Find your field

Research Internships for Undergraduates

An undergraduate research application should explain what you want to investigate and why the lab or site is the right setting. It is not just a list of institutions you admire.

Start here · 184 options on this page

Find a fit in three steps.

Pick a promising program, check the exact eligibility, then apply on the employer's official site.

  1. 1Scan the matchesYear, field, pay and location
  2. 2Open the guideRequirements and materials
  3. 3Apply officiallyWe send you to the source
See 184 options

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184 confirmed program-level matches

Research pathways

Some programs span several fields. Open a guide to match the exact role to your coursework, experience and availability.

CI
Central Intelligence Agency

Directorate of Operations Undergraduate Internship

A first-year-only CIA track placing undergraduates in two in-person summer tours as staff operations or targeting officers, with a possible route into the Professional Trainee program.

PaidWashington, DC area
Window reopens Dec 15, 2026
College-year matchFirst-year students onlyIncludes year 1 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
Published cutoff · · no time given
NR
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Pathways Internships

Paid federal student employment in soil science, plant science, forestry, rangeland management, ecology and related conservation work, with a required service-hour pathway and possible conversion.

PaidNRCS offices and field locations nationwide
Check current USAJOBS announcements
Class-year guidanceCurrent students · years 1–2 described as idealRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
HC
Health Career Connection

Summer Health Internship Program

A matched summer placement at a health organization combining a full-time project, a dedicated preceptor, career workshops and exposure to public health, care delivery, policy, advocacy, data and health-equity work.

PaidSixteen US regions plus some remote opportunities
Summer 2027 applications open at review
College-year matchUndergraduates and graduates up to three years outIncludes year 1 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
KK
Kennedy Krieger Institute

MCHC/RISE-UP Undergraduate Program

A CDC-supported maternal and child health leadership program offering clinical, research, community-engagement and advocacy experiences with mentoring, seminars and a final presentation.

Check programBaltimore, MD; Sioux Falls, SD; Davis, CA; or Fort Belknap community
2027 cycle not yet published
College-year matchRising juniors, seniors and recent graduates · 2.7 GPAIncludes year 3 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
CC
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

Foster Youth Internship Program

A specialized congressional and policy-writing program for students and recent graduates with lived US foster-care experience, culminating in a researched federal child-welfare policy report.

PaidRemote preparation, then Washington, DC
Open at review · part one due Nov 1
College-year matchStudents with four semesters completed or recent graduates · foster-care experienceIncludes year 3 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
Published cutoff passed · · no time given
NO
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

William M. Lapenta Student Internship Program

A NOAA research and operations internship spanning weather, water, climate, oceans, fisheries, modeling, data, policy and science communication under the guidance of agency scientists and mentors.

PaidNOAA offices and project sites across the United States
Open at review · deadline Dec 24
College-year matchUndergraduate sophomores and juniors · enrolled graduate studentsIncludes year 2 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
Published cutoff · · no time given
NP
National Park Service

Scientists in Parks Program

AmeriCorps conservation-science placements addressing real National Park Service resource needs through fieldwork, data analysis, GIS, collections, interpretation, education and science communication.

PaidNational Park Service sites across the United States; some remote roles
Summer 2027 roles open mid-December
Class-year guidanceCollege students, recent graduates and early-career applicants · listing controlsRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
LO
L'Oréal USA

Research & Innovation Summer Internship

A paid eleven-week beauty-science internship with laboratory work, an individual strategic project, mentorship and a final presentation to senior leadership.

PaidClark, New Jersey or Hudson Yards, New York
Summer 2027 application window closed — check current internships
Class-year guidanceGraduation Dec 2027–Jul 2028 · date-basedRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
Published cutoff passed · · no time given
BM
Bank of America

2027 Global Markets FICC Sales Summer Analyst (Jakarta)

A ten-week fixed-income, currencies and commodities sales program with direct team placement and work in market research, client analysis, hedging, modeling, structuring and trade execution support.

