One of the ways you can enhance your chances of obtaining the job you want or that coveted position in graduate or professional school is to obtain experience outside the classroom as an undergraduate student. There are two main ways to obtain experience beyond the classroom: research experiences and internships.
Research experience can be gained through collaborative work with a scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences here at Towson or through numerous opportunities off campus. Students engage in original research under the supervision of a senior scientist at Towson, other university, government laboratories, or in industry. A research experience is particularly recommended for students interested in graduate or professional school.
Internships provide students the opportunity to put what they are learning into practice and involve work experience in a industrial or business setting. During internships students can begin to build a network of contacts and practical experience that can be quite valuable in obtaining a job upon graduation.
Research Experiences:
National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate sites. Located at research and institutes of higher education throughout the United States, these sites offer a stipend, room and board, and travel costs in most cases. Programs are usually 10 weeks and seek rising sophamores and juniors. A list of active sites can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm. Some of these sites are listed below.
SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE LABORATORY INTERSHIP (SULI) AT OAK RIDGE NATION LABORATORY (ORNL). The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at the Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 15 participating DOE laboratories. They perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting the DOE mission. The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at the Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 15 participating DOE laboratories. They perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting the DOE mission. APPLICATION DEADLINEIS JUNE 12, 2013 5:00 PM ET. APPLY AT:HTTP://SCIENCE.EMERGY.GOV/WDTS/.
SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, National Istitutes of Health (NIH) . These internships have a central application process, are paid, and can be located throughout the United States at any of the NIH laboratories or facilities. Note that travel, housing and board are not covered by these internships. A description of the program can be found at https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip. Applications are available in mid-November and are due by March 1st each year.
Paid internship with Baltimore County this summer (2013). The position is 7 weeks, 34 hours/week, $9/hour with the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection. For more information contact Dr. Kevin Brittingham at kbrittingham@baltimorecountymd.gov.
Unpaid internships with Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection can be used for BIOL 493 credit. Contact Dr. Kevin Brittingham (kbrittingham@baltimorecountymd.gov) to arrange internships with the County and Dr. Erik Scully (escully@towson.edu) to arrange biology credit.
Chicago Botanic Garden Conservation and Land Management Internship. These are five-month paid internships to assist biologists and other professional staff at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS), U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and other federal agencies. Internships are primarily located in one of the 12 western states, including Alaska.
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