships available for undergraduate chemistry students: http://www.getexperience.dreamhosters.com/
List of websites with internship and co-op opportunities for undergraduates: http://www.ams.org/programs/students/undergrad/emp-internships