Opportunities at Outside Institutions
Many opportunities are available for fellowships and jobs for both sophomores and juniors from outside institutions and from other universities; a few programs also invite applications from first-year students (rising sophomores). In addition to the opportunities listed here, the Career Services Office maintains a list of summer opportunities available in specific locations. Some summer research opportunities have deadlines as early as December; investigating these opportunities in mid- to late-fall will give students maximum flexibility in applying to programs that are suited to their interests and needs.
Course work is also available in the summer and may lead to a really good job the next summer. (If you take a course in marine biology one summer you may be hired as an instructor the next year!)
Summer Research Elsewhere
As noted above, Swarthmore has some funds to support students working off-campus. In addition, there are dozens of other colleges, universities, and government and private institutions that provide paid research opportunities. A small subset of these is listed below - a Google search for [summer research biology] returns a number of appropriate hits - further narrowing down your search by geographic area or sub discipline within biology can help you focus on programs that are the best match for you.
A number of students have found positions by directly emailing faculty working in areas of interest. For the best results, write a short email describing your own interests and how they specifically intersect with the person you are emailing. While it is great to attach a CV/resume to the document, try to include in your short email your relevant coursework so that the person can get some sense about you quickly. Point out that all of your science courses have had laboratories - this is not the case at most institutions. Swarthmore students generally have more lab experience as first- and second-year students as many students graduating from other institutions.
[Please note: a few programs have deadlines in December, while many others have deadlines in January and February]
NIH & NSF | Scientific Societies | For Underrepresented Students
Compiled Listings From Other Institutions | Individual Programs listed by State
NIH & NSF
Emergent Behavior of Integrated Cellular Systems -NSF Science and Technology Center
A collaborative effort involving teams from Georgia Tech, MIT, and University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign as well as at a number of other minority-serving institutions.
Evo-Devo-Eco-Network (EDEN)
An NSF research coordination network for undergraduate internships. The deadline is March 1st of each year.
NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical research (SIP)
An opportunity to spend a summer working at the NIH with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.
NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP)
The NIH offers competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science. Stipend includes scholarship for yearly tuition + summer stipend.
National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates
The NSF has listings of many programs ranging from astrobiology, climate change and landscape ecology to molecular biology, genomics, and biomechanics. Includes field (terrestrial and marine) and lab research, mostly domestic programs but also a few foreign opportunities.
NIH-Penn Advanced Scholars in Immunology Graduate Partnership Program
students admitted to the University of Pennsylvania Immunology Graduate Group can take advantage of unparalleled research resources and mentorship from scientific leaders at both institutions.
NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program
Students are mentored by two Investigators—one at NIH and another at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge in the UK—to work on a joint internationally collaborative dissertation project.
Accelerated MD/PhD Partnership Training Program
Whether you're finishing your bachelor's, enrolled in medical school, or in the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program, this program offers opportunities for you.
Scientific Societies and Other Sources for Jobs
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
(fish, amphibians, reptiles)
American Society of Mammalogists
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Comprehensive listings for mainly biomedical opportunities.
Center for North American Herpetology
The study of reptiles and amphibians.
Ecological Society of America (ESA) & the US Park Service
Garden Club of America- scholarships in plant biology and ecology (29 in all!)
The Hertz Foundation Fellowship (seniors or grad. students)
Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA
Oak Ridge Institute For Science and Education (ORISE)
Ornithological Societies of North America (OSNA)
Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology
(Not a summer grant, but a grant for any students doing any avifauna research in Pennsylvania)
Society for Conservation Biology
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)
Summer Institutes for Training in Biostatistics (SIBS)
SIBS is offered at multiple sites around the US.
For Students from groups that are Underrepresented in Science
Alliance to Increase Diversity in Genetic Counseling (AID-GC) @ Penn
Conservation Corps, Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers (IDEC)
Montana & Iowa
Co-op/Internship Opportunities for Minority & Underrepresented Students
HGSC-G/GREAT (Genetics/Genomics Research Education And Training) Summer Research Program
A research program designed to interest African Americans; Hispanic Americans; Native Americans; and Pacific Islanders in genetics/genomics careers.
Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP)
Pathways To Science
Compiled Listing of summer programs where eligibility does NOT depend on US citizenship
The National Eye Institute (NEI)
Diversity in Vision Research and Ophthalmology (DIVRO) summer internship program
Monell Science Apprenticeship Program
for college undergrads and high school students in the Philadelphia area only
NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
NIAID Research Opportunities (INRO)
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP)
Competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science. Stipend includes scholarship for yearly tuition + summer stipend.
Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis
Funded by the National Institutes of Health / National Cancer Institute, for students who wish to pursue a career in cancer research.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy
The Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship is geared to women and under-represented minorities in math, science, engineering, and technology majors. Designed to promote career paths in Fossil Energy to ensure clean, affordable energy utilization.
Yale Conservation Scholars – Early Leadership Initiative (YCS-ELI)
For students interested in conservation, nature, and the environment
Compiled Listings From Other Institutions
Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience
Individual Programs Listed by State/Country
Note: Check each institution for application deadline. Most are due in February.
