Internship guides
How to get a science & research internship
How science & research internships are actually won: the skills employers screen for, how to stand out without experience, what the interviews test, and live data on who is hiring right now.
The science & research internship market right now
Intern Insider is currently tracking 289 open science & research internships, 42 added this week. 90% of postings that disclose pay are paid, and 8% offer remote work. Employers hiring now include DigiPen Institute of Technology, Hudson Institute, Ithaca College, Nebraska Medicine, Jump Trading.
Skills employers screen for
- Lab technique fundamentals for your field
- Literature searching and citation hygiene
- Data analysis (R or Python)
- Meticulous record keeping
- Writing methods clearly
How to stand out without experience
- Email professors directly with a specific reason you fit their lab; generic notes get deleted
- Read two of the lab’s recent papers before any conversation
- Present anything anywhere: a poster session is a credential
What the interviews test
Research interviews are conversations about curiosity and rigor. Be ready to explain one experiment you ran or studied: the question, the control, what would falsify it.
When to apply: the summer 2027 cycle
Big programs open applications around August-November 2026; healthcare, media, and startups keep posting into spring 2027. Roles start May-June 2027. Applying inside the first days of a posting matters more than a perfect resume submitted late, so check the freshest roles first.