Check openingJakarta, Indonesia
Published Sep 30 deadline passed at review
Class-year guidancePenultimate-year undergraduate or master's student · JakartaRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
Published cutoff passed · · no time given
AM
Applied Materials

US Internship and Co-op Program

Internships and co-ops in semiconductor engineering, science, software, manufacturing, supply chain, analytics, finance and related functions.

Check openingUS roles, including Arizona, California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Texas
Summer 2027 roles listed at review · opening-specific
Class-year guidanceCurrent full-time undergraduate or graduate studentRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
CB
Conagra Brands

Summer 2027 Internships & Co-ops

An eleven-week paid consumer-food internship with project ownership across sales, supply chain, demand science, research and development, finance, technology and business services.

PaidOmaha, Chicago and US plant locations; opening-specific
Summer 2027 roles listed at review
Class-year guidanceCurrent students · exact enrollment and major rules vary by roleRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
TE
Terracon

Specialty Engineering & Consulting Intern — 2027

A multidisciplinary placement in Terracon's Colorado practice for students exploring civil, geotechnical, geological, architectural or environmental engineering, geology, biology and construction science.

Check openingWheat Ridge, Colorado
Summer 2027 posting available at review
Class-year guidanceRelated-degree students · junior or senior preferredRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
CF
Council on Foreign Relations

Blavatnik Internship Program

More than one hundred paid internships each year combining substantive foreign-policy or organizational work with skills training and career programming.

Paid · competitive hourly wageNew York or Washington, DC · opening-specific
Recurring paid program · check current openings
Class-year guidanceCollege and graduate students · role-specific qualificationsRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
CE
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

US Internships

Paid US internships embedded in research programs or functional teams, with remote eligibility, schedule and qualifications defined by each posting.

At least $20/hour for US internshipsWashington, DC or remote · posting-specific
Current internship board available · opening-specific
Class-year guidanceStudents and recent graduates · opening-specific educationRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
BP
Bipartisan Policy Center

2027 Internship Program

Paid semester internships across policy and functional teams, with current 2027 posting dates, a hybrid schedule and a detailed common application packet.

$3,000 fall/spring · $6,000 summer stipendWashington, DC
Spring 2027 postings launched · rolling review
College-year matchRising juniors and seniors · graduate students and recent graduates also eligibleIncludes year 3 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
HF
The Heritage Foundation

Young Leaders Program 2027

Paid conservative policy and organizational internships with live Spring and Summer 2027 applications, structured seminars and career programming.

$18.50/hourWashington, DC
Spring and Summer 2027 applications open · rolling
College-year matchAll undergraduates may apply · juniors and above preferredIncludes year 1 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
Published cutoff · · no time given
WC
Wilson Center

Spring 2027 Internships

Paid Spring 2027 research-assistant and staff internships with separate role choices, one published deadline and detailed writing-sample requirements.

Paid · staff roles at least $15/hourWashington, DC or remote · role-specific
Spring 2027 open · deadline Nov 6
College-year matchCurrent and recent undergraduates · some staff roles set narrower preferencesIncludes year 1 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
Published cutoff · · no time given
CW
Cushman & Wakefield

Boston Commercial Real Estate Summer Internship 2027

An eight-week commercial real-estate program with client and project work, research, lease and appraisal review, transaction shadowing, outreach and presentation materials.

PaidBoston, Massachusetts
Reviewed Boston listing removed — check current C&W internships
College-year matchRising juniors and seniors · posting also states Spring 2027–Spring 2028 graduationIncludes year 3 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
QL
Quadrillion

Software Engineering Intern — Summer 2027

A paid software engineering internship building agent orchestration, sandboxed research environments and product interfaces for an AI research platform in New York City.

