15 STEM Internships for Undergraduates in New York

If you’re a college student, you can benefit a lot from doing an internship. Internships help you build practical skills, understand workplace expectations, and explore what a career in your chosen field looks like day to day. You’ll get to explore what it’s like to work in a professional setting and strengthen your resume. Internship experience makes you a more competitive candidate when applying for jobs or graduate programs. Internships help you explore different career paths, so you can figure out what you enjoy and what you don’t before making a long-term commitment.

Why should I do a STEM internship in college?

Participating in a STEM internship allows you to apply what you learn in class to professional work. You might help with research projects, build software, assist in labs, analyze data, or help with engineering designs. Doing an internship can help you build your professional portfolio, gain references, and prepare to talk about your skills in interviews. These experiences help you strengthen your communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management skills. Whether you’re interested in engineering, biology, computer science, math, or other technical fields, a STEM internship will help you figure out which roles suit you best.

Below, we have listed 15 STEM internships for undergraduates in New York that offer practical experience.

1. Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Pediatrics Summer Internship

Location: Remote, hybrid, or in person at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; around 20 interns
Dates: Internships run for either 6 or 10 weeks between June 1 and August 7
Application Deadline: January 5
Eligibility: Medical students at Weill Cornell and other institutions, current undergraduates, college graduates, and high school juniors or seniors

The Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Pediatrics Summer Internship gives students exposure to pediatric medicine and healthcare research. It matches you with mentors based on your interests to learn about different career paths in pediatrics. You can work on projects in areas such as preterm brain development, the microbiome and HIV in children, chronic kidney disease and anemia, neonatal infections, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, epilepsy, adolescent reproductive health, heart muscle cell research, medical education, behavioral health, quality improvement, patient safety, finance and operations, the Health for Life Program, gender health, advocacy, and health policy. The internship provides the tools needed to complete assigned work, structured supervision, and aims to build interest in careers in pediatric medicine.

2. Ladder University Internship Program

Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25%; 70–100 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts run throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort; Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: Undergraduates and gap year students who can work for 10–20 hours/week for 8–12 weeks

Ladder University Internship Program is a selective, fully virtual experience where you’ll work with startups and nonprofits across different industries around the world. You’ll build a personal project connected to the organization’s goals, complete smaller assignments, and present your final work to the board. A startup manager, a Ladder Coach, and a company coach will help you while working on a real project the organization needs. You can choose fields such as software engineering, tech, consulting, finance, media and journalism, mental health, nonprofit work, and environmental science. The program will help you gain professional experience and develop both technical and soft skills. Apply now!

3. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program

Location: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Stipend: $7,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; around 20 students
Dates: June 8 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: Full-time college sophomores and juniors in the U.S. 

The Undergraduate Research Program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory allows you to work on real projects in active research labs. You’ll learn lab techniques and scientific theory, join an ongoing study, and share your results with other scientists. Research areas include neuroscience, genetics and genomics, molecular biology and cancer, plant biology, and quantitative biology. You’ll also attend seminars, workshops, and community events. Workshops cover topics such as research ethics, Python programming, and career development. At the end of the summer, you’ll present at the URP Symposium. You’ll live and work alongside CSHL scientists, attend a dinner with CSHL President Bruce Stillman, and join lab social events, learning what a research career involves.

4. Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at Columbia University

Location: Hybrid; Columbia University, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,000; travel reimbursement, and a $350 meal subsidy
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 80 scholars per site
Dates: June 5 – July 17
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: College freshmen and sophomores with no more than 90 credits and at least a 2.5 GPA are eligible to apply if they are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or have DACA status

SHPEP at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is a six-week program for students planning to enter health professions like medicine, nursing, dentistry, or physical therapy. You’ll follow an integrated science curriculum designed to prepare you for health professions school and complete intensive coursework, labs, career development classes, learning skills sessions, and wellness seminars. During the in-person weeks, you’ll take part in clinical experiences in your chosen track, based on clearance from Student Health on Haven, and use simulation-based tools. You’ll also practice clinical reasoning with Body Interact, a virtual patient simulator that presents realistic cases where you’ll respond to changing symptoms and lab results in a safe setting.

