Undergraduate researchers have the opportunity to learn science and make discoveries in an environment that gives a realistic perspective on how science is done in the real world. You will work with faculty and/or other researchers on a project, learning new approaches and gaining the knowledge and experience to work independently in your experiments. Because of the variety of skills you will acquire, participation in such lab or field experiences is valued highly by future schools and employers. Part of the process is taking the initiative to identify such an opportunity, whether on- or off-campus, local or distant, and many listings of research opportunities are offered below as resources for you in your search. In addition, general information on research can be found at these sites:
Note: Application deadlines for summer programs are typically in January or February.
Biomedical Research Internship List (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)
Internships, Fellowships, etc. in NYC and more | Columbia University |
Undergraduate Internships | Ecological Society of America |
Research and Internship Databases (nat'l and int'l) | Purdue University |
Paid Internship List | Rochester Institute of Technology |
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates | Each of these programs is funded by the National Science Foundation and provides a stipend for student researchers to do research, usually during the summer for 8-10 weeks. Deadlines are typically in January-February. |
NIH Summer Internship Program | The National Institutes of Health sponsors students to participate in research programs at one of their campuses in Maryland, Arizona, Michigan, Montana, or North Carolina. |
NIH: Overview of its research and training opportunities | These programs include scholarships, summer research opportunities, internships, and post-baccalaureate programs. |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | 10-week internships and semester co-ops in organizations throughout the US, including NASA, IBM, NOAA and Merck (**for students with disabilities) |
Amgen Scholars | Amgen sponsors a summer undergraduate research program for students at selected universities in California, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Washington. |
Smithsonian Institution |
Includes locations worldwide, including these: Smithsonian National Zoological Park |
Many research institutes offer summer research programs or internships to undergraduates. Below are a few, and many others are found in the lists of internships above. When online searching, try using the term "SURF" or "SURP," as program names may include one of these acronyms.
Local (Seattle area) |
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Summer Internship Program (SURP; national program, deadline is January 13, 2017) • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Lab Tech Training Summer Internship (deadline is April 21, 2017; further information is available in a flyer under the Events, News, Connections tab at left) • Institute for Systems Biology Internships • University of Washington Environmental Health Summer Research Program |
List from CWU | Biology Internships from Central Washington University |
Breakthrough Collaborative | National non-profit with 33 sites in US and Hong Kong. Called Summerbridge in some sites. |
If you find additional websites or other resources that have been helpful to you, or if any of the links on this page are nonfunctional, please send that information or other questions and comments to Michelle DuBois at mdubois@seattleu.edu. Thanks.