Navigating Johns Hopkins University Summer Internship Programs: A Comprehensive Guide
Johns Hopkins University offers a variety of summer internship programs (SIPs) designed to provide undergraduate students with invaluable research experience in biomedical and public health fields. These programs aim to expand the talent pool in these critical areas, nurturing interest in public health professions among students from diverse backgrounds. This guide provides a detailed overview of the requirements, opportunities, and benefits of participating in these programs.
Introduction
Johns Hopkins University's summer internship programs offer immersive experiences for undergraduate students interested in biomedical and public health research. These programs not only provide hands-on research opportunities but also focus on professional development, helping students build critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. With various divisions and specialized programs, students can find an internship that aligns with their specific interests and career goals.
Diversity Summer Internship Program (DSIP)
Program Overview
The Diversity Summer Internship Program (DSIP) is an eight-week summer program designed to provide highly qualified undergraduates with a graduate-level research experience in the biomedical or public health field. The program is committed to expanding the talent pool for the public health field and nurturing interest in public health professions by students from diverse backgrounds. This includes individuals with disabilities, individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and first-generation students.
Eligibility and Application
Students enrolled in a four-year college or university are eligible to apply for DSIP. Applicants should have completed two years of study prior to beginning the program. Preference is given to students who have one or two years of undergraduate study remaining and seniors who have applied to a graduate program at the Bloomberg School.
Applications for Summer 2026 are now closed, and applications for Summer 2027 will open in Fall 2026. Leadership Alliance students must meet all internship eligibility requirements but are not required to complete a separate DSIP application. Students interested specifically in DSIP should indicate so in the Leadership Alliance essay. The program is only open to currently enrolled undergraduate students with one or two years remaining in their programs or recent graduates (those who have completed a bachelor's degree within the last two years) who have not yet been accepted or enrolled in a graduate program.
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Program Requirements
DSIP interns are required to work on a research project with their assigned mentors, complete weekly assignments along with a research paper, deliver a formal oral presentation, and participate in a culminating poster session. In addition, interns will participate in professional development seminars each week that focus on deepening their understanding of intercultural and values-based leadership.
Program Details
The eight-week program typically runs from May 31-July 27. All interns must be present in Baltimore, MD, to start the internship program on move-in day. Participants typically dedicate 35-40 hours/week to their biomedical or public health research.
Housing is provided for most students by the Diversity Summer Internship Program, typically located on or near the Homewood campus. A free shuttle service runs regularly between the Homewood campus and the Bloomberg School. Participants are advised not to bring their vehicles because parking is very limited. The cost for parking on a JHU campus for the summer is typically between $300-$400. The program stipend is $3,000.
Alumni Success
DSIP alumni are encouraged to apply for graduate studies at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Many DSIP alumni have become graduates of the school, contributing to various fields such as Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Health Policy and Management, Environmental Health and Engineering, and more.
Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Program Overview
The Summer Internship Program (SIP) provides experience in biomedical and/or public health research to students from a variety of backgrounds, including students from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in science and medicine, students from low-income/underserved backgrounds, and students with disabilities. SIP interns gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in research, scientific experimentation, and other scholarly investigations under the close guidance of faculty or research mentors.
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Internship Experience
Overall, SIP students can expect an experience similar to that of a first-year graduate student who does a three-month rotation in a laboratory (or out in the community) in order to become acquainted with a research project, investigative techniques, and fellow researchers working on that topic. Before arrival, each SIP intern receives several papers related to their specific research project. The goal of the project and its relationship to other work in the area will be discussed. Participants also receive training in the techniques necessary to conduct their research activity. The projects that SIP students take on provide students a sense of ownership of their work.
Besides daily interactions with others at the lab or project site, most teams have a more formal meeting once or twice a week to discuss research problems, work progress, and developments reported in the scientific literature. While the focus of each research site varies, all are composed of highly dedicated mentors who are fully devoted to the professional development, advancement, and success of our SIP scholars.
Program Details
SIP interns take part in a range of professional and career development activities, networking events, and research discussions. Interns can also present their work in oral or poster format at the conclusion of the program. The program runs approximately ten weeks, and student stipends range from $3,000 - $5,750.
This summer internship program requires a full-time commitment. It is not permissible to take academic classes or hold other employment during the internship.
SIP Divisions
There are multiple divisions of SIP, each providing a unique experience. Applying is free. Each branch of the Summer Internship Program is administered separately and supports different stipend levels, with some additional tailoring of program content to fit each division’s focus. Opportunities to spend the summer with us are continuously evolving.
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On top of an experience filled with substantive hands-on research, program activities include one-on-one mentorship from current graduate student mentors, journal club participation, and a range of professional development workshops and seminars on topics that include preparation for graduate studies and navigation of scientific careers.
BSI-SIP and NeuroSIP
In addition to the opportunities mentioned above, BSI-SIP has an affiliated sub-program focused on neuroscience. Summer interns in the NeuroSIP program are hosted in the laboratories of the Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute at Johns Hopkins (Kavli NDI).
