Smithsonian National Zoo Internships: A Gateway to Conservation and Research
The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) offers a variety of internship opportunities for students and recent graduates interested in gaining experience in the fields of conservation, research, animal care, and museum practices. With two campuses in the Washington, DC region and established field sites in the United States and internationally, NZCBI provides a dynamic learning environment and access to supportive mentors.
Overview of the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Founded in 1889, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute leads the Smithsonian's global efforts to save species, better understand ecosystems and train future generations of conservationists. As part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex, the NZCBI has two campuses. The urban campus occupies 163 acres in Rock Creek Park and includes the National Zoological Park, which is free to the public. It features a living collection of more than 380 species (2,200 individuals) of vertebrates and invertebrates, and a large collection of native and exotic plants. NZCBI’s rural campus near Front Royal, Virginia, consists of 3,200 acres of pastures, forests, and meadows in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is closed to the public.
NZCBI has six Centers of Scientific Excellence:
- Migratory Bird Center (MBC)
- Conservation Ecology Center (CEC)
- Center for Conservation Genomics (CCG)
- Center for Species Survival (CSS)
- Center for Conservation Sustainability (CCS)
- Global Health Program and Animal Care Sciences
Resources available to students and visiting researchers include two veterinary hospitals, a veterinary pathology lab, nutrition labs, GIS and radiotelemetry capabilities, extensive animal holding and breeding facilities, a biodiversity genomics lab, reproductive physiology labs, libraries, conference facilities, and housing for visiting researchers and students in Front Royal.
Internship Opportunities Across the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution offers a wide array of internships across its various museums, research centers, and offices. These internships are prearranged, structured learning experiences that take place during the fall, spring, or summer semester. Here's a glimpse into some of the available opportunities:
Read also: Internship Guide
Architectural History and Historic Preservation (AHHP) Internship: Offered by the Office of Planning, Design, and Construction (OPDC), this internship provides 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) Internships: APAC engages communities in surprising and innovative ways, transcending boundaries and barriers.
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Internships: Every year, the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage involves over a hundred interns in various activities.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: Peter A. Krueger Summer Internship Program: This program offers undergraduate students the unique opportunity to develop professional skills and learn about museum practices.
National Air and Space Museum Summer Internship Program: This structured program provides firsthand experience working in a museum, offering a one-of-a-kind introduction to museum work or a rich opportunity to expand on previous experience. The 10-week summer program includes unique professional development opportunities and enrichment activities.
Read also: A Guide to Smithsonian Internships
National Museum of African American History and Culture Internships: These internships offer undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates opportunities to work closely with professionals and scholars in the museum field. Interns gain practical museum skills and program development experience in a variety of positions and receive a stipend.
National Museum of Asian Art Summer Undergraduate Internship Program: This eight-week, paid program is available for undergraduate students. Applications for Summer 2026 are due by February 13, 2026 (11:59 PM ET).
National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Internships:
- Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE): 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. Interns work with various departments throughout NMNH and participate in "enrichment activities" 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): This four-week training program and research experience at the Smithsonian Institution seeks to promote broader and more effective use of museum collections in anthropological research by providing graduate students with an immersive experience.
National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Internships: 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 stewards one of the most extensive collections of Native American cultural heritage in the world - approximately 825,000 items - representing over 12,000 years of history and more than 1,200 Indigenous cultures throughout the Americas.
Read also: Transformative Internship Experience
National Portrait Gallery Internships: The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery offers formal internships to qualified applicants.
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 Internships: These internships provide meaningful professional learning experiences for candidates interested in fundraising and development-oriented careers.
Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology Internship: This internship offers 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) Legal Internships: 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) Internships: 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: This internship is funded through an endowed fund in memory of Claudine K. Brown, an educator and influential leader of the Smithsonian. Awardees are appointed based on a demonstrated interest in the field of education and museum leadership.
Women’s History Internship Program: This 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. In 2026, the 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 Internships: 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: This 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) internship allows students to take on an astrophysics research project with an SAO or Harvard scientist. 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) Internships: The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) provides science-based knowledge to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century.
Smithsonian Gardens Internships: 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.
Smithsonian Science Education Center Internships: 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.
