10 STEM Internships for Undergraduates in Vermont
Internships give you the chance to apply what you’ve learned in class to real-world scenarios, whether that means analyzing data, collecting samples in the field, building models, or supporting ongoing research projects. Along the way, you’ll build technical skills, professional confidence, and experiences that make your resume stand out when applying for jobs or graduate programs. For students pursuing STEM fields, internships are particularly valuable because they reveal how scientific ideas translate into practical work across industries like environmental science, engineering, healthcare, agriculture, and technology. Vermont offers a range of these opportunities, especially through universities, research centers, conservation organizations, and state agencies working on real scientific challenges.
If you’re interested in looking for STEM offerings from other states, check out Arkansas’ offering here!
Why should I do a STEM internship in college?
A STEM internship allows you to move beyond lectures and textbooks and see how research, analysis, and problem-solving happen in real professional environments. These experiences allow you to work with scientific equipment and datasets, collaborate with research teams, and present findings. You may also get to discover new interests, research pathways, or graduate study goals through STEM internships. STEM internships also give you concrete projects and professional references that strengthen both job applications and graduate school admissions.
To help you focus your search, we’ve curated a list of 10 STEM internships for undergraduates in Vermont. These programs emphasize hands-on learning, mentorship, and meaningful project work.
10 STEM Internships for Undergraduates in Vermont
1. Vermont EPSCoR SOCKS Undergraduate Internships
Location: University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Stipend: $5,000 + Up to $1,500 travel support
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: May 25 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 4
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled in a college or university with a strong interest in a career in a STEM or social science field
The SOCKS Undergraduate Internship places you within an interdisciplinary research initiative focused on how stories can be studied using computational methods. You’ll work with research teams exploring questions tied to data collection, natural language processing, large language models, and the broader digital humanities. You’ll also contribute to open-ended projects that are part of a larger NSF-funded research program, meaning you’ll gain experience with research design, analysis, and collaborative problem-solving in a setting that extends beyond typical coursework. Throughout the internship, you’ll also engage with the professional side of research through team discussion, writing, and presentation. The experience concludes with a symposium presentation and a formal research paper.
2. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; Financial aid offered
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort
Eligibility: Undergraduates who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks
Ladder University Internship Program is a selective, virtual internship program where you’ll work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries, including STEM, AI/ML, health tech, business, economics, and more. As part of your internship, you will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup you are working with, and present your work at the end of your internship. You’ll also work closely with your manager at the startup. Apply here!
3. VTSGC Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
Location: Vermont college or university with faculty mentorship; Administered through UVM/VTSGC
Stipend: $6,000 + up to $1,000 for research-related travel
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: June – May (year-long)
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: U.S. citizens enrolled full-time in an undergraduate program within a STEM discipline at a Vermont college or university
This STEM internship for undergraduates in Vermont supports undergraduates conducting a substantial research project under faculty mentorship in an area connected to NASA priorities. As a participant, you will be expected to take ownership of the project from the planning stage onward, which means the internship emphasizes independence as much as technical skill development. Depending on your academic background, the work may relate to aerospace-adjacent engineering, remote sensing, physics, environmental monitoring, computing, or another STEM area that connects to the program’s focus. In addition to carrying out the research itself, you’ll also gain experience shaping a proposal, defining objectives, and working toward a meaningful outcome. Its year-long structure sets it apart from many undergraduate internships, giving you more time to develop a deeper project with stronger results.
4. UVM Institute for Agroecology: Agroecology Extension (AX) Summer Research Fellowship
Location: UVM Horticulture and Research Center, Burlington, VT
Stipend: $4,500
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 10-week summer program
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Undergraduates from across the U.S.
The AX Summer Research Fellowship combines applied agricultural research with outreach, fieldwork, and broader learning about agroecological systems. As a fellow, you will be matched with mentors working on projects in areas such as pest management, sustainable cropping systems, ecological landscape design, berry and fruit production, or environmental science. Much of the work takes place in real agricultural settings, so you’ll learn through direct engagement with farms, research sites, and extension-oriented projects. In addition to research tasks, the internship also puts focus on outreach skills and helps you understand how scientific findings are communicated to growers and communities. Site visits around Vermont expand the experience beyond a single lab or farm, exposing you to a wider range of agricultural environments and practices.
5. ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain: STEM Education Paid Internship
Location: ECHO, Burlington, VT
Stipend: $16.00/hour
Cohort Size: 2 positions
Dates: June 3 – August 19 (some flexibility is available)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students seeking or having completed a degree in a science or education field
This internship gives you direct experience facilitating STEM learning in a public-facing museum environment. You’ll work with ECHO’s Public Programs Team to support hands-on educational activities for visitors of different ages and backgrounds, often using the Engineering Design Process as a framework. This internship is centered on informal science education, which means you will be helping guests engage with science through experiments, questions, and active participation. You’ll also assist with preparing materials, resetting activity spaces, and contributing to the day-to-day operation of educational programming. In addition, you will work with staff to improve existing programs, giving you insight into how science experiences are designed, tested, and refined.
6. Vermont Center for Ecostudies: Core Conservation Internship
Location: White River Junction, VT, with field sites across Vermont and New Hampshire
Stipend: $16/hour
Cohort Size: 4 interns total across pathways
Dates: June 16 – August 21
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Undergraduates and early-career ecologists; Prior experience welcomed but not required
The Core Conservation Internship immerses you in wildlife and conservation work carried out by scientists at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. As an intern, you will contribute to ongoing research and monitoring projects while gaining exposure to field science, collaborative workflows, and the practical side of conservation work. Depending on your focus area, you may assist with species distribution modeling, biodiversity-related data analysis, songbird and insect field sampling, pollinator research, or broader public engagement efforts. You also gain experience working across different research settings, from office-based analysis to remote field sites and interactions with external collaborators. Team-based experiences, including shared field responsibilities and exposure to partner organizations, add another layer of professional development.
7. Lake Champlain Sea Grant: Watershed Educator Internship
Location: Watershed Alliance, Burlington, VT
Stipend: $15/hour or 1-2 internship credits
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Spring: Late February/early March – End of semester; Fall: Late August – Early November
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Undergraduate students interested in environmental science, watershed science, and working with K-12 students
The Watershed Educator Internship trains you to teach K-12 students about water resources and watershed science through field-based and classroom programming. Early in the experience, you’ll build content knowledge in stream ecology, lake ecology, watershed processes, and inquiry-based science teaching. You’ll continue the internship by then applying those skills by leading educational experiences on research vessels, at stream sites, and in school settings across the region. Working as part of a cohort creates a collaborative experience, since you learn and teach alongside other students with similar interests.
8. University of Vermont: CEMS Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
Location: University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Stipend: $6,000
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Summer placements
Application Deadline: January 19 – March 2
Eligibility: Full-time CEMS undergraduate juniors, seniors, and exceptional sophomores at the University of Vermont
The CEMS Research Experience for Undergraduates allows you to pursue a faculty-mentored project in engineering, mathematics, computer science, or another related technical field within the college. You’ll begin by identifying a faculty member whose research aligns with your interests and then shape a project that fits within that broader research area. That process gives the internship a more independent feel than programs where you are simply assigned routine tasks. Over the course of the experience, you will work closely with a mentor while building familiarity with research methods, scholarly inquiry, and the way technical projects are handled. You can bring your own ideas or join a faculty-defined topic. In some cases, the results can lead to conference presentations or publication-ready outcomes.
9. UVM Food Systems Research Center: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
Location: University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Stipend: $4,500 stipend + up to $1,500 in research expenses
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: May 18 – August 7
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: University of Vermont undergraduate students
This STEM internship for undergraduates in Vermont supports undergraduate research on food systems issues that matter to Vermont and the broader Northeast. Projects can focus on areas such as pest management, food safety, farming systems, supply chains, food equity, diet-related questions, or environmental sustainability in agriculture. You’ll work closely with UVM researchers while learning how to investigate complex problems that sit at the intersection of science, policy, and community life. The experience also encourages you to think across disciplines, especially when food systems questions involve ecological, social, and economic dimensions at the same time. Along the way, you’ll complete the academic components connected to the SURF structure.
10. UVM Cancer Center: Summer Research Fellowship
Location: University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Stipend: Up to $4,000
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 8 weeks from June – August
Application Deadline: March 18
Eligibility: University of Vermont undergraduate students
The UVM Cancer Center Summer Research Fellowship introduces you to cancer-related research through mentored work in areas ranging from basic science to clinical and population-based studies. Depending on the project, you might engage with questions in pharmacology, surgery, pathology, radiation oncology, biochemistry, psychiatry, or another field connected to cancer research. You will work closely with a mentor and become part of an active research environment where the work is tied to ongoing scientific or medical questions. As the project develops, you also build skills in analysis, scientific communication, and navigating the expectations of a research team. The fellowship concludes with a poster session where you present your findings.
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