A biology internship is an incredible opportunity to get supervised practical experience in a career field that you are interested in.
Find an internship in the Grand Rapids area during the school year, or go to another exciting location like a national park, government agency, research university, medical institute, or business to do a paid internship during the summer. You may be able to receive course credit for your internship, and it may even lead to a great job after graduation.
How do I find an off-campus internship or research experience?
- Talk with your professors and advisor about opportunities in their fields.
- Check the biology department bulletin boards on the first and second floors of DeVries Hall.
- Look for email announcements from the biology department administrative assistant or faculty members.
- Search for internships online and by networking with acquaintances who have contacts in the research or industrial worlds. You may be able to find an opportunity in your own hometown, another state, or around the world.
- Browse the internships listed below that are in your areas of interest.
Great places to start
- The Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids often accepts Calvin students into its summer research program each year. Applications for summer are typically due before February 1. Lab assistant positions are also available during the academic year.
- Calvin also has a close relationship with the University of Michigan Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, which sponsors several different undergraduate research programs. The Calvin biology department works with Dr. Daniel Michele to place two or more students in these programs each year. Applications for summer are typically due before February 1.
- Each summer there are National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) at universities and research institutes all over the country. These programs cover all areas of biology. A stipend is typically provided, and some programs even offer housing, meals, and travel expenses.
Application deadlines
The time to begin applying for summer off-campus research opportunities begins during winter. Most applications are due during February and March. However, a few are due as early as November, December, and January.
Earning credit
It is sometimes possible for you to earn credit for an off-campus internship or research experience. Depending on the nature of the work, these credits can either serve as elective credits toward graduation or as an upper-level elective in the biology major. Prior to beginning your internship, contact the biology department chair to discuss the specifics of your internship and determine whether or not it could qualify for credit from Calvin.
Internship Opportunities
Case Western Reserve University Heart, Lung, and Blood Summer Research Program (Ohio)
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program (New York)
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Summer Undergraduate Research Program (Washington)
Indiana University Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research Summer Student Internship Program (Indiana)
Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Minnesota)
Medical College of Wisconsin Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (Wisconsin)
Michigan State University ASPET Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State University BRUSH Summer Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Leadership in Rural Medicine Program (East Lansing, MI)
National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics Summer Internship (Maryland)
National Institutes of Health Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (Maryland)
University of Alabama-Birmingham Preparation for Graduate and Medical Education Summer Program (Alabama)
University of Alabama-Birmingham Summer in Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program (Alabama)
University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Molecular and Integrative Physiology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Molecular and Integrative Physiology Summer Undergraduate Research in Physiology (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Summer Undergraduate Research Experience: Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (Ann Arbor, MI)
Van Andel Research Institute Summer Internship Program (Grand Rapids, MI)
Wayne State University School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (Detroit, MI)
Weill Cornell / Rockefeller / Sloan-Kettering Gateways to the Laboratory Summer Program (New York)
West Virginia University Summer Undergraduate Vision Research Fellowship Program (West Virginia)
Boyce Thompson Institute Undergraduate Research Internship (New York)
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program (New York)
Maryland Sea Grant Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Maryland)
Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Minnesota)
Medical College of Wisconsin Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (Wisconsin)
Michigan State University ASPET Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State University BRUSH Summer Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship (Maryland)
University of Alabama-Birmingham Summer in Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program (Alabama)
University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute Perrigo Undergraduate Summer Fellowship (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Molecular and Integrative Physiology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Molecular and Integrative Physiology Summer Undergraduate Research in Physiology (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Summer Undergraduate Research Experience: Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Wisconsin SIGNALS Research Program (Wisconsin)
Van Andel Research Institute Summer Internship Program (Grand Rapids, MI)
Wayne State University School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (Detroit, MI)
West Virginia University Summer Undergraduate Vision Research Fellowship Program (West Virginia)
Ada Township Parks (Ada, MI)
Alaska Conservation Foundation (Alaska)
Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies Undergraduate Research Program (Mancelona, MI)
Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Biology and Conservation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Illinois)
Harvard University DaRin Butz Foundation Research Internship Program (Massachusetts)
Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
Kellogg Biological Station Research Experience for Undergraduates (Hickory Corners, MI)
Kent Conservation District (Grand Rapids, MI)
Land Conservancy of West Michigan (Grand Rapids, MI)
Michigan League of Conservation Voters Our Water Activist Program (Ann Arbor, MI)
Michigan Sea Grant Environmental Internship (Michigan)
Michigan State University BRUSHES Summer Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Oakland Township Parks and Recreation (Rochester, MI)
Operation Wallacea In-Field Experiences
Plaster Creek Stewards (Grand Rapids, MI)
Sierra Club: Michigan Chapter (Lansing, MI)
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Internship (Empire, MI)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship (Maryland)
South African Shark Conservancy Research Program (South Africa)
Student Conservation Association Internships
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council Internships (Petoskey, MI)
University of Florida Wildlife Ecology Study Abroad Program (Swaziland, Africa)
Ada Township Parks (Ada, MI)
Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies Undergraduate Research Program (Mancelona, MI)
Blandy Experimental Farm Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in Ecology and Evolution (Virginia)
Cornell AgriTech Summer Research Scholars Program (New York)
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Summer Undergraduate Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology (Massachusetts)
