Applications for Academic Year 2020-21 and Summer 2021 are now open. Apply here.

 

Host companies and organizations range from early-stage startups to large pharmaceutical and biotech firms to businesses that serve the industry in specific capacities, including marketing, public relations, or capital investment. To date, over 80 companies have served as hosts.

Eligible majors and areas of study include, but are not limited to:

Science Track

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Computer Science / Data Science / Statistics
  • Immunology (including Immuno-oncology, Immuno-virology, etc.)
  • Pharmacy
  • Public Health
  • Regulatory
  • Other life sciences / STEM fields

Management Track

  • Business
  • Marketing
  • Communications
  • Finance
  • Accounting
  • Computer Science/IT
  • Supply Chain / Operations
  • Public Affairs/Regulatory
  • Public Policy
  • Human Resources
  • Journalism

Of students who participated in the 2020 cohort of the LifeSci NYC Internship Program:

  • 93% rated the program "Very good" or "Good"
  • 98% said the experience will have a positive impact on their career trajectory
  • 92% said the program made them "a great deal" or "somewhat" more aware of career options for students interested in the life sciences

Eligibility

  • Open to students currently enrolled in a New York City-based college or university, or New York City residents currently enrolled in (or within one year of graduating from) any college or university
  • Students must be US citizens or US permanent residents (including DACA participants), or holders of visas that allow completion of the internship without sponsorship
  • Preference will be given to rising juniors, seniors, and graduate students. LifeSci NYC may consider those who have already graduated if they are within a year of graduation, meet all other criteria, and are willing to commit to the program for the full duration of the internship period.
  • Students must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Students should have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Students with a GPA under 3.0 may apply but must write an explanation of extenuating circumstances.
  • Participants must be able to commit to a standard, full-time work week for the ten weeks of the program, must commit to the work requirements of their host site, and are expected to attend and actively engage in all scheduled seminars, events, and activities, and remain active as program alumni.

Program Details

  • Summer internships will take place June 1 - August 6, 2021. Academic year internships can be scheduled by host companies and students. All positions are paid (at least $15/hour).
  • Host companies can be located anywhere within commuting distance of New York City. However, some internships may be offered remotely.
  • Companies that served as hosts for summer 2020 include:

    Ancilia, Basepair, BioBAT, BioBus, CapCell Biologics, Collage Partners, Columbia University O'Brien Urology Research Center, Columbia University Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics (CPMG), Consortium / CSTM HAUS, Cresilon, Cureatr, CytoDel, Cytovia Therapeutics, Envisagenics, EpiVax Oncology, ER Buddy, Fesarius Therapeutics, Flextrapower, Genspace, Grit Bio, Havas Health & You, Helaina, Kinnos, Ladenburg Thalmann, Lucerna, The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, MDCalc, Mend Nutrition, Neochromosome, New York Stem Cell Foundation, OpticSurg, Ovid Therapeutics, Pfizer, Quadrus Medical Technologies, Redesign Science, Relay Response, RxData, Solvuu, Stellate, VantAI, WearWorks, and XL Batteries

  • Interns will be invited to participate in a dynamic range of events including a pre-internship Boot Camp (May 26 - 28, 2021), networking receptions, industry career panels, and site tours, and will have opportunities to meet industry leaders and more.
  • Please note that the LifeSci NYC Internship Program cannot provide housing, meals, and/or transportation costs for the summer. Students must make their own arrangements for accommodations, meals, and travel.

Examples of backgrounds and skills needed for STEM-track internships:

Pharma / Biotech

  • Global pharmaceutical company seeking science students in a bachelors or masters program interested in a bioanalytical science position
  • Startup seeking Biomedical Science, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Data/Computer Science and Business Administration students for varied roles
  • Biotech startup seeking Chemistry/Chemical Engineering students with prior chem lab experience and strong inorganic chemistry, materials science, or dye chemistry background
  • Early-stage biotech seeking students enrolled in a M.S. or Ph.D. program in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related field, with 1-2 years wet lab experience in molecular or cellular biology research for R&D position

Digital Health

  • Seeking master’s students in computer science, statistics, engineering, economics, or a related field with scripting language and relational database experience
  • Data science company specializing in genomics seeking senior or graduate student proficient in Unix and programming in R or Python
  • Bioinformatics startup seeking bioinformatics students, especially those experienced with Next Generation Sequencing, building & supporting bioinformatics pipelines, data analysis, programming, and statistical and mathematical modeling

MedTech / Devices

  • Seeking software engineers in both Geometric Modeling and Computer Vision
  • Seeking Bronx residents with expertise in Computer Science/IT or Electrical and Biomedical Engineering
  • Device startup seeking graduate student or exceptional undergraduate currently pursuing a degree in nanotechnology, materials science or chemical engineering for R&D role

Non-profit / Other

  • Science education organization seeking undergraduate science students with an interest in neuroscience, scientific discovery, and educational work with younger students

Examples of backgrounds and skills needed for Business-track internships:

  • Pharma / Biotech
    • Biotech startup seeking graduate student in biotechnology, finance or business administration for marketing role
    • Biotech development company seeking intern with excellent communication skills and, ideally, familiarity with oncology and diagnostics for business development / market research role
  • Digital Health
    • Startup seeking student with excellent communication skills and high degree of professionalism for Patient Educator role; fluency in Spanish or Russian a plus
  • MedTech / Devices
    • Seeking hard-working public relations / communications intern with superior written and verbal communication skills
    • MedTech company seeking student with business or finance background
  • Other
    • Financial service company seeking science student to intern with biotechnology equity research team
    • Health advertising company seeking proactive self-starter with excellent verbal and written communication skills for advertising / PR role

These are samples of the types of internships offered by the program. Internships are filled on a rolling basis so the internships offered at any given time change as new positions are posted and others are filled. The program offers dozens of internships, so this list is not comprehensive.

Application Overview

Students who have sought opportunities to gain experience at their university, who put effort into their application, and who effectively communicate their experiences and interests are more likely to be successful in securing internship placements.


The application consists of several parts including general contact information, information about your university studies, and your skills and interests.

There are several parts that will take some time to prepare:

  • Personal Statement: Please explain your interest in participating in the LifeSci NYC internship program. (Up to 500 words)
  • Relevant Courses: Provide a list of any relevant courses you have taken, as well as specific skill sets
  • Transcript / Resume: Provide a copy of your latest academic transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable) and your current resume
  • Optional Video: You have the option (not required) of providing a video of up to 3 minutes expressing the reasons why you are interested in participating in the LifeSci NYC internship program. While this isn’t required, students who complete the video have been more successful in securing placements.
  • References: You will need 1-2 people to provide letters of reference for you. You should ask professors, advisors, work supervisors or personal references as long as they aren’t family members or friends, and give them plenty of time to submit a reference for you.

For details on the process, please see the Overview and Program Details page. For any questions not addressed here or in the FAQ, and for program updates, please contact us or email [email protected]

Interview Preparation Guide

We've put together an Interview Preparation Guide which can assist students with the interview process. For more interview tips, we encourage students to watch the following video.



Special thanks to Cindy Anzel of The New York Stem Cell Foundation for making this video to share her advice with LifeSci NYC Internship Program applicants

To be notified of upcoming career panels, job openings for full- or part-time jobs, and other relevant information, please sign up for the LifeSci NYC Internship Program Meetup.