15 STEM Internships for Undergraduates in Tennessee
Internships are one of the most valuable experiences that you can pursue during your undergraduate years. By participating in internships, you can strengthen your resume, gain practical experience in your field of interest, and develop professional skills that improve your employability after graduation. That’s why many students actively search for STEM internships where they can work with leading universities, research labs, and technology-driven organizations. These programs allow you to collaborate with professionals, contribute to real research projects, and gain insights into STEM careers.
Why should I do a STEM internship in college?
A STEM internship allows you to move beyond theory and apply your academic knowledge in practical settings. Through STEM internships for undergraduates in Tennessee, you can gain hands-on research experience, develop technical skills, and learn how professionals approach real-world scientific or engineering challenges. These internships often provide mentorship from experienced scientists, engineers, and researchers who can guide you as they explore potential career paths.
To make your search easier, we’ve curated a list of some of the best STEM internships for undergraduates in Tennessee, highlighting opportunities that offer meaningful research, mentorship, and professional development.
If you want to see what STEM internships are available in other states, find a list of STEM internships in California here & Arizona here.
1. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) STEM Internship Program
Location: Tennessee Valley Authority - Multiple locations across Tennessee
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by department
Dates: May-August
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Undergraduate students pursuing degrees in engineering, environmental science, computer science, or related STEM fields
The Tennessee Valley Authority STEM Internship Program helps you gain practical experience working in energy, environmental science, engineering, and information technology. You collaborate with TVA professionals on projects related to energy production, sustainability initiatives, and infrastructure systems. You may assist with engineering analyses, environmental assessments, or technology-driven solutions that support the organization’s energy operations. This STEM internship for undergraduates in Tennessee emphasizes teamwork and professional development through mentorship and collaborative project work.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost/Stipend: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company.
3. Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
Location: Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Cost/Stipend: Stipend provided; housing allowance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 100-200 interns across participating labs
Dates: May-August
Application Deadline: Summer - January | Fall - May | Spring - September
Eligibility: Undergraduate students with 6 credit hours completed in STEM fields and minimum 12 total undergraduate credit hours and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0
This STEM internship program offers you the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research projects in fields such as physics, materials science, engineering, and computational science. You collaborate with laboratory scientists and engineers, gaining experience in advanced research environments and learning how national laboratories operate. Students may participate in experiments, data analysis, and computational modeling while contributing to ongoing scientific initiatives.
4. University of Tennessee Health Science Center – Summer Research Scholars Program
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Cost/Stipend: Stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 20 students
Dates: Eight weeks, June and July
Application Deadline: Feb 28
Eligibility: Undergraduate students majoring in STEM fields with minimum 3.0 GPA in science courses
SRS is an eight‐week STEM program designed to help undergraduate students gain research experience in the College of Graduate Health Sciences. Students are matched with UTHSC faculty and spend the eight weeks learning about real‐world research protocols, enhancing biomedical information and retrieval skills, and designing scientific abstracts, among other things. You participate in scientific presentation and abstract writing workshops, learn about real-world research protocols, and explore research opportunities in epidemiology, biomedical engineering, nursing science, and other subjects. You also work with faculty mentors on projects related to medicine, pharmacology, and clinical research, learn research design, laboratory techniques, and data analysis, while exploring careers in healthcare and medical research.
5. Meharry Medical College Summer Research Internship
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Stipend: $7000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 15–25 interns
Dates: June 1-August 7
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Undergraduate students majoring in STEM fields such as physics, engineering, computer science, or mathematics
The Meharry Medical College Summer Research Internship focuses on biomedical research and public health topics. Students work with faculty mentors on cutting-edge research while learning to apply computational and data-intensive approaches in research. You will spend the first two weeks in training and instruction, followed by eight weeks of team research. You work with faculty researchers on projects related to healthcare disparities, laboratory research, and clinical science. You participate in field trips, virtual discussions, and expert sessions. Throughout the program, you develop and strengthen your research skills while gaining exposure to medical and public health careers.
