Who can apply?
- Participants spend 8 to 10 weeks at a Leadership Alliance institution and receive a stipend plus travel and housing expenses from the research institution.
- The program states you must be a US citizen, non-citizen national, or permanent resident at the time of application; it says international students studying in the US on an F-1 visa are not eligible, nor are individuals seeking asylum or refugees.
- It also requires full-time enrolment at an accredited US institution, a GPA of 3.0 or better, a committed interest in a PhD or MD-PhD, and completion of at least two semesters with at least one semester remaining by the start of the summer program.
The semester rule cuts at both ends. A student in their final semester has none remaining afterwards and does not meet it, even though they are still an undergraduate.
Dates, pay & program timing
The page describes the 2026 cycle, which opened on November 1, 2025 and set a February 3, 2026 deadline for the complete package including two letters of recommendation and official transcripts. That date is given without a time of day, so no exact cutoff instant is recorded here. The 2027 cycle's dates are not yet published.
View the deadline calendarThese details reflect the sources at the review date. An overview is not a live job offer. Check the official page for today's application status and the selected opening's written terms.
How to apply to The Leadership Alliance
- Check the citizenship condition first. It is stated plainly and no part of the application can work around it, so it decides whether the rest is worth your time.
- Work out whether you meet the semester rule by the start of the summer: at least two semesters completed, and at least one still remaining afterwards.
- Review the list of member research sites and choose three deliberately, since one application covers three and each site publishes its own opportunities and requirements.
You leave FirstInternships to apply. We do not accept applications, offer referrals, or represent the employer.
Our editorial advice · not employer requirements
How to prepare a stronger application
Because one application reaches three sites, the temptation is to write something general enough to suit all of them. Resist it — read what each site actually researches and let your choice of three be the thing that shows focus.
The program states it is not designed for students heading toward law, business administration, clinical medicine or the allied health professions. If your goal is medical practice rather than research, this is worth reading carefully before applying.
Your preparation, on this device
Make it a plan.
Checking an item saves this program. These are planning prompts, not a substitute for the employer's full requirements.
Add a stage & next actionOfficial sources & update notes
We reviewed these publisher pages on . They establish the program facts above; our preparation suggestions are independent editorial guidance.
We do not infer deadlines, remote eligibility, or guaranteed offers from older recruiting cycles. Read our editorial process.