Exploring Internship Opportunities at American Institutes for Research and Beyond
Internships serve as unparalleled professional opportunities for students considering various career paths, ranging from economic research to academia and roles within the private sector. These programs provide college students and recent graduates a chance to collaborate closely with experienced staff on projects aligned with their interests and the organization's mission. This article explores internship opportunities, particularly focusing on the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and other notable programs.
AIER Internships: A Launchpad for Future Leaders
The American Institutes for Research (AIER) internships offer a unique experience, enabling interns to develop their research interests into academic conference presentations or journal articles. At the core of the AIER internship program is a self-developed research project. The program helps college students and recent graduates launch careers at organizations like The World Bank, The Institute for Justice, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, IBM, and many other research institutes and companies across the world. Interns present their final product to AIER staff and visiting scholars at the end of their internship, receiving valuable feedback for further development. AIER provides housing in its Stonehouse or cottages on campus, near Great Barrington. A robust reading-and-discussion curriculum forms the basis of the AIER internship.
NSF Summer Scholars Internship Program (SSIP)
The NSF Summer Scholars Internship Program (SSIP) focuses on developing the potential of undergraduate and graduate students interested in gaining professional experience working in science administration. At NSF, students will be exposed to relevant science and engineering policy, research and education issues, and NSF programs. They will also be provided with the opportunity to contribute their talent and skills on a project for the NSF and encouraged to earn graduate degrees and pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
The NSF partners with two host organizations to provide a full-time, paid, 10-week experience, where students work with NSF offices that typically align with their academic interests. The program is hybrid, with students working for several days at NSF headquarters in Alexandria, VA, at the beginning and end of the internship, and teleworking for the majority of the time. The program typically runs from early June until early August. High school students are not eligible.
HACU Internship Program
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) internship program has provided paid internships to thousands of students since 1992. Interested individuals can explore the opportunities available and click on the name of each opportunity to view details and application instructions or use the drop-down menu to find individual units.
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Smithsonian Institution Internships
The Smithsonian Institution offers a wide array of internship programs across its various museums and research centers. These internships cater to diverse interests and academic backgrounds, providing invaluable experience in museum work, research, and related fields.
Architectural History and Historic Preservation 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)
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) engages communities in surprising and innovative ways, transcending boundaries and barriers.
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Every year, the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage involves over a hundred interns in its various activities.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
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.
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National Air and Space Museum
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.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
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. The museum provides a dynamic learning environment and access to supportive mentors that help interns reach their academic and professional goals. Interns receive a stipend while they gain practical museum skills and program development experience in a variety of positions!
National Museum of Asian Art
The National Museum of Asian Art invites applications for its eight-week, paid Summer Undergraduate Internship Program. Applications for Summer 2026 are due by February 13, 2026 (11:59 PM ET).
National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)
Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE) is a 10-week summer internship program hosted at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Starting in early June through early August, the internship is full time, 40 hours per week.
The NMNH Summer High School Internship Program at the Smithsonian Institution 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.
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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. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History seeks a science writing intern interested in gaining experience 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)
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.
The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is committed to equity and social justice for the Native/Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere through education, inspiration, and empowerment. 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. This internship provides an opportunity to gain firsthand experience and professional training in a fast-paced curatorial department.
National Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery offers formal internships to qualified applicants seeking a creative and exciting museum internship. A Smithsonian internship is a prearranged, structured learning experience that takes place during the fall, spring, or summer semester.
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)
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 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. The Smithsonian Associates are looking for a team of interns both on in person and virtual.
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)
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) provides science-based knowledge to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century.
Smithsonian Gardens Internship Program
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. March 15, 2025.
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. When and How to ApplyThis is a summer experience you don’t want to miss! Summer internship opportunities are typically posted between November - April. View current internship opportunities.
AIR's Summer Internship Program
AIR's Summer Internship Program helps identify, attract, and build a pipeline of skilled future talent. The 10-12 week paid summer program is open to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students.
NASA Internships
At NASA, exploration of the extraordinary happens every day. NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement provides, annually, more than 2,000 students the opportunity to impact the agency’s mission through a hands-on internship. NASA offers internships for non-STEM majors, providing 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. space program Communicate proficiently in English. NASA needs employees with a variety of knowledge and skills. At NASA, engineers, mathematicians, scientists, accountants, writers, IT specialists, project managers, program analysts, and many other professionals work together to break barriers to achieve the seemingly impossible.
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.
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.
Success Stories
Aaron Yazzie, a former intern at JPL, inspires a new generation of Diné scientists and engineers, proving their voices have an essential place in the story of the cosmos. Clare Luckey, a former intern, was selected as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30. Her hard work and determination has landed her at the forefront of space exploration as she helps plan how the first astronauts will land on Mars. Vivian Li is remotely operating NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover from millions of miles away.
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