Internships
Academics / Departments & Programs / Biology / Student Experience / Internships
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.
Related pages
How do I find an off-campus internship or research experience?
- Talk with your professors and advisor about opportunities in their fields.
- Watch the biology department summer research bulletin boards on the first and second floors of DeVries Hall for postings of summer research internship opportunities.
- Look for email announcements from the biology department internship coordinator (Professor David Koetje).
- 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 offers 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, as well as potentially housing, meals, and travel expenses.
Application deadlines
The time to begin applying for summer off-campus research opportunities begins in November. 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 internship coordinator (Professor David Koetje) to discuss the specifics of your internship and determine whether or not it could qualify for credit from Calvin.
Internship opportunities
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Biomedical sciences
- 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)
- Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Fellowship Program (Maine)
- 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 Georgia Population Biology of Infectious Diseases Research Experience for Undergraduates (Georgia)
- University of Iowa College of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Medical Scientist Training Research Program (Iowa)
- 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)
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Cellular and molecular biology
- Boyce Thompson Institute Undergraduate Research Internship (New York)
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program (New York)
- Cornell University Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Summer Research Experience for Undergradautes (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)
- Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Fellowship Program (Maine)
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship (Maryland)
- University of Alabama-Birmingham Summer in Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program (Alabama)
- University of California at Berkeley Research Experience for Undergraduates: Integrating Biology from Molecules to Ecosystems (California)
- University of Georgia Population Biology of Infectious Diseases Research Experience for Undergraduates (Georgia)
- 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)
- Computational biology
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Conservation biology
- 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)
- University of Georgia Population Biology of Infectious Diseases Research Experience for Undergraduates (Georgia)
- University of Michigan Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (Ann Arbor, MI)
- Developmental biology
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Ecology and Environmental Science
- 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 California at Berkeley Research Experience for Undergraduates: Integrating Biology from Molecules to Ecosystems (California)
- University of Florida Wildlife Ecology Study Abroad Program (Swaziland, Africa)
- University of Kansas Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates (Kansas)
- University of Michigan Biological Station Research Opportunities (Pellston, MI)
- University of Michigan Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (Ann Arbor, 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)
-
Evolutionary biology
- 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)
- University of California at Berkeley Research Experience for Undergraduates: Integrating Biology from Molecules to Ecosystems (California)
- University of Kansas Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates (Kansas)
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Genetics
- Boyce Thompson Institute Undergraduate Research Internship (New York)
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program (New York)
- Cornell University Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Summer Research Experience for Undergradautes (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)
-
Marine biology
- 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)
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Microbiology
- 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)
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Neuroscience
- 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)
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Paleontology and archaeology
- ArchaeoTek Archaeological Techniques and Research Center (Romania)
- Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park (Nebraska)
- Mammoth Site Summer Internships (South Dakota)
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Physiology
- 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)
-
Plant biology
- 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)
-
Zoology
- 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)
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