All eligible students interested in biomedical research careers are encouraged to apply. All BSI-SIP applicants must have a demonstrated interest in the pursuit of graduate study toward a PhD or MDPhD degree. Applicants must have completed at least two years of college by the start of the summer program. The NeuroSIP sub-program prefer candidates on the PhD track, without an interest in pursuing clinical medicine.
Johns Hopkins Summer Undergraduate Program in Kidney Science (SUPerKS)
Program Overview
Kidney disease represents a significant growing threat to public health. The Johns Hopkins Summer Undergraduate Program in Kidney Science (SUPerKS) leverages the unique resources of a preeminent university to provide trainees with innovative research opportunities, mentoring by leaders and rising stars in the field, exciting didactic and problem-based training experiences, clinical immersion, intellectual enrichment activities, team-building, and social events over the summer.
Program Structure
SUPerKS operates within the Kidney Physiology and Precision Medicine Center, which brings together a highly dynamic group of investigators from clinical and basic science departments within the JHU Schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Engineering to work on kidney science challenges. Other innovations include a kidney-focused curriculum, mentorship training, and an institutionally funded administrative office that is devoted to supporting summer internship programs.
Outcomes
At the end of the training cycle, the trainees and their projects are celebrated in a summer programs event at Johns Hopkins. Students also travel to present their work and meet participants in the other programs funded by this mechanism. SUPerKS trainees exit the program with an appreciation for the value of research, improved interpersonal-communication skills, and a more sophisticated understanding and appreciation of the kidney.
After 5 years of operation, the SUPerKS program should train 40 talented students advancing toward careers in the biomedical sciences, especially in the kidney science fields.
Application Requirements
Applicants should include a statement describing their career goals, past research experience, and research areas of interest OR a specific research interest in Kidney science and SUPerKS, and the reasons why they are applying for this program.
Careers in Science and Medicine Summer Internship Program (CSM SIP)
Program Overview
The Careers in Science and Medicine Summer Internship Program (CSM SIP) is the undergraduate component of the Johns Hopkins Initiative for Careers in Science and Medicine (CSM Initiative). All eligible students interested in careers in public health, science, and medicine are encouraged to apply.
Program Impact
To date, 133 scholars have participated in CSM SIP. Of those who have reached medical or graduate school age, 50% have matriculated into medical or graduate programs, including the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson, Harvard Medical School, Michigan State University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and Ohio State University.
Institute for Computational Medicine (ICM) Summer Internship Program
Program Overview
Founded in 2005, the mission of the Institute for Computational Medicine is to develop mechanistic computational models of disease, personalize these models using data from individual patients, and apply them to improve disease diagnosis and treatment. ICM researchers work in four different application areas: Computational Molecular Medicine, Computational Physiological Medicine, Computational Anatomy.
Research Areas
- Computational Molecular Medicine: Seeks to understand the function of highly interconnected molecular networks in health and disease. This knowledge is applied to enhance discovery of molecular disease networks, detection of disease, discrimination among disease subtypes, prediction of clinical outcomes, and characterization of disease progression.
- Computational Physiological Medicine: Seeks to develop highly integrative mechanistic models of biological systems in disease, spanning from the levels of cells to tissues and organs. These models are personalized using patient data and apply them to improve disease diagnosis and treatment.
- Computational Anatomy: An interdisciplinary area of research focused on quantitative analysis of variability in biological shapes in health and disease.
Program Structure
The twenty ICM core faculty are appointed in departments of the Whiting School of Engineering, School of Medicine, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Our interdisciplinary labs offer students the opportunity to work with faculty in these four different research areas. Opportunities exist to work on computational, as well as combined computational and experimental/clinical studies.
The Institute for Computational Medicine is dedicated to providing opportunities to students in STEM. Students majoring in computer science, engineering, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and/or biophysics are eligible.
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMAP) Summer Internship Program
Program Overview
The Summer Internship Program offers full-time Hopkins undergraduates the opportunity to work alongside CMAP faculty and staff for 10 weeks over the summer. Eligible applicants include all full-time Hopkins undergraduates with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Application Requirements
Applicants must complete an online application form, which includes the following materials:
- Background Information: Includes name, contact information, major, anticipated graduation date, etc.
- Resume/CV: A resume or CV detailing relevant work or research experience, leadership roles, volunteer activities, and extracurricular involvement.
- Transcript: Unofficial transcripts are accepted.
Intern Responsibilities
Selected interns will:
- Serve as research assistants, contributing to ongoing CMAP research projects (literature reviews, data cleaning, data analysis, etc.).
- Support CMAP research communication efforts (e.g. writing blog posts, creating infographics, etc.).
- Assist with CMAP administrative tasks (e.g. scheduling meetings, managing social media accounts, etc.).
General Requirements and Expectations
Across all programs, several common requirements and expectations apply:
- Full-Time Commitment: Internships require a full-time commitment, typically 35-40 hours per week.
- Academic Restrictions: It is generally not permissible to take academic classes or hold other employment during the internship.
- Professional Development: Interns are expected to participate in professional development seminars, workshops, and networking events.
- Research Presentation: Many programs require interns to present their research in oral or poster format at the conclusion of the program.
- Eligibility: Most programs are open to undergraduate students who have completed at least two years of college. Some programs may have specific major or GPA requirements.
- Citizenship: Some programs may require applicants to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
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