Harvard University DaRin Butz Foundation Research Internship Program (Massachusetts)
Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
Indiana University Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in Animal Behavior (Indiana)
Kellogg Biological Station Research Experience for Undergraduates (Hickory Corners, MI)
Kent Conservation District (Grand Rapids, MI)
Land Conservancy of West Michigan (Grand Rapids, MI)
Maryland Sea Grant Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Maryland)
Michigan League of Conservation Voters Our Water Activist Program (Ann Arbor, MI)
Michigan Sea Grant Environmental Internship (Michigan)
Michigan State University ASPET Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State University BRUSHES Summer Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Mote Marine Laboratory Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program (Florida)
National Ecological Observatory Network Internship (Colorado)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Summer Internships
Oakland Township Parks and Recreation (Rochester, MI)
Operation Wallacea In-Field Experiences
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Summer Fellowships (Hastings, MI)
Plaster Creek Stewards (Grand Rapids, MI)
Research Experience for Undergraduates in Tropical Ecology and Evolution at El Verde Field Station (Puerto Rico)
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Colorado)
Shoals Marine Laboratory Undergraduate Research Group (Maine)
Sierra Club: Michigan Chapter (Lansing, MI)
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Internship (Empire, MI)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship (Maryland)
Student Conservation Association Internships
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council Internships (Petoskey, MI)
University of Florida Wildlife Ecology Study Abroad Program (Swaziland, Africa)
University of Michigan Biological Station Research Opportunities (Pellston, MI)
University of North Florida Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in Coastal Biology (Florida)
University of Notre Dame Field Environmental Biology Program (Indiana)
University of Wisconsin SIGNALS Research Program (Wisconsin)
Indiana University Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in Animal Behavior (Indiana)
Kellogg Biological Station Research Experience for Undergraduates (Hickory Corners, MI)
Research Experience for Undergraduates in Tropical Ecology and Evolution at El Verde Field Station (Puerto Rico)
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Colorado)
Boyce Thompson Institute Undergraduate Research Internship (New York)
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program (New York)
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Summer Undergraduate Research Program (Washington)
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Summer Undergraduate Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State University Plant Genomics Summer Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics Summer Internship (Maryland)
University of Alabama-Birmingham Summer in Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program (Alabama)
Wayne State University School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (Detroit, MI)
Duke Marine Lab Research Experience for Undergraduates in Estuarine and Coastal Marine Sciences (North Carolina)
Maryland Sea Grant Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Maryland)
Mote Marine Laboratory Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program (Florida)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Summer Internships
Operation Wallacea In-Field Experiences
Shoals Marine Laboratory Undergraduate Research Group (Maine)
Oceans Research (South Africa)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship (Maryland)
University of North Florida Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in Coastal Biology (Florida)
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Summer Student Fellowship (Massachusetts)
Cornell AgriTech Summer Research Scholars Program (New York)
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Summer Undergraduate Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Kellogg Biological Station Research Experience for Undergraduates (Hickory Corners, MI)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship (Maryland)
University of Alabama-Birmingham Summer in Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program (Alabama)
University of Wisconsin SIGNALS Research Program (Wisconsin)
Wayne State University School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (Detroit, MI)
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program (New York)
Michigan State University ASPET Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State University Bridge to PhD in Neurosciences Program (East Lansing, MI)
Van Andel Research Institute Summer Internship Program (Grand Rapids, MI)
Wayne State University School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (Detroit, MI)
West Virginia University Summer Undergraduate Vision Research Fellowship Program (West Virginia)
ArchaeoTek Archaeological Techniques and Research Center (Romania)
Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park (Nebraska)
Mammoth Site Summer Internships (South Dakota)
American Physiological Society Summer Research Programs
Case Western Reserve University Heart, Lung, and Blood Summer Research Program (Ohio)
Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Minnesota)
Medical College of Wisconsin Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (Wisconsin)
Michigan State University ASPET Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State University BRUSH Summer Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics Summer Internship (Maryland)
University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Molecular and Integrative Physiology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Molecular and Integrative Physiology Summer Undergraduate Research in Physiology (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Summer Undergraduate Research Experience: Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (Ann Arbor, MI)
Wayne State University School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (Detroit, MI)
Boyce Thompson Institute Research Internship (New York)
Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Biology and Conservation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Illinois)
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program (New York)
Cornell AgriTech Summer Research Scholars Program (New York)
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Summer Undergraduate Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology (Massachusetts)
Harvard University DaRin Butz Foundation Research Internship Program (Massachusetts)
Integrated Plant Systems Undergraduate Research Experience (Illinois)
Kellogg Biological Station Research Experience for Undergraduates (Hickory Corners, MI)
Michigan State University Plant Genomics Summer Research Program (East Lansing, MI)
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Summer Fellowships (Hastings, MI)
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Colorado)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship (Maryland)
Cornell AgriTech Summer Research Scholars Program (New York)
Fair Oaks Farms Internship Program (Indiana)
Indiana University Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in Animal Behavior (Indiana)
John Ball Zoo Internships (Grand Rapids, MI)
Mote Marine Laboratory Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program (Florida)
Operation Wallacea In-Field Experiences
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Summer Fellowships (Hastings, MI)
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Colorado)
Frequently Asked Questions
No. However, some internships may be able to be performed in conjunction with BIOL 385 to count as an upper-level elective in your biology major.