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. Applications are due by March 15, 2025.
Virginia Working Landscapes (VWL)
Virginia Working Landscapes (VWL) is a program of Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) that promotes the conservation of native biodiversity and sustainable land use through research, education, and community engagement. VWL values the strength that comes from a variety of perspectives and experiences and is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive space for its entire team.
VWL aims to study and promote the conservation of native biodiversity and sustainable land management through research, education, and community engagement. In collaboration with other Smithsonian units, as well as landowners, producers, federal and state agencies, universities, and local NGO’s, VWL conducts applied research at the intersection of conservation, agriculture, and communities. Areas of focus include grassland community ecology, avian migratory connectivity, human dimensions of conservation, and restoration ecology with an emphasis on working agricultural lands.
Research Opportunities at NZCBI
NZCBI offers numerous research opportunities across its various centers and programs. These opportunities allow interns and fellows to work alongside leading scientists and contribute to cutting-edge research in conservation biology.
Centers of Scientific Excellence
Migratory Bird Center (MBC): The MBC conducts research on the ecology and conservation of migratory and resident birds. Research specialties of associated scientists include: migratory bird ecology; biodiversity conservation; tropical agroforestry management; coffee and cocoa sustainability and certification, Landscape ecology; Avian population ecology; Data science, Animal movement, conservation biology, ecology of marine and coastal migratory animals (seabirds, shorebirds, marine mammals), Avian life-history and breeding biology, Avian migratory ecology, Animal movement ecology.
Conservation Ecology Center (CEC): CEC is committed to sustaining animals and plants in the wild by supporting conservation scientists focusing their attention on questions that are not based on zoo collection animals. CEC works at the cutting edge of conservation science, focusing on the biology of extinction, overabundant species, nutritional ecology, endangered landscapes, and processes to measure conservation effectiveness.
Center for Species Survival (CSS): The mission of the CSS is to ensure a thriving and resilient planet by conserving species through innovative science, inclusive capacity building, and transformative partnerships. CSS conducts basic research in reproductive physiology, endocrinology, cryobiology, animal behavior, animal welfare, wildlife health, wildlife policy, and genomics, and leverages that knowledge to save species. Research specialties of associated scientists include: Comparative endocrinology; pituitary and testicular function; reproductive cyclicity and seasonality; health, reproduction and welfare monitoring and assessments of in situ and ex situ wildlife species (e.g., elephants, felids, tapirs and rhinos), noninvasive hormone monitoring, Reproductive physiology, assisted reproductive technologies, cryobiology.
Center for Conservation Genomics (CCG): CCG specializes in genetic management of wild and captive populations, genomics, non-invasive DNA, ancient DNA, systematics, disease diagnosis and dynamics, genetic services to the zoo community, and application of genetics to animal behavior and ecology. Research specialties of associated scientists include: Genomics, ancient DNA, bioinformatics, Evolutionary biology, population genomics, conservation genomics, bioinformatics, ornithology, Systematics and evolution of mammals, conservation genetics, molecular ecology.
Center for Conservation Sustainability (CCS): CCS implements innovative nature-positive solutions for biodiversity hotspots and threatened biomes in Peru, Gabon, Brazil, and Paraguay. Through its Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment Program (BMAP) and use of innovative technologies, CCS is leading the integration of biodiversity conservation into sustainable terrestrial and marine infrastructure development. By utilizing science-based monitoring data, CCS supports informed decision-making, strives to identify best practices that support local communities, and builds capacity by empowering the next generation of conservation professionals. Research specialties of associated scientists include: Designing and implementing biodiversity monitoring programs to support decision-making processes to benefit local communities and biodiversity, Spatial ecology, GIS, remote sensing, agent-based modeling, web-based tools, salamander ecology, Human dimensions of conservation; conservation social science, biodiversity risk assessments, critical habitat asessments, biodiversity impact assessments, biodiversity offsets, TNFD, IFC PS6, Net Biodiversity Gain.