ALABAMA
Dauphin Island Sea Lab REU at the University of South Alabama
Marine Biology
CALIFORNIA
Benioff Ocean Initiative- using AI to identify whales and sharks
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)Stanford University
SSRP-AMGEN Scholars Program
UCLA Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)
Stipend: YesUSC Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI)
Global Environmental Microbiology (GEM) focusing on microbes found in aquatic environmentsUSC REU Program
at Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina IslandUC Santa Cruz- The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program
TWO summers
COLORADO
Metropolitan State University of Denver Summer Research Opportunities in Colorado
List of summer research opportunities in the state of Colorado
CONNECTICUT
Project Oceanology Summer Marine Science Educator or Summer Camp Intern
Yale University School of Medicine
Biomedical Science Training and Enrichment Program (BioSTEP)
Stipend: Yes
DELAWARE
Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
The Nemours Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarship (NSURP)
Early (January) deadline!
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
The GSU Neuroscience Institute undergraduate program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Environmental Health Internship programs
Collegiate Leaders in Environmental Health (CLEH)
Internship ProgramsGeorgia Regents University (GRU)
Student Training and Research (STAR) biomedical sciences
IOWA
University of Iowa, Summer Microbiology Undergraduate Research
9-weeks.
University of Iowa, SUMR Summer Undergraduate MSTP Research Program. Sponsored by the Iowa Medical Scientist Training Program, offers exposure to the career of physician-scientist for students interested in future combined MDPhD training. A wide variety of research areas.
ILLINOIS
Loyola- Summer Research Experience in Bioinformatics
Morton Arboretum (outside Chicago) Center for Tree Science REU
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
INDIANA
LOUISIANA
Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge)
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
MAINE
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences REU program
MARYLAND
Bethesda- Undergraduate Summer Internship (USUHS)
Clinical research, social/behavioral research, health policy, and research administrationMaryland Sea Grant's Summer Research Experiences
For undergraduates in estuarine science, Spend a summer by the Chesapeake BayUniversity of Maryland Baltimore County Biomedical research experiences for U.S. citizens and permanent resident undergraduates, particularly those underrepresented in these areas.
MASSACHUSETTS
BROAD Institute of MIT and Harvard designed for non-graduating underrepresented minority undergraduate students with an interest in genomics and biomedical research
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Boston University (SURF)
For all students, especially underrepresented minoritiesHarvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology
Harvard's Arnold Arboretum, students interested in plant biology
Harvard's Quantitative Biology Initiative
Systems Biology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
summer research program in the Biological and biomedical sciences (MSRP Biology)University of Massachusetts Medical School
In-depth exposure to actual biomedical research
MICHIGAN
Michigan State University Great Lakes Bioenergy SURF
Michigan State University Kellogg Biological Station (KBS REU Program)
Ecology, evolutionary biology, and sustainable agricultureMichigan State University REU Advanced Computational Research Experience for Students (ACRES)
in computational and data science and plant genomics REU programUniversity of Michigan College of Pharmacy
This is a newly funded NSF REU ProgramU. of M. cardiovascular research at Frankel Cardiovascular Center (SURF)
MISSISSIPPI
University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL)
GCRL Summer Field Program
MISSOURI
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center: Internships in Plant Biology Research.
Stowers Institute Summer Scholars Program
Kansas City, 8-week program.Washington University (St. Louis)
The Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program (BioMedRAP)
MONTANA
Montana State University
Microbiology of Low Oxygen Ecosystems (MLOxE)
NEBRASKA
University of Nebraska- Lincoln Summer Research Program
Research areas include molecular medicine, environmental biochemistry, and plant biochemistry. (A Swattie participated in 2001 and they have been eager to host another ever since!)
NEW JERSEY
Monmouth University School of Science
12 week summer research program (SRP)Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey: Research in the RISE program spans the biomedical, physical and behavioral sciences, math, and engineering. 8- or 10-week experiences.
Rolling admission begins at the end of January and is highly competitive.University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) in Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology
NEW YORK
Albany Medical College,
Program for Undergraduate Research and Professional Development (PURPOSE)Binghamton University, Microbial biofilms research
Boyce Thompson Institute (BCI) Research Experiences for Undergrads (REU)
IthacaColumbia University/Barnard College
Amgen Scholars Summer Research ProgramCornell University
Microbial Friends & Foes Research Experience for non-Cornell Undergraduates (MFF)Cornell University, Geneva campus
College of Agriculture and Life SciencesEcology Research for Undergraduates at Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Program
10-week programGerstner Sloan-Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences biomedical sciences
New York University School of Medicine (Sackler Institute) (New York, NY)
biochemistry, bio-informatics, biomedical imaging, cellular and molecular biology, clinical investigation, computational biology, developmental genetics, forensic pathology, immunology, microbiology, molecular oncology, neuroscience and physiology, parasitology, pharmacology, structural biology and virology. Stipend: YesRockefeller University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Includes a broad range of areas including biochemistry, structural biology and chemistry; molecular, cell and developmental biology; immunology, virology and microbiology; neuroscience; physics and mathematical biology.
