Summer internships in an unpredictable funding environment

In February 2025, the National Institutes of Health cancelled their summer internship programs. Funding upheavals forced many other institutions, such as the University of North Carolina, University of Connecticut, Vanderbilt University, University of Pennsylvania and others, to cancel various NIH- and National Science Foundation, or NSF, –funded summer research programs. These changes follow an announcement from the NIH proposing to lower the funding cap on indirect research costs, such as research facilities and administration, as well as changes to NSF funding.

If your program is still on: Seize the opportunity. But, have a contingency plan.

If you are unsure of the status: Some programs have not fully cancelled but are still trying to navigate an unpredictable environment. Reach out to the program director about your application. You may want to examine alternative options as well.

If your program has been cancelled or you haven’t found one yet: Check out the options below.

Use your career or internship office

Most schools have career offices and/or an internship office. They connect students with internship databases, employer partnerships and alumni networks, helping students discover opportunities tailored to their interests. Some institutions may be able to provide funding resources for external unpaid internships or offer credit-bearing internship programs.

Look for other internships

Many summer internship application deadlines have not yet passed. However, April might be your last chance to apply. There are many opportunities for interns posted on the ASBMB Career Center.

In addition, check out Indeed, LinkedIn and ASBMB Today’s upcoming opportunities, updated weekly.

Ask around your home institution

Ask around to see if professors at your institution are accepting summer research students. If funding is an issue, consider volunteering part-time while working a local job to offset living costs.

Take a class instead

You can still get the most out of your summer by taking a course at your home institution or nearby community college. Online courses, such as those on artificial intelligence or computational biology, could give you a skills boost. Sites like Coursera offer some some free online courses.

ASBMB also offers regular webinars on scientific and professional development topics. You can even dive into the on-demand events in case you missed the live offering.