Global Health Program: Smithsonian’s Global Health Program leverages multidisciplinary expertise in wildlife medicine, conservation ecology, training of international professionals, and investigation of emerging infectious disease to combat threats to wildlife, human, and ecosystem health worldwide. Global Health works with international partners to address risks to conservation and public health by focusing efforts at the source: the human-animal interface. The program is based upon the One Health platform, which recognizes that the health of all species is inextricably linked. Research specialties of associated scientists include: Wildlife trade data and policy analyses, CITES policy and procedures, science communication, human dimensions of conservation, spread of pathogens through wildlife trade), One Health, amphibian conservation, herpetology, amphibian chytrid fungus, ranavirus, Anesthetic protocols and clinical medicine as it relates to captive and free-ranging wildlife; population health as it relates to wildlife-livestock-human interface; species conservation in-situ as it relates to population health assessment and disease management.
Animal Care Sciences (ACS): This research unit includes the departments of Wildlife Health Sciences, Nutrition Science, Animal Welfare, and Animal Programs. Training opportunities include internships, preceptorships, open to senior veterinary students, and residencies of varying durations for veterinarians and students from the US and abroad. Research in ACS focuses on applied and field studies in veterinary medicine, nutrition, physiology, disease etiology and management, population ecology, and animal management and welfare. NZCBI has a standing Animal Care and Use Committee. Review for animal welfare concerns and approval of any animal procedures by this committee must occur before a fellow’s research can begin. Research specialties of associated scientists include: Energetics and nutrition of primates and small mammals; lactation and milk composition; maternal and child health, Comparative nutrition and physiology, sustainable land management, Understanding basic and comparative wildlife reproductive physiology and implementation of assisted reproductive technologies, Health and diseases of red panda; disease and management of captive and free-ranging wildlife; conservation medicine of non-domestic species, Animal behavior and welfare.
Other Programs and Initiatives
- Great Plains Science Program (GPSP): GPSP aims to study and conserve North America’s Great Plains ecosystem collaboratively, through research, restoration, and education. GPSP collaborates internally with multiple NZCBI research centers and with Smithsonian cultural and education programs, as well as externally, with tribal nations, private landowners, federal and state agencies, NGO’s and academia. Through these partnerships, GPSP applies a holistic approach to help sustain and improve this globally imperiled ecosystem’s functionality and resiliency.
Application Information and Deadlines
Prospective interns should carefully review the details and application instructions for each specific opportunity on the Smithsonian Institution's website. Deadlines vary depending on the internship, with some summer programs having deadlines as early as February. For example, applications for the National Museum of Asian Art Summer Undergraduate Internship Program are due by February 13, 2026 (11:59 PM ET).
Leadership and Staff
NZCBI boasts a diverse team of experienced professionals dedicated to conservation and research. Key personnel include:
Smith, Brandie, John and Adrienne Mars Director: Research Specialties: Reproductive biology, animal care, population genetics and management, global wildlife conservation, animal behavior.
Willis, Kevin, Special Assistant for Animal Care: Research Specialties: Population genetics, demography, and management, statistics, animal care and management, species conservation.
Leimgruber, Peter, Director of Conservation and Science: Research Specialties: Geospatial analysis, population ecology, global biodiversity conservation, landscape-use modeling and mitigation, elephant conservation.
Alonso, Alfonso, Conservation Biologist: Research specialties: Designing and implementing biodiversity monitoring programs to support decision-making processes to benefit local communities and biodiversity.
Bennett, Ruth, Research Ecologist: Research specialties: migratory bird ecology; biodiversity conservation; tropical agroforestry management; coffee and cocoa sustainability and certification.
Boyce, Andy J., Ecologist: Research specialties: Conservation biology, Community Ecology, Avian life-history and breeding biology, Avian migratory ecology, Animal movement ecology.
Brown, Janine L., Reproductive Physiologist: Research specialties: Comparative endocrinology; pituitary and testicular function; reproductive cyclicity and seasonality; health, reproduction and welfare monitoring and assessments of in situ and ex situ wildlife species (e.g., elephants, felids, tapirs and rhinos), noninvasive hormone monitoring.
Campana, Michael, Research Biologist: Research specialties: Genomics, ancient DNA, bioinformatics.
Comizzoli, Pierre, Reproductive Physiologist: Research specialties: Reproductive physiology and biotechnologies in Ungulates and Carnivores (domestic and wild).
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