5. Pathways into Quantitative Aging Research (PQAR) Summer Program at NYU

Location: NYU School of Global Public Health, New York, NY
Stipend: $5,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 12 students 
Dates: June 8 – July 17
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: Current undergraduates or recent college graduates who are US citizens or non-citizen permanent residents

In this internship, you’ll take part in small group projects, classes, seminars, and site visits to public health organizations in New York City, as well as complete responsible conduct of research training. You’ll learn quantitative and qualitative research methods, receive GRE prep, and build skills for graduate study. You’ll work on projects related to aging, including Alzheimer’s research, and use statistical and computational tools to analyze data. You’ll also study topics like cognitive decline, psychological distress, behavioral health, well-being, and the long-term impact of social factors on mental health. After the summer, you’ll stay involved through monthly journal clubs and mentoring, with the option to return in January and attend conferences with funding support.

6. NYU Grossman School of Medicine Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences’ Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)

Location: New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
Stipend: $5,000 + free housing + reimbursement for round-trip travel expenses
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; around 30 students
Dates: May 31 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Undergraduates who have finished their sophomore or junior year, completed at least one semester of bench lab research, and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents

The Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences runs a Summer Undergraduate Research Program for students who are interested in biomedical research. It matches you with a lab based on your interests and the availability of mentors. Research areas include fields such as cell biology, immunology, neuroscience, epidemiology, molecular pharmacology, stem cell biology, and biomedical imaging. You’ll spend most of your time conducting research with your mentor. You’ll also attend journal clubs, seminars, lunch sessions with scientists or physicians, and optional social events. At the program’s end, you’ll present your work at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium and to the NYU Langone research community.

7. Chemers Neustein Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at The Rockefeller University

Location: Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Stipend: $6,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; around 25 students
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: College sophomores and juniors majoring in the life or physical sciences

The Chemers Neustein Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at The Rockefeller University is a paid 10-week lab program for college sophomores and juniors. You’ll be placed in a lab through the Dean’s Office based on your research interests and work with postdocs, faculty, or senior graduate students on a supervised project. Research areas include biochemistry, immunology, structural biology and chemistry, neuroscience, molecular and cell biology, physics, developmental biology, microbiology, virology, and mathematical biology. You’ll join a faculty lecture series on research and career paths, attend weekly Journal Club meetings to present and discuss scientific papers, and present your project at a final poster session.

8. The Weill Cornell Medicine Summer Research Fellowship (WCMSRF)

Location: Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
Stipend: $3,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 25–27 students
Dates: June 15 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: College juniors, seniors applying to medical school in the current cycle, and graduates enrolled in a pre-medical post-baccalaureate program; U.S. citizens and permanent residents

In this fellowship, you’ll work on a lab or clinical research project with a faculty mentor, learn how to investigate a specific research question, and build skills you can use in medical school. The curriculum covers public health topics such as care for uninsured patients, basics of research, healthcare disparities, financial aid, and advice on the medical school application process and MCAT preparation. You’ll join career panels with physicians from fields like neurology, ophthalmology, primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, surgery, radiology, and internal medicine. You’ll attend a panel discussion where admissions deans from New York medical schools will discuss what medical schools look for in applicants. You might also get an opportunity to shadow a physician.

9. Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)

Location: Multiple DOE laboratories/facilities, including Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY
Stipend: $650/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 80–100+ interns per lab
Dates: Spring: January – May (16 weeks); Fall: August – December (16 weeks);  Summer: May – August (10 weeks)
Application Deadline: Spring: October 1; Fall: May 20; Summer: January 7
Eligibility: Full-time students at accredited community colleges and two- or four-year institutions, as well as recent undergraduate graduates; at least 18 years old, have completed at least 6 STEM credits and 12 total undergraduate credits; minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale; U.S. citizens or permanent residents

In this program, you’ll become part of a team at the United States Department of Energy and work at one of its national laboratories. You’ll build your skills using advanced facilities and scientific instruments while working on a focused research project. A scientist or engineer will mentor you and guide your work in a specific research area connected to the DOE mission. You can take part in a 10-week summer program or a 16-week semester program. Along with research, you’ll join lab tours and seminars, attend workshops on technical writing and presentations, and complete any required site-specific training provided by the host laboratory.

10. Mechanistic Biology Summer Program (MBSP)

Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Stipend: $6,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 10 students
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Domestic and international undergraduate sophomores and juniors; at least a 3.0 GPA; must have taken advanced science courses, completed general biology, or introductory chemistry

The Mechanistic Biology Summer Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Gerstner School of Biomedical Sciences is for undergraduates interested in biomedical research careers. You’ll join a research lab and work with faculty in areas like immunology, cell biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, structural biology, and cancer biology. You’ll interact with faculty, graduate students, and postdocs, and attend scientific talks and professional development workshops. Research topics include cancer genetics, genomics, animal models of disease, immunology, stem cell biology, pharmacology, and therapeutics. The program ends with a summer research symposium where you’ll present your work.

11. Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Food Science Summer Scholars Program

Location: Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ithaca, NY
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; approximately 20–30 students
Dates: 10 weeks between June and August
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: Undergraduate sophomores and juniors, including international students studying full-time at a U.S. institution with a valid F-1 or J-1 visa

The Food Science Summer Scholars Program is a ten-week undergraduate research program at Cornell University for students interested in food science. You’ll conduct research with guidance from a Cornell faculty mentor. You’ll explore key topics like ethics in food science, applying to graduate school, product development, and how to learn from research. You’ll meet professionals from industry, government, and academia, learn about career paths in food science, and present your research to faculty and peers. Research areas include dairy science, enology, flavor science, food chemistry, food fermentation, food microbiology, food processing and engineering, food safety, food sensory science, and food toxicology.

12. The LifeSci NYC Internship Program

Location: Various host companies across New York City's five boroughs
Stipend: At least $17/hour; most positions pay $18 per hour or more
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 160+ students every year
Dates: Academic year internships: September – May (dates and duration are fixed by the host and intern); Summer internships: 10 weeks between late May and early August
Application Deadline: Rolling through August 31
Eligibility: Students who are 18 or older and enrolled at a New York City college or university; New York City residents attending any college; applicants must have TPS, be U.S. citizens or permanent residents (including DACA recipients), or hold a visa that permits internship participation without sponsorship; minimum 3.0 CGPA

The LifeSci NYC Internship Program is a paid opportunity for undergraduates and graduate students interested in life sciences. You are selected based on your coursework and interest, and the program matches you with companies for available roles in science, business, or tech. You can complete a 10-week summer internship or a part-time role during the academic year. You’ll take part in a multi-day training on professional and technical skills, as well as site visits to companies such as Pfizer and networking events with industry leaders and alumni. Past interns have built valuation models, run lab experiments at groups like Genspace, and helped draft patent documents.

13. Cornell Cardiac Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Program

Location: Cornell NanoScale Facility (CNF), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Stipend: $6,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 5 students 
Dates: June 2 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Cornell undergraduates and students from other U.S. colleges 

In this program, you’ll study how the heart grows, functions, develops disease, and repairs itself, as well as learn engineering approaches used in cardiac research. You’ll work in a lab with a researcher, run experiments, train in research methods, analyze data, and prepare a formal presentation. You’ll meet regularly with your mentor and faculty sponsor and join other summer programs on campus for career development, networking, and community activities. Projects may include ventricular morphogenesis, nuclear mechanotransduction in muscle cells, LMNA-related dilated cardiomyopathy, two-photon microscopy in the beating heart, noninvasive heart injury monitoring, spatial transcriptomics of heart development, and evaluation of ventricular cannulas.

14. Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research (iCORE) Training Program at Mount Sinai

Location: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; small cohort sizes
Dates: 9 weeks from June to early August
Application Deadline: February 17
Eligibility: Students enrolled at a U.S.-accredited college or university who have completed at least one full year of undergraduate study; community or junior college students can also apply if they have finished one year and are taking at least three courses each term

The Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research iCORE Training Program is a nine-week summer program for undergraduates, medical students, post-baccalaureate students, and graduate students. It is run by the Department of Emergency Medicine, the Institute for Health Equity Research, and the Center for Nursing Research and Innovation. The program combines classroom learning with hands-on clinical research training. You’ll work with a mentor on a clinical research study and help with literature reviews, database management, study design, data collection, data analysis, and writing abstracts and scientific reports. The program includes weekly sessions, an in-person orientation, and a final presentation. You can also participate in optional workshops in ultrasound, suturing, and simulation to gain broader clinical exposure.

15. Gateways to the Laboratory Undergraduate Summer Program

Location: Weill Cornell Medicine, The Rockefeller University, or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Stipend: $5,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 7.5% acceptance; 15 students
Dates: 9 weeks, starting on June 1
Application Deadline: Early February
Eligibility: College freshmen or sophomores who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will be at least 18 years old by the program’s start 

In this program, you’ll live and study in New York City, learn about the rewards and challenges of becoming a physician-scientist, and receive guidance from a current MD PhD student. You’ll complete an independent research project at Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, or The Rockefeller University. You’ll shadow physicians at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital during select sessions, join clinical skills and professional development workshops, and volunteer in a community outreach program. You’ll also take part in weekly journal clubs and present your research through oral and poster presentations at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium and the final Gateways Symposium.

Image source - Weill Cornell Medicine logo