Stipend: Yes
Wadsworth Center, New York State Dept. of Health in Albany
10-week program in molecular and cellular biosciences.
NORTH CAROLINA
NC State University
NSF BIT SURE Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
OHIO
Ohio State University (and other universities)
Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) Undergraduate Summer Research ProgramOSU Sea Grant College Program and Stone Laboratory REU
University of Cincinnati REU grant in Sensory Ecology
OREGON
Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center. Summer REU.
PENNSYLVANIA
Carnegie Mellon University Summer biology teaching assistants [not a research position, but a teaching opportunity with a stipend and lodging, special for Swat students]
Duquesne University (Pittsburgh):
Pain Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE)
Neurodegenerative Undergraduate Research Experience (NURE)
Bayer School of Natural & Environmental Sciences Biology CIRCLE ProgramPenn Undergraduate Translational Research Immersion Program (TRIP)
[SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR SWARTHMORE STUDENTS-we are almost guaranteed to have one or more students accepted in the program]
The Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA) sponsors a summer undergraduate internship program that provides mentored experiences in clinical and translational sciences to students from Bryn Mawr College, Franklin & Marshall College, Haverford College, Lincoln University, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylvania.The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP)CHOP Injury Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Research projects include engineering, behavioral science, and epidemiologyThe Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA
Student research intern programJenkins Arboretum & Gardens (Devon)- Horticulture and Education internships
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum (Southwest Philadelphia)
University of Pennsylvania Summer Undergraduate Internship Program (SUIP)
Basic laboratory research related to gene therapy of cystic fibrosis, other genetic diseases, and cancer.Penn State College of Medicine (Hershey, PA)
Monell Science Apprenticeship Program
for college undergrads and high school students in the Philadelphia area onlyThomas Jefferson University Summer Undergraduate Research Program
For students who have completed their junior year
Stipend: YesWistar Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Training and Experimentation in Computational Biology (TECBio REU)University of Pittsburgh Dept. of Pharmacology
University of Pittsburgh
Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) National Center of Excellence
Computational modeling and simulation of infectious diseasesUniversity of Pennsylvania's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
Summer Undergraduate Minority Research Program (SUMR)
Paid summer internships in health services researchUniversity of Pennsylvania Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET)
Short Term Educational Experiences for Research (STEER) in Environmental Sciences
SOUTH DAKOTA
TENNESSEE
Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis
Funded by the National Institutes of Health / National Cancer Institute, for students who wish to pursue a career in cancer research.Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy
University of Tennessee
Department of Microbiology REU
TEXAS
Baylor College of Medicine (Houston) Summer Medical and Research Training Program (SMART)
Between 80 and 90 positions are available each summer. Early (January) deadline!Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
SURF program, Anthropogenic Impact on the Environment.Rice Research Experience for Undergrads (REU)
in Multi-Scale Biomolecular BioNetworksUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas)
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Quantitative and Physical Science Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (QP-SURF)University of Texas Amgen Scholars Program (biomedical science)
Utah
University of Utah Salt Lake City
Summer Program For Undergraduate Research (SPUR)
VERMONT
UVM Experiential Undergraduate Learning Fellowship (REEU)
Interdisciplinary research on the cultural, economic and scientific roles of the agricultural transition toward industrial hemp production.
VIRGINIA
Janelia Farm (Ashburn, VA)
Virginia Tech Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program (MAOP)
Univ. of Virginia School of Medicine Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP)
Univ. of Virginia Multi-Scale Systems Bioengineering and Biomedical Data Science REU
WASHINGTON
Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center (Seattle, WA)
Basic Sciences, Clinical Research, Human Biology, Public Health Sciences or Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). Deadline in JanuaryPacific Northwest National Laboratory
Microalgae biofuels research at the Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Carnegie Institution for Science
Department of Plant Biology Summer Internship ProgramAmerican Society for Microbiology
Undergraduate Research Fellowship (URF)George Washington Summer Program Advancing Research on Cancer (GW SPARC)
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Natural History Research Experience
museum-based in-residence program in Washington, DC.
WEST VIRGINIA
WVU Center for Neuroscience
Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities
WISCONSIN
Marquette University
Summer Research Program in Biology
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Integrated Biological Sciences Summer Research Program (IBS-SRP)
WYOMING
University of Wyoming Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Molecular Biology
Programs Abroad
AUSTRIA
COSTA RICA
Organization for Tropical Studies (Costa Rica)
Stipend: Yes, plus travel to and from Costa Rica plus housing and food.
FRANCE
Pasteur Foundation in Paris for U.S. citizens
Stipend: Yes
GERMANY
German Academic Exchange Service
Research Internships in Science and Engineering
Italy
Doctors in Italy Fellowship Summer or Winter Program
Japan
UTokyo
Amgen Scholars Program
Panama
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI)
for undergrads and graduate students
