Post-Baccalaureate Research
Most summer and semester undergraduate research programs are targeted towards students who are still currently-enrolled in a college or university program and have not yet graduated. One of the reasons for this restricted is that many SURPs at universities with graduate programs are trying to attract and identify potential applicants for graduate school. By the time a senior has graduated, they may have already applied and been accepted to graduate programs, leaving universities little incentive to accept graduating seniors into their SURPs.
However, there are a few research opportunities that extend eligibility to graduating seniors and recent graduates. These are often referred to as "post-baccalaureate" programs since they are targeted at students who have earned their undergraduate degree. Most (but not all) of these opportunities are in the sciences (particularly biomedical sciences and public health). A few of these programs are listed below. You may be able to find out about additional opportunities in your particular field by talking to your advisor or a faculty research mentor or searching for "fellowships" or "opportunities" on the website of the scholarly/professional association for your field of study.
Post-Baccalaureate Opportunities:
American Association of Medical Colleges, Database of Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs
Description: A number of schools offer postbaccalaureate premedical programs to assist individuals to pursue a medical career after they have already received a Bachelor's degree. Programs may help students catch up with prerequisites or improve their GPA. This searchable database enables you to search according to program type and other program characteristics, including by state and institution.
Eligibility: Variable
Fields: Medicine
Funding: Variable
Length: 12-24 months
Deadline: Variable
APHL-CDC Environmental Public Health Lab Fellowship
Description: Fellows receive training in laboratory skills and methods and assist with high-priority environmental health testing, surveillance, and exposure assessment. Fellows gain an understanding of the public health laboratory system and how it relates to environmental health, exposure reduction, surveillance, and intervention. Location: Nationwide Fields: Public Health, Biology, Virology, Chemistry, Environmental Science Eligibility: Recent graduates and master's students; US citizen or permanent resident Funding: $39,000+ for the year Length: 1 year Deadline: Winter
Department of Energy Scholars Program
Description: The DOE Scholars Program introduce students or post-graduates to federal work in energy and nuclear security.
Locations: Nationwide, including DC metro area
Fields: Engineering, Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Information Technology, Physics, Business, Policy, Program Management, Mathematics, Statistics, Safety and Health, Accounting and Finance, Law, Communications and other related areas
Eligibility: Undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate of a U.S. accredited institute of higher education. U.S. citizen
Funding: Weekly stipends of $600+
Length: 10 weeks
Deadline: Mid-December
Maternal Child Health Careers/Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement - Undergraduate Program (MCHC/RISE-UP), Kennedy Krieger Institute
Description: The MCHC/RISE-UP Program provides opportunities for enhanced public health training to eliminate health disparities and promote health equity. Students will choose two public health leadership experiences at one of the research sites in the areas of Clinical/Community, Community Engagement and Advocacy, and Research.
Location: Baltimore, MD; other sites available in Sioux Falls, SD and Los Angeles, CA
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, seniors, and recent graduates; 2.7+ GPA; U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
Fields: Public Health, Nutrition, Psychology, Neurology, Speech/Language, Special Education, Social Work, Nursing, Physical and Occupational Therapy
Funding: $3,500
Length: 10 weeks Deadline: late January
National Institutes of Health Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships, Department of Bioethics
Description: Fellows conduct mentored conceptual and empirical research related to the ethics of health policy, human subjects research, international research ethics, genetics, or other bioethical topics of interest. Fellows participate in weekly bioethics seminars, case conferences, ethics consultations, and IRB deliberations, and have access to multiple educational opportunities at NIH.
Location: Bethesda, MD
Fields: Ethics, Philosophy, Law, Public Health, Political Science, Biology, Biomedical Engineering
Eligibility: Recent graduates; planning to pursue (or currently studying) MD, JH, or PhD
Funding: Full salary
Length: 2 years
Deadline: mid-January
National Institutes of Health Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (Postbac IRTA/CRTA)
Description: The NIH Postbac IRTA program provides recent college graduates who are planning to apply to graduate or professional school an opportunity to spend one or two years performing full-time research at the NIH. Postbac IRTAs/CRTAs work side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.
Location: Nationwide, including Bethesda, Baltimore, and Frederick, MD
Fields: Biomedicine
Eligibility: Graduated from college within last 3 years, US citizen or permanent resident, planning to apply to graduate school while working at the NIH
Funding: $29,100+
Length: 1-2 years
Deadline: 6 months before you wish to begin at NIH
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Postgraduate Research Program (NCTR), FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
Description: This program is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and allows recent postgraduates (postdoctoral, predoctoral, and postbaccalaurate) an opportunity to initiate and conduct independent or collaborative research that complements projects at the FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR). .
Location: Oak Ridge, TN
Fields: Toxicology, STEM
Eligibility: US citizen, permanent resident, or foreign national; have received a degree within three years
Funding: Not specified
Length: 1-3 years
Deadline: Variable
Ohio University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Description: Participants in the SURF program work in an active research laboratory under the guidance of a faculty member. Participants may receive credit in biology and an interview to Heritage College.
Location: Athens, OH
Fields: Biology, Medicine
Eligibility: Juniors, seniors, and recent graduates
Funding: Room and board
Length: 6 weeks
Deadline: Early February
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Internships
Description: AEI internships provide students with an opportunity to work with some of America's most renowned scholars, economists, legal scholars, political scientists, and foreign policy specialists doing research on current public policy questions.