No. First, internships only qualify for BIOL 385 credit if arrangements are made before the start of your internship. Secondly, the nature of the internship itself will dictate whether or not it is appropriate to qualify for advanced biology credit. Contact the biology department chair if you are interested in seeing if your internship may qualify.
You can enroll in BIOL 385 for 0–4 credits. The number of credits earned for an internship should correlate with the number of hours spent at the internship. Students should expect to work between 50–100 total hours per credit hour earned.
Most internships will likely be completed as full-time jobs during the summer. In these cases, students would typically enroll in BIOL 385 during the fall semester immediately following the internship, when the student would work to complete all required assignments. Some students may do internships on a part-time basis during the academic year, when students would register for the desired number of credit hours during the semester(s) of the internship. Registering for BIOL 385 during the summer is also possible, but this requires an additional tuition payment on a per credit basis.
You should apply to multiple programs. These positions are highly competitive, as there will be many good applicants for each position. Both on-campus and off-campus options can provide a valuable research experience for you. If you live outside of West Michigan, an internship near your home may be a great option for you. If your scientific interests align well with one of the Calvin professors, be sure to have conversations with him/her throughout the year. Ask about next summer's project, and suggest how you could see yourself contributing to that research. Your professors and advisor may also have connections with alumni or scientists working in a field that you are interested in. Take advantage of any networking opportunities that you have.
Before you begin, carefully read through all of the information provided by the institution to which you are applying. If you want to increase your chances of success, submit your application early—do not wait until the last minute! Before you submit the application, be sure that it is grammatically perfect, clearly expressed, and well-organized. Be sure that the contact information you provide is accurate and professional. For example, do not use crazy email addresses or leave unprofessional voicemail greetings on your cell phone. The cover letter is the most important part of your application. Scientists will be reading your cover letter to get a sense of your goals and preparation to be successful contributors to their research. Your goal is to introduce yourself, describe your scientific and research interests, and talk about your long-term goals. Explain why you are applying for a summer internship and how you have prepared for the experience. Provide some detail about the type of research you would like to do, what areas of science you wish to explore, and be clear about your previous relevant experiences. Proofread your cover letter, and have a supportive professor read it for you to provide feedback. Be complete but concise. Your cover letter should not be longer than one page. Three clear paragraphs are all that will be needed at this stage in your career. Your resume should be a concise record of your educational history. It should contain the following: (1) contact information, (2) school attended with dates and degrees received, (3) honors and awards, (4) work experience, (5) research experience, (6) volunteer experience, and (7) leadership experience. You may not have a long list of experiences at this point, but the quality of the experiences that you have had will be important. You will be asked to submit the names of professors and mentors as references who will be contacted and asked to submit a recommendation. Never put someone's name down without talking to them first and asking them to write a supportive letter. Be sure they know the deadline for your application. The recommendation letter should address your scientific knowledge base and relevant personal traits, such as your rhetorical and problem-solving skills. Think about who could write you strong letters of support as you progress through your courses at Calvin. This will help you develop a network of mentors who can discuss your experiences and traits, so that whenever you need a letter, you will not have trouble finding someone to support you. Follow up with your recommenders to be sure they have completed and submitted your recommendations on time. You will also need to submit a record of your courses and grades. List all of your courses, including those you are currently in. Make your list well-organized and easy to read.
Personal communication with the scientists or primary investigators whose research interests you can be valuable. Send them short emails introducing yourself, state that you applied to their internship programs, and explain why you are interested in working in their research groups for the summer. Ask them to take a look at your application and contact you for an interview.
Read more about the research project that you are applying to work on, and practice talking about yourself. Be prepared to ask the researchers what they expect from summer interns and how you can best prepare for the experience.
For many off-campus internships, housing is either provided or subsidized. Dorm rooms or apartments are often available on the host campus for summer interns. Each situation will be unique, but the housing issue is usually addressed on the website for the internship application. Some internships also include a travel allowance to help with your transportation to the research site.
In many years, we have had 6–12 biology students doing off-campus internships each summer. They have worked at many different institutions and had a wide variety of experiences. In recent years, students have worked at Michigan State University, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, the University of Notre Dame, the Van Andel Institute, Wayne State University, and many others.
First, contact the Biology Department chair to discuss the details of your position and formalize the requirements for earning credit for it. Then, you will need to complete the BIOL 385 enrollment form and submit it to the department chair, who will submit it to the registrar to formally enroll you in BIOL 385 during the appropriate term.