6. SMaRT Internship Program – University of Tennessee & Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Location: University of Tennessee, Knoxville + Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN
Cost/Stipend: Paid, $700 per week + housing + travel allowance provided
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: ~40 interns
Program Dates: 10 weeks in summer
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Undergraduate students (rising sophomores–seniors); U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The SMaRT Internship allows you to work on interdisciplinary research projects linked to national lab priorities, such as energy systems, materials science, and data-driven engineering. The program places you with both university faculty and Oak Ridge researchers, so your work spans academic and federal lab environments. Your schedule is structured around full-time research, with additional sessions on scientific writing, presentations, and graduate school preparation. You also interact with teams working on large-scale research infrastructure, which gives you exposure to how collaborative science operates beyond a single lab. The experience ends with formal research outputs like posters or presentations.
7. Aspirnaut Summer Research Internship – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Location: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Cost/Stipend: $6,500
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: ~10–15 interns
Program Dates: May 25 – August 1
Application Deadline: Mid-January
Eligibility: Undergraduate students (rising sophomores–seniors), GPA ~3.0+, U.S. citizens or permanent residents
You work full-time in a biomedical research lab focused on renal biology and disease, where you design experiments, analyze data, and contribute to a defined research question. The program is structured as a 40-hour work week in the lab, along with additional seminars, faculty interactions, and training sessions that extend beyond lab work. You will be paired with a mentor and expected to participate actively in lab meetings and scientific discussions. Throughout the program, you develop a research project from initial question to final output. The experience concludes with both oral and poster presentations, often tied to a national research symposium. You take ownership of a single research project over 10 weeks and present your findings in formal scientific settings.
8. Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering Internship
Location: Vanderbilt University - Nashville, Tennessee
Cost/Stipend: ~$7,000 stipend + housing, meals, and travel support (travel allowance typically included)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 10-15 interns
Dates: May 24-July 30
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Undergraduate students in STEM fields; must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE) focuses on interdisciplinary nanoscale research at the interface of biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Participants work on projects offered by more than 40 faculty participants from Vanderbilt's School of Engineering, College of Arts and Science, and School of Medicine. They offer opportunities in nanotechnology, materials science, and semiconductor engineering. You can choose what to work on from a list of 30 available projects based on your interests. You get the opportunity to work with faculty researchers and graduate students, undergo training for writing and presentations, and participate in a field trip to Oak Ridge National Laboratory. You also gain hands-on experience with nanoscale materials and advanced laboratory instruments while developing research and analytical skills.
9. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - STEM Research Summer Internship
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Cost/Stipend: Stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 10-15 interns
Dates: June-July
Application Deadline: 30 January
Eligibility: Undergraduate students majoring in STEM fields such as physics, engineering, computer science, or mathematics
The STEM Research Summer Internship at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga allows you to assist faculty members with research in disciplines such as biology, chemistry, engineering, and computer science. You work alongside faculty mentors conducting experiments, analyzing research data, and contributing to scientific studies. You will work for 20 hours each week for 8 weeks with a UTC faculty member in a STEM department to assist with their research. You also collaborate with faculty to produce conference presentations or research papers. At the end of the internship, the SRSI and faculty members must prepare either an academic conference paper or peer reviewed journal article to disseminate their findings.
10. FedEx Data Science Internship
Location: FedEx, Memphis, TN
Cost/Stipend: $25/hour (undergraduate) / $30/hour (graduate); $2,000 relocation stipend for qualifying interns
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; multiple openings across departments
Dates: June 8-August 14
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Currently enrolled, majoring in Computer Science, Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics
FedEx, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, offers a 10-week summer internship program for undergraduates and graduate students interested in data science, generative AI, and machine learning. As an intern, you’ll work on meaningful projects with mentorship from senior FedEx team members. There are networking events, an executive speaker series, service projects, and tours of major FedEx facilities. You work on real projects involving large language models, big data, and AI algorithms, gaining experience that directly impacts FedEx's business operations and customer experience. You also participate in networking events, community service activities, and professional development programming.
