Summer Internship Program

2026 SIP will take place from Sunday, May 24 – Saturday, August 1 for most divisions.

Applications for the 2026 SIP are now closed. Please continue to check this website for information about future opportunities to intern with us.

Program Overview

The Summer Internship Program (SIP) provides experience in biomedical and/or public health research to current undergraduate students. The program provides research exposure for those interested in potential careers in science, medicine, and public health, and is open to current students attending college in the U.S.

Benefits

Participants gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in research, scientific experimentation, and other scholarly investigations under the close guidance of faculty or research mentors. 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. In addition, SIP participants often go on to present their summer research at national conferences throughout the year.

The program runs approximately ten weeks and student stipends range from $3,000 - $5,750. Housing is provided at no cost to participants.

Overall, SIP interns can expect an experience similar to that of a first-year graduate student doing a rotation in a laboratory. Before arrival, each participant receives several papers related to their specific research project. SIP interns become acquainted with their lab’s scope of exploration and investigative techniques. Interns are assigned their own lab project, and 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 interns 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 interns.

This summer internship program requires a full-time commitment. It is not permissible to take academic classes or hold other employment during the internship. Interns are required to participate for the full period of the program.

The Complete Application

There are multiple divisions of SIP, each providing a unique experience. Applying is free. To apply to a SIP division, you will need:

Two letters of recommendation (faculty and/or research mentors preferred)
Transcripts for each undergraduate institution attended. Transcripts can be unofficial.
Current CV or resume
Personal Statement

For more information, contact us at  [email protected].

Summer Internship Program Opportunities

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. You may apply to multiple divisions.

Opportunities to spend the summer with us are continuously evolving. Please keep checking this website as we continue to add SIP divisions to your list of options as they become available.

Basic Science Institute (BSI-SIP)

BSI-SIP is the Dean-funded “umbrella program” of the Summer Internship Program divisions, incorporating research opportunities in all our basic science departments: Biological Chemistry; Biomedical Engineering; Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry; Chemistry/Biology interface; Cell Biology; Molecular Biology and Genetics; Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology; Neuroscience; Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences; and Physiology.

Past BSI-SIP Scholars have participated in a broad array of projects from molecular and cellular analysis of the aquaporin water channels, molecular genetic basis of Down syndrome, genomics, neurobiology of disease, applications of polymeric biomaterials to drug delivery, gene therapy, and tissue engineering.

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. The program concludes with presentations by BSI-SIP scholars at a closing research symposium.

In addition to the opportunities mentioned above, BSI-SIP has an affiliated sub-program focused on neuroscience. Students participating in this program will be invited to BSI-SIP programming and housed with BSI-SIP students, while also enjoying some additional field-specific programming: 

NeuroSIP 

Summer interns in the NeuroSIP program are hosted in the laboratories of the Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute at Johns Hopkins (Kavli NDI). Kavli NDI bridges neuroscience, physics, data science, computational neuroscience and engineering to solve the mysteries of the brain. NeuroSIP supports summer internships for undergraduate students considering graduate studies in neuroscience, engineering, data science and related areas. In addition to general SIP programming, NeuroSIP students enjoy neuroscience-focused programming and other content designed to help them delve deeper into this exciting field of study. 

BSI-SIP Eligibility

All eligible students interested in biomedical research careers are encouraged to apply. In accordance with applicable law, race, ethnicity, and other legally protected characteristics will not be considered in the selection of summer interns.

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. BSI-SIP is open to US citizens, permanent residents, and international students currently enrolled in college in the United States.

The NeuroSIP sub-program prefer candidates on the PhD track, without an interest in pursuing clinical medicine. Students applying to NeuroSIP must have completed at least one, but no more than three, years of college by the start of the program.  All eligible students, particularly first-generation students and students at institutions without large research programs, are encouraged to apply.

Students interested in being considered for NeuroSIP must choose BSI-SIP on their application and then select the NeuroSIP options when they appear. You will still be considered for the BSI-SIP parent program as well. 

Johns Hopkins Summer Undergraduate Program in Kidney Science (SUPerKS)

Kidney disease represents a significant growing threat to public health. Unfortunately, efforts to find effective prevention strategies and innovative new treatments have been hampered by a paucity of kidney disease researchers. Traditional workforce recruitment methods are drying up, and low awareness of kidney disease has made it difficult to attract talented scientists outside of nephrology and medicine from other spheres of science, despite major technological and conceptual advances in the kidney science field. We present a program to address this need, focusing nationally on talented undergraduate students broadly interested in biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering. 

This program, 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. 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. 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.

SUPerKS Eligibility Criteria:

At least 18 years old
US Citizen or Permanent Resident (Note: NIH funds our program, and we are obligated to accept only US Citizens or Permanent Residents)
College graduates are not eligible (Our program is open to current undergraduate students only)
Current CV or Resume
At least one year of college
At least one semester of general chemistry and biology (or AP equivalent)
Official college transcripts for each undergraduate institution attended, with a GPA greater than 3.0
Two letters of recommendation (faculty and/or research mentors preferred)
Two personal statements:
- One describing yourself and a formative experience that may have motivated your interest in science and medicine, AND
- One describing your career goals, past research experience, and research areas of interest OR a specific research interest in Kidney science and SUPerKS, and the reasons why you are applying for this program. If you have not yet had direct research experience, explain how your academic background, extracurricular activities, or personal projects have prepared you for participating in research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

All eligible students interested in careers in public health, science, and medicine are encouraged to apply. In accordance with applicable law, race, ethnicity, and other legally protected characteristics will not be considered in the selection process.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Careers in Science and Medicine Summer Internship Program (CSM SIP)

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). The CSM Initiative seeks to develop scholars from low-income (<200% of the federal poverty level) and educationally under-resourced (most commonly first-generation college or went to, or would have gone to based on their home address, a high school where the majority are also low-income) backgrounds to help them build the accomplishments, skills, network, and support necessary to achieve advanced careers in biomedical, medical, health-related, and STEM professions.

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. 5% of CSM SIP scholars have returned to join our DDP program.

Please note that all eligible students interested in careers in public health, science, and medicine are encouraged to apply. In accordance with applicable law, race, ethnicity, and other legally protected characteristics will not be considered in the selection process.

If you would like more information on CSM SIP, please contact Dr. Venkataramana Sidhaye ([email protected]).

If you are interested in helping support the Johns Hopkins Initiative for Careers in Science and Medicine, please contact Sarah Farrell, Director of Development ([email protected]) or Andrew Rohleder ([email protected]), Associate Director of Development, Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences.

Institute for Computational Medicine (ICM) 

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 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 is an interdisciplinary area of research focused on quantitative analysis of variability in biological shapes in health and disease. It is applied to imaging data to develop anatomic biomarkers for disease diagnosis. Computational Healthcare analyzes large-scale data sets from the electronic health record to discover new ways of improving individualized patient care.  

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. This internship provides a unique opportunity to gain research experience in the emerging discipline of computational medicine and would be of great benefit to those interested in pursuing graduate research in this area or in attending medical school. 

ICM Eligibility 

The Institute for Computational Medicine is dedicated to providing opportunities to students in STEM. Students must have completed at least one year of college by the start of the summer program and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to apply. Students majoring in computer science, engineering, mathematics, chemistry, biology and/or biophysics are eligible. While not required, we seek candidates with some combination of experiences in scientific or academic research (C++/Python/*nix/databases, software engineering, object-oriented programming, and/or collaborative development). 