Unveiling Lab Internship Opportunities for High School Students

For high school students with a burgeoning interest in science, lab internships offer a unique gateway to the world of research and innovation. These programs provide invaluable hands-on experience, mentorship from seasoned professionals, and a taste of potential STEM careers. This article explores a range of internship opportunities available to high school students, spanning diverse fields and institutions.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP)

Students interested in science can spend their summers in labs at the Boulder, CO, or the Gaithersburg, MD, campuses through NIST’s Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP). This seven-week, unpaid educational internship allows students to learn from top scientists at NIST and work on their own research project. The program runs annually from mid-June to early August.

To be eligible, applicants must:

Be a high school junior or senior at the time of application.
Have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Demonstrate a strong interest in participating in scientific research.
Be able to commit to the full seven-week program.
Have a permanent residence within a 50-mile radius of their host campus (NIST Boulder or NIST Gaithersburg).

Students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) must provide their own housing and transportation. No exceptions will be made. Applications generally open on November 1 and close in the last week of January of the following year.

Research Science Institute (RSI) at MIT

Each summer, 100 of the world's most accomplished high school students gather at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the Research Science Institute (RSI). Participants experience the entire research cycle from start to finish. RSI scholars first participate in a week of intensive STEM classes with accomplished professors. The heart of RSI is the five-week research internship where students conduct individual projects under the tutelage of mentors who are experienced scientists and researchers.

Smithsonian Institution Internships

The Smithsonian Institution offers a multitude of internship opportunities across its diverse museums and research centers. These internships cater to a wide range of interests, from science and history to art and culture.

Architectural History and Historic Preservation (AHHP) Internship

The primary purpose of the Office of Planning, Design, and Construction (OPDC), Architectural History and Historic Preservation (AHHP) internship is to provide a practical learning experience in the stewardship of historic cultural facilities. Applicants should have undergraduate and/or graduate level courses related to architecture, architectural history, materials conservation, historic preservation, and historic building trades.

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) Internship

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) believes that a great 21st-century museum is more than a building. They engage communities in surprising and innovative ways, transcending boundaries and barriers.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Internship

The Peter A. Krueger Summer Internship Program offers undergraduate students the unique opportunity to develop professional skills and learn about museum practices at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

National Air and Space Museum Internship

The National Air and Space Museum’s structured summer internship program provides firsthand experience working in a museum. Lasting from early-June through early-August, the 10-week summer program provides unique professional development opportunities and enrichment activities. This program offers a one-of-a-kind introduction to museum work or a rich opportunity to expand on previous experience.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Internship

Internships at the National Museum of African American History and Culture offer undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates' opportunities to work closely with professionals and scholars in the museum field. Interns receive a stipend while they gain practical museum skills and program development experience in a variety of positions! The museum provides a dynamic learning environment and access to supportive mentors that help interns reach their academic and professional goals.

National Museum of Asian Art Internship

The National Museum of Asian Art invites applications for its eight-week, paid Summer Undergraduate Internship Program. Applications for the Summer 2026 program are due by February 13, 2026 (11:59 PM ET).

National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Internships

Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE): This is a 10-week summer internship program hosted at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. The internship is full time, 40 hours per week, starting in early June through early August.
NMNH Summer High School Internship Program: This program supports current high school attendees, ages 15 to 18 (grades 9 - 12), who are interested in learning about what it is like to work at a museum. Internships will be available to work with various departments throughout NMNH, and many interns will be able to explore both science and non-science museum work. The interns will spend some days with their internship supervisors working on their projects, and other days will be dedicated to “enrichment activities,” which are designed to provide well-rounded learning experiences.
Science Writing Internship: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History seeks a science writing intern interested in developing science communication skills in an active communications and public affairs office.

Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA)

The Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) at the Smithsonian seeks to promote broader and more effective use of museum collections - artifacts, audio recordings, art works, still and moving images - in anthropological research by providing graduate students with an immersive, four-week training program and research experience at the Smithsonian Institution.

National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Internship

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) offers internships during the Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer terms at the museum in Washington, D.C.; at the Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, MD; and at the museum (George Gustav Heye Center) in New York City. NMAI is committed to equity and social justice for the Native/Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere through education, inspiration, and empowerment. This internship provides an opportunity to gain firsthand experience and professional training in a fast-paced curatorial department.

National Portrait Gallery Internship

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery offers formal internships to qualified applicants. A Smithsonian internship is a prearranged, structured learning experience that takes place during the fall, spring, or summer semester.

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Office of the Registrar Internship

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for the care, tracking, and transport of the permanent collection and objects on loan for exhibitions; creating and maintaining accession files; and the management of the museum’s collections information database, The Museum System (TMS).

Publications Department Internship

The internship will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about editing and museum publishing. The Publications department reviews all written materials the museum produces for the public, including exhibition catalogues and labels.

Office of Advancement Internship

The Office of Advancement is pleased to offer internship opportunities for candidates interested in fundraising and development-oriented careers. Through these internships the Office of Advancement seeks to provide interns with meaningful professional learning experiences.

Office of Educational Technology Internship

An internship at the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology is a unique opportunity to be part of a department working to make digital education resources more accessible and useful to PK12 teachers, students, parents, and anyone looking to discover and explore museum content.

Office of General Counsel (OGC) Internship

Legal interns in the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) work closely with attorneys whose work covers such diverse topics as tax, employment discrimination, ethics, imports/exports, federal appropriations, intellectual property, and environmental law.

Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Internship

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) provides the Smithsonian’s central computing and telecommunications services; provides leadership in information technology throughout the Institution in support of systems planning and development, communications, and computer-related training; and provides policy and guidance to ensure the integrity and security of Institutional automated data.

