NIH Biomedical Sciences Summer 2023 Programs

Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP)

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 (At the NIH “biomedical research” includes everything from behavioral and social sciences, through biology and chemistry, to physics, mathematical modeling, computational biology, and biostatistics). The NIH consists of the 240-bed Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center and more than 1150 laboratories/research groups located on the main campus in Bethesda, MD, and in the surrounding area as well as in Baltimore and Frederick, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Hamilton, MT; Framingham, MA; Phoenix, AZ; and Detroit, MI. NOTE: the number of positions in Hamilton, Framingham, Phoenix, and Detroit is limited.

Internships generally cover a minimum of eight weeks, with students arriving at the NIH in June. The NIH Institutes/Centers and the Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) sponsor a wide range of summer activities including an orientation to help interns get off to a good start, Summer Lectures featuring distinguished NIH investigators, career/professional development workshops, wellness activities, and Summer Poster Day.

The 2023 Summer Internship Program is for students who

are 17 years of age or older on June 15, 2023,
are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, AND
are enrolled at least half-time in an accredited college (including community college) or university as an undergraduate, graduate, or professional student at the time of application*, OR
have graduated from high school, but have been accepted into an accredited college or university program for the fall semester.

The application is open now until March 1st. Learn more: https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip

College Summer Opportunities to Advance Research (C-SOAR)

The goal of the 2023 College Opportunities to Advance Research (C-SOAR) program is to encourage a diverse group of individuals to consider careers in the biomedical sciences (At the NIH “biomedical sciences” includes everything from behavioral and social sciences, through biology and chemistry, to physics, mathematical modeling, computational biology, and biostatistics). In addition to performing full-time research in a laboratory or on a project at the NIH, C-SOAR interns will meet each week as a group with students in the Community College Summer Enrichment Program (CCSEP). Together they will participate in workshops and courses focused on the development of academic, professional, and wellness skills in preparation for careers in health care and in social, behavioral, and biomedical research.

Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been underrepresented in health-related sciences; Students with disabilities; students who are Pell Grant-eligible; students who are enrolled in Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); students who identify as LGBTQ; and individuals disadvantaged by circumstances that have negatively impacted their educational opportunities, including recent natural disasters, are encouraged to apply.

C-SOAR applicants must meet all eligibility requirements for the NIH Summer Internship Program. They must be:

U.S. citizens or permanent residents;
Enrolled at least half-time in an accredited US college or university at the time of application submission; and
At least seventeen years of age by June 15, 2023.

Applications are due January 29, 2023. Learn more: https://www.training.nih.gov/csoar_home_page

Virtual Summer Opportunities to Advance Research (V-SOAR)

The 2023 Virtual Summer Opportunities to Advance Research (V-SOAR) program encourages a diverse group of college students who are not able to move to one of the NIH campuses over the summer, to conduct genomics research in collaboration with NIH scientists in a virtual environment. V-SOAR interns will meet daily as group from 10 a.m. to noon EDT to learn about genomics research and approaches and concepts needed to analyze genomic data sets. In addition to daily meetings, V-SOAR interns will prepare presentations, read scientific papers and analyze genomic data sets for group discussions. Each V-SOAR intern will be assigned an NIH mentor who will guide them through these activities. V-SOAR interns will participate in workshops and courses focused on wellness and the development of academic and professional skills to prepare for careers in health care and in social, behavioral, and biomedical research.

V-SOAR applicants must meet all eligibility requirements for the NIH Summer Internship Program. They must:

Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Enroll at least half-time in an accredited U.S. college or university at the time of application submission as a rising sophomore, junior, or senior
Be at least seventeen years of age by June 15, 2023
Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Applications are due Jan. 29, 2023. Learn more: https://www.training.nih.gov/vsoar_home_page

Amgen Scholars Program at NIH

The Amgen Scholars Program at NIH is a partnership between the Amgen Foundation, the Foundation for the NIH, and the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education. Amgen Scholars at NIH spend the summer working at NIH’s main campus in Bethesda, Maryland side-by-side with some of the world’s leading scientists, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. During their internships at NIH, scholars will be matched with research mentors in the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) where they will be immersed in a culture of translational science and will explore important elements of the basic, translational, and clinical research enterprise. (To get an idea of the types of research conducted in the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the NIH, visit http://www.nih.gov/icd/). In addition to performing full-time research, scholars will:

Participate in a customized curriculum that will use journal clubs, case studies, writing projects, and group activities to develop communication, career readiness, and critical thinking skills.
Explore the relationship between science and society in evening roundtables that examine the role of science, policy, and community engagement in the elimination of health disparities (for a definition of health disparities, visit the Amgen Scholars Program at NIH FAQs).
Participate in a leadership development program focused on self-exploration, building resiliency, understanding conflict, finding mentors, and understanding emotional intelligence.
Attend the Amgen Scholars US Symposium to interact with top industry and academic scientists and to network with other Amgen Scholars.
Present at the NIH Summer Poster Day at the beginning of August.
Establish an individualized development plan to take advantage of the many workshops and seminars offered for all NIH summer interns. These include our summer lecture series, “Going to Graduate School” series, communication skills workshops, and the NIH Graduate & Professional School Fair.

The Amgen Scholars Program at NIH is a summer internship for undergraduate students interested in PhD and combined degree programs in the sciences. Students interested in attending medical or other professional school programs should apply to the broader NIH Summer Internship Program. Students with experience in health disparities and a keen interest in learning more about the biological, environmental, social, and genetic causes of health disparities are especially encouraged to apply. The admission committee will give preference to students who lack opportunities to perform independent research during the school year. NIH welcomes applications from students in all science disciplines and encourages students from diverse backgrounds to apply.

In addition, applicants must:

Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Be enrolled for Fall 2023 in a four-year college or university in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or other US territory.
Be a rising college junior or senior (including fifth-year college seniors). Transfer students from community colleges should contact us for advice on whether to apply to the Community College Summer Enrichment Program (CCSEP) or the AMGEN Scholars at NIH Program. College students may also want to consider the College Summer Opportunities to Advance Research (C-SOAR) program.
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher (4.0 scale).

Applications are due Feb. 1, 2023. Learn more: https://www.training.nih.gov/amgenscholars