Location: Washington, DC
Eligibility: 3.0+ GPA; undergraduate and graduate students, recent graduates
Fields: Economics; Law; Political Science; Foreign Policy; Public Policy; Defense Studies; Journalism; Marketing; Human resources; Information Systems; Publishing
Funding: Unpaid
Length: 4 months
Deadline: March for fall, September for winter, November for summer
Anthropology Internship Program, American Museum of Natural History
Description: Anthropology interns work on projects relating to the collections or to the ongoing research interests of the curatorial staff in the museum or in the field. The department's collections and research are focused on North American, Mexican/Central American and South American archaeology and ethnology; Asian, African and Pacific ethnology; and Biological Anthropology. In addition, internships are awarded in collections management, archives and conservation.
Location: New York, NY
Fields: Anthropology, Museum Studies, or related fields.
Eligibility: Varies
Funding: Varies
Length: Varies
Deadline: March for summer, August for fall, and September for spring
Arms Control Association Research Internship
Description: Interns are involved in many facets of ACA's work including: researching arms control and security issues for articles and fact sheets; assisting in preparing and editing ACA's monthly journal Arms Control Today; monitoring activity in the press and on Capitol Hill; and supporting the analysts in a variety of administrative tasks. Interns are encouraged to engage in substantive discussions with ACA analysts in order to gain a deeper understanding of the arms control field.
Location: Washington, D.C.
Eligibility: Undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates
Fields: Marketing and Communications; Journalism; Government, Political Science
Funding: Unpaid. However, the merit-based Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship may be available.
Length: 3-6 months
Deadline: November for spring, April for summer, July for fall
The Art Institute of Chicago Architecture and Design Research Internship
Description: Interns, working under the guidance of curators or department heads, assist in routine departmental work that ranges from special projects and research to clerical support.
Location: Chicago, IL
Fields: Graphic Design, Public Relations, Marketing, Communications, Architecture, Museum Studies, Human Resources, Photography, Art History, Arts Administration
Eligibility: Undergraduates and graduate students, recent graduates
Funding: Varies
Length: Varies
Deadline: See website
Brookings Institute
Description: The Brookings Institution is one of the world's leading think tanks, conducting in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving societal problems at the local, national and global levels. The mission of the Internship program is to provide students and recent graduates with a pre-professional, meaningful and practical work experience. Interns will have the opportunity to attend internal meetings, local think tank events, professional development workshops, and public Brookings events as well as participate on Brookings sports teams and network with other interns throughout the Institution.
Location: Washington, D.C.
Eligibility: varies
Fields: Economics, Foreign and Domestic Policy, Global Economy and Development, Government
Funding: May be paid, for academic credit, or externally sponsored
Length: 10-12 weeks
Deadline: July for fall, November for spring, March for summer
Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Description: Using highly focused visitor observations, interviews, and questionnaires, interns will collect and analyze data and report findings.
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Fields: Museum Studies, Graphic Design, Fund Development, Education, Arts Administration, Human Resources, Information Technology, Marketing
Eligibility: Varies
Funding: Varies
Length: Varies
Deadline: Varies
Institute for the Study of War
Description: The Institute for the Study of War advances an informed understanding of military affairs through reliable research, trusted analysis, and innovative education. Interns work on research projects related to conflict in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Russia-Ukraine, and Egypt, as well as counter-terrorism, or on projects supporting the operations of the Institute.
Location: Washington, DC
Fields: Military Science, Government, International Relations
Eligibility:
Funding: Unpaid
Length: Not specified
Deadline: See website
Metropolitan Museum of Art Internships for College and Graduate Students
Description: Based upon their academic training and interests, as well as the availability of projects, interns work in one of the Metropolitan's administrative areas—curatorial, education, conservation, administration, or library.
Location: New York, NY
Fields: Art History and Humanities
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students, recent graduates
Funding: Varies
Length: 10 weeks to 1 year
Deadline: Varies
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Internships
Description: Interns gain experience in a specific area of museum work and participate in professional development activities designed to increase understanding of the Museum's collections.
Location: New York, NY
Fields: Art History, Museum Studies, Photography, Education, Graphic Design, Marketing
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors, recent college graduates, graduate students, and beginning museum professionals
Funding: $3,500+
Length: 10-12 weeks
Deadline: February for summer, June for fall
Princeton University Art Museum Summer Internships
Description: Interns may work in one of the following departments: curatorial, education, development, information and technology, marketing, registrar, or publishing. Not all departments accept interns each summer, and interns are placed on the basis of their experience, academic training, and departmental needs.
Location: Princeton, NJ
Fields: Art History, Education, Marketing and Public Relations, Photography
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students
Funding: $13+ per hour
Length: 9 weeks
Deadline: late February
Smithsonian Institution
Description: Smithsonian internships are individualized learning experiences, guided by a mentor and with stated learning objectives. They are offered year-round in 19 museums and 9 research centers.
Location: Primarily Washington DC, plus 6 other US cites and 1 international site
Fields: History, Biology, Education, Business, Public Administration, Landscape Architecture, Geology, Computer Science, Astronomy, Physics, Museum Studies, Finance, Accounting, Environmental Studies, Museum Conservation, Art, Art History, Art Preservation, Anthropology, African American Studies, Native American Studies, Asian Studies, Science Education, Law, Graphic Design, Zoology, International Relations, Library Science, Museum Studies
Eligibility: Varies
Funding: Up to $600 per week. However, select scholarships for racial and ethnic minority students as well as those in financial need are available, including
the Katzenberger Foundation Art Internship Program for Art History students with financial need
Diversity Awards Program (Formerly) Minority Awards Program) Internship
Native American Awards Program Internship for Native American students interested in studying the Smithsonian's Native American resources
Length: Varies
Deadline: Varies depending on program and semester