11. Eastman Chemical Company Engineering Internship
Location: Eastman headquarters, Kingsport, TN
Cost/Stipend: Competitive hourly pay, housing support; travel reimbursement; health care access with no premium deductions
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 100+ students per year across all Eastman sites nationally
Dates: Summer (12 weeks)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Pursuing bachelor's or master's in chemical, electrical, mechanical, civil, or materials engineering from an ABET-accredited program
Each year, over 100 students participate in Eastman's University Relations programs across multiple disciplines, including chemical, electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering. You work on real engineering projects with real cost savings, see their projects implemented in an industrial setting, and receive housing support, travel reimbursement, and competitive pay (~$27/hour average). The collaborative environment includes mentoring, coaching, networking events, and access to Employee Resource Groups.
12. Berkeley Pharmatech Remote Medical Research Internship - Virtual
Location: Virtual (fully remote, work from home, U.S. residents only)
Cost/Stipend: Equity compensation in a startup company
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 26-August 14
Application Deadline: April 10
Eligibility: You must be pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any area of biology and/or journalism with relevant subject matter expertise/experience
Berkeley Pharmatech's Remote Medical Research Internship is a 15-week, part-time program for undergraduate students interested in learning about biotechnology research. You join a small team of students from across the country and work on research projects that connect directly to real biotech products. The program includes flexible scheduling, training, and the option to earn college credit. You also gain experience in areas such as project management and genetics while working with industry experts. At the end of the program, you’ll receive a letter of recommendation.
13. Texas A&M Online Research Experience for Undergraduates (O-REU)
Location: Virtual (fully remote, work from home, U.S. residents only)
Cost/Stipend: Paid $5,000 for summer participation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 27-July 31
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: U.S. citizens and permanent residents pursuing bachelor's degrees; priority given to sophomores and juniors in the south-central U.S. states; 40 hours per week commitment
This fully remote program focuses on materials science and engineering research. As a student, you’ll work with faculty mentors on projects in computational and data science. The program includes online training sessions, professional development webinars, and programming workshops from the Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing Center. You’ll also get guidance on graduate school applications and fellowships. While the work is done online, the program provides travel support for one site visit.
14. UCLA SPUR (Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $4,000–$5,000 for 8–10 weeks
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June-August
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Upper division undergraduates; some programs have special requirements (e.g., diversity-focused, neuroscience, biosciences, public health)
UCLA’s SPUR (Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research) offers multiple research-focused internships that pair you with faculty mentors for full-time summer research. You’ll work on independent or collaborative projects in fields like biosciences, genomics, neuroscience, public health, and more. Some tracks offer remote or hybrid formats. You’re expected to produce a final research paper or poster and present your findings. Most programs include seminars on writing, research methods, graduate school preparation, and funding opportunities.
15. Aspirnaut™ Undergraduate Discovery Science Experience in Renal Biology and Disease, Vanderbilt University
Location: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Cost/Stipend: Stipend, $650/week stipend (up to ~$6,500)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: ~10–15 students
Program Dates: May 25–August 1
Application Deadline: January
Eligibility: Rising undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors with GPA ≥3.0; must have completed biology and chemistry coursework; U.S. citizens or permanent residents
In this STEM program, you join a biomedical research lab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and work full-time on a defined project in renal biology and disease. You will be involved in designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The experience follows a structured research workflow, with regular lab meetings, mentor discussions, and exposure to guest speakers. Alongside lab work, you will participate in training sessions focused on scientific communication, career planning, and professional development. You work full-time in a research lab for ~40 hours/week, contributing to an active biomedical project and presenting your findings at the end of the program.
Image source - Oak Ridge National Laboratory logo