Claudine K. Brown Internship in Education

The Claudine K. Brown Internship in Education is funded through an endowed fund in memory of Claudine K. Brown, an educator and influential leader of the Smithsonian. Awardees of the Brown Internship are appointed based on a demonstrated interest in the field of education and museum leadership.

Women’s History Internship Program

The Women’s History Internship program offers paid eight-week paid internships that amplify women’s stories to tell a more complete American history, reach a diverse audience, and empower and inspire people from all walks of life. The 2026 Women's History Internship Program will take place from June 8 to August 7, 2026, in Washington, DC. Interns will receive a $1,200 weekly stipend and reimbursement for travel to and from Washington, DC.

Smithsonian Associates Internship

Interns with Smithsonian Associates are offered unique opportunities to learn about all aspects of educational programming for both adults and children, while contributing extensively to one of the world's great cultural institutions. This internship offers the unique opportunity to immerse in all the Summer children’s’ program offered by Associates.

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Summer Intern Program

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Summer Intern Program is a 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) internship where students take on an astrophysics research project with an SAO or Harvard scientist. Students are expected to work at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics for the full duration of the program. The 2026 summer session is expected to run for ten weeks, starting Sunday, May 31 (move-in day) and ending Sunday, August 9.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Internship

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) provides science-based knowledge to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Smithsonian Gardens Internship

Smithsonian Gardens provides an array of public garden learning experiences through its internship program thanks to the wide diversity of services and programs it offers at the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex.

Smithsonian Science Education Center Internship

Interns will work with Smithsonian Science Education Center curriculum developers to assist in the development of nonfiction stories that will be included in Smithsonian Science for the Classroom units. Interns will apply knowledge of science content, information gathered through expert interviews, and independent research, to support the development of high-quality, grade appropriate texts for middle school classroom use.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) General Internship Program

The purpose of the STRI General Internship Program is to provide a place for internship applicants who are generally interested in STRI’s science to pursue a research experience with one of our scientific mentors based on their interests.

NASA Internships

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement annually provides opportunities to impact the agency’s mission through hands-on internships. NASA offers internships for non-STEM majors. Even if you are not a science or engineering student, you can get an internship at NASA! Interns may support a variety of business and program management work, including human resources, administration and program analysis, accounting and budget, communication and public relations, procurement and contracts, information technology, security, and education.

OSTEM internships offer students an opportunity to gain practical work experience while working side-by-side with mentors who are research scientists, engineers, and individuals from many other professions. Internships may be full time or part time on a NASA center or facility. A NASA internship provides a stellar opportunity to launch your future as part of America’s aerospace workforce.

Interns are responsible for making their own housing arrangements. This includes locating their own housing options and paying for their housing. Your center location and housing options will determine if you need a car. At most centers, unless you find housing within walking distance, you will most likely need a car.

Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) Programs

ISB offers multiple opportunities for high school students, including in-person and virtual experiences. The application for all opportunities is the same. Details on four programs offered during the summer of 2026 and the 2026-2027 academic year are below. The application deadline for High School Student Positions is March 11, 2026 at 4:00pm Pacific Time.

Systems Thinkers in STEM Ambassadorship (STiSA): Current 10th and 11th graders are eligible to apply for STiSA. All applicants who complete the full application will be accepted into STiSA and can choose whether or not to participate. As a STiSA participant, you will first be invited to attend a 2-hour, virtual workshop: “Systems are Everywhere.” You will then have the opportunity to enroll in one of two virtual micro-courses: “Introduction to Systems Medicine” or “Environmental Systems, Research, and Stewardship.” From there, you will be invited to participate in other courses including the final virtual micro-course of the series, “Learning in Motion: Taking Action in Your Community.” As a STiSA participant, you will also be eligible to join one of ISB’s LEADS Cohorts.
Summer Internship: Current 11th graders only are eligible to apply for ISB’s 8-week (~300 hours) formal summer internship. This summer’s possible internship topics include but are not limited to: computational biology (which can include scenarios in health and/or the environment), cancer, microbiology (which includes microbial interactions, antimicrobial resistance, resilience and collapse of complex systems), engineering laboratory systems, technology development, the microbiome, infectious disease, immune system diversity, and aging and fragility. The internship will begin on June 29 and end on August 21, 2026 (excluding July 4). The Interns will be at ISB to 40 hours per week. Unpaid service learning and paid positions are available.
DREAM-High: Current 11th graders only are eligible to apply for DREAM-High (~32 hours over 6 weeks). DREAM-High is a partnership program brought to you by Columbia University, ISB and Stanford University. Through hands-on programming in R and Python, you will learn to visualize and analyze genomics, clinical, and physical data from cancer cells. Students will also collaborate with others across the nation and showcase their skills online. We will host 12 DREAM-High Scholars to join ISB’s summers cohort which will tentatively begin the second week of July and extend through to the third week of August.
Academic Year Internship: Current 11th graders only are eligible to apply for an Academic Year Internship (~10 or more hours per week during your senior year). The internship runs very similar to the 8-week summer program, but is flexibly scheduled according to the intern and mentor’s time. In all cases, work is done during business hours between Monday and Friday, from 9am to 5pm.

Additional Opportunities and Considerations

Personal Essay: Some programs, such as the Summer Internship program, require a short essay explaining why biotechnology interests you and the importance of a research experience to your future plans. It is wise to have someone else proofread your essay.
Resume: Most internships require a resume that lists your activities, especially those related to science.
Housing: Interns are often responsible for making their own housing arrangements, including locating and paying for housing.
Transportation: Depending on the location of the internship and housing, interns may need a car.

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