Who can apply?
- US citizen or permanent resident; age 18 by September 30, 2027 for this college route.
- At least half-time enrollment at an accredited community college, college, or university when applying.
- Permanent residents must attend or have acceptance at a US educational institution. Read the full NIH eligibility and participation rules.
The application and reference-letter cutoffs differ. Completing your NIH profile does not submit your program application.
Dates, pay & program timing
SIP 2027 opens October 13, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET. Applications close January 26, 2027 at noon ET; reference letters have a separate February 2, 2027 noon ET cutoff. Stipends depend on education level; NIH does not provide housing.
Published opening: October 13, 2026 · 9 a.m. ET. The published application opening is still ahead. Prepare now; verify the program when its window begins.
These 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 National Institutes of Health
- Create an NIH Application Center account and profile, then select Summer internships and the specific program. Complete its eligibility screener; a profile alone is not an application.
- Prepare coursework and grades, a CV/resume, a personal statement, and two reference contacts. Submit the application so references can receive their letter requests.
- NIH recommends personalized contact with relevant principal investigators directing them to your completed application. Selection is by research group, not one central matching decision.
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
Connect your interest to a research question, not a medical-school aspiration alone. A statistics project, biology lab, psychology course, or coding exercise can help explain the methods you want to learn. Describe your current level and distinguish class exercises from independent research.
Build a practical participation budget before deciding a placement is workable. List rent, transport, food, and upfront deposits. When discussing a group, ask about supervision, project scope, start/end dates, and what an intern would be expected to learn. A research internship is not automatically clinical shadowing.
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 actionNational Institutes of Health: questions before applying
Can a community-college student investigate SIP?
Yes: NIH's college enrollment route includes accredited community colleges. All other eligibility rules and the selected program's instructions still apply.
How do I know my NIH application is complete?
NIH-AC distinguishes an Active submitted application from Complete, which also requires receipt of recommendation letters. Check the program application, not just the account or profile.
Official sources & update notes
We reviewed these publisher pages on . They establish the program facts above; our preparation suggestions are independent editorial guidance.
- NIH SIP 2027 eligibility, dates and research
- NIH Application Center submission instructions
- NIH training FAQ, research groups and housing
We do not infer deadlines, remote eligibility, or guaranteed offers from older recruiting cycles. Read our editorial process.