PaidMidtown Manhattan, New York City
Summer 2027 application listed at Nov. 2 review
College-year matchCurrent undergraduates · frosh allowed, sophomores and juniors preferredIncludes year 1 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
CO
Cohere

Software Engineer Intern — Winter 2027

A three-to-six-month software engineering internship across front-end, back-end, full-stack and infrastructure teams building enterprise AI products and services.

Check openingCanada, Dubai, London or United States · posting-specific
Winter 2027 application listed at Nov. 2 review
College-year matchCurrent post-secondary students · 3–6 month termIncludes year 1 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
PA
Precision AQ

Market Access Consulting Intern — Summer 2027

A paid healthcare market-access consulting internship combining primary and secondary research, qualitative and quantitative analysis, strategic recommendations and client materials.

PaidNew York, New York
Summer 2027 application listed at Nov. 3 review
Class-year guidanceUndergraduates graduating Dec. 2027–June 2029 · advanced-degree routeRead the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
SE
Secretariat

Investigations & Forensic Accounting Intern — Summer 2027

A paid forensic-investigations internship researching companies and industries, analyzing financial and nonfinancial records and supporting reports used in disputes and investigations.

PaidWashington, District of Columbia
Summer 2027 application listed at Nov. 3 review
Class-year guidanceBachelor's students graduating Dec. 2027–Aug. 2028Read the role before applyingView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed
AC
American Civil Liberties Union

National Security Project Undergraduate Intern — Summer 2027

A ten-week undergraduate internship supporting civil-liberties litigation and advocacy through government-document review, case-file organization and factual research.

PaidNew York, New York
Summer 2027 application listed after priority date
College-year matchUndergraduates completing at least 3 years before the internshipIncludes year 3 · check every ruleView eligibility & steps
No universal cutoff confirmed

How to approach research applications

Start from the research, not the institution

An undergraduate research application should explain what you want to investigate and why this site is the right setting for it. Read the actual project or theme descriptions and find two or three questions that genuinely hold your attention. Naming a specific theme and connecting it to a course or project you have done is the single strongest thing you can do, and it separates a real application from a list of prestigious places you admire.

Understand how the selection usually works

Many research programs are not decided by one central committee. Individual investigators or laboratory groups often select their own students from the pool, which is why a statement written for the site in general can land nowhere in particular. Where a program invites you to name or contact potential mentors, follow its instructions exactly — and where it tells you not to contact them, that instruction matters just as much.

References are part of the deadline, not after it

Research applications commonly require one or two recommendation letters, and in many systems your submission is not complete until those arrive. Ask early, give each referee the program description, the deadline, the submission link and a short reminder of what you worked on together. Track their deadline separately from your own, and check the portal to confirm each letter landed rather than assuming it did.

Check citizenship, enrollment and site restrictions first

Research programs at federal agencies and national laboratories frequently carry citizenship, enrollment or site-access conditions that no amount of preparation can work around, and some require you to remain enrolled throughout. Read those before writing anything. It is far better to discover a restriction in ten minutes than after drafting a personal statement.

A stipend is a stipend, not a salary

Research awards are usually a fixed stipend for a defined term, sometimes with housing or travel support, sometimes without. Read what the published figure actually covers, when it is paid, and whether support is provided directly or reimbursed later. A reimbursement that arrives in August does not help with a deposit due in May, so build the real budget before accepting.

Research: questions before you apply

Do I need previous research experience?

Frequently not — many undergraduate programs exist specifically to provide a first research experience. A carefully described course project and a clear account of what interests you can be enough. What rarely works is claiming familiarity with methods you have only read about.

Should I email a professor before applying?

Only if the program says to. Some explicitly invite contact with potential mentors and some explicitly discourage it. Follow the program's own instructions, and if you do write, be specific about which work of theirs interests you and keep it short.

Can I apply to several programs at once?

Generally yes, and for site-based programs each site is usually its own application with its own materials and dates. Track them separately rather than treating one submission as covering the group.

Explore another starting point

Prepare your application