Research experiences can strengthen your graduate school application while helping you explore academic interests, develop research skills, and build professional relationships. The organizations below offer research opportunities, internships, summer programs, and fellowships across a wide range of disciplines. Explore their websites to learn about current opportunities and application requirements.

Note: Think of the organizations below as places to start exploring and branch out from there!

Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities

PathwaysToScience.org

PathwaysToScience.org is one of the nation’s largest searchable databases of undergraduate research opportunities, internships, fellowships, and summer programs in STEM disciplines. Students can search opportunities by academic field, location, eligibility, and funding.

Leadership Alliance Summer Research – SR-EIP

The Leadership Alliance’s Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) connects undergraduate students with paid summer research opportunities at leading research universities across the United States. Programs span STEM, social sciences, humanities, and the arts while helping students prepare for doctoral and research-focused graduate programs.

National Science Foundation – Research Experiences for Undergraduates

The National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports paid summer research opportunities at colleges, universities, and research institutions across the United States. Students can explore research experiences in engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, mathematics, psychology, physics, environmental science, and many other disciplines while working closely with faculty mentors.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Summer Internship Program

The NIH Summer Internship Program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to conduct biomedical, behavioral, and public health research alongside leading scientists at NIH campuses across the country. Students gain hands-on laboratory experience while exploring careers in research and graduate education.

U.S. Department of Energy Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS)

The Department of Energy’s Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) office sponsors undergraduate internships, research experiences, and educational programs at DOE national laboratories. Opportunities span physics, engineering, computer science, environmental science, chemistry, mathematics, and energy research.

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)

ORISE manages hundreds of paid internships, fellowships, and research opportunities for undergraduate students, recent graduates, and post-baccalaureate researchers through partnerships with federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, CDC, EPA, FDA, USDA, and others. Opportunities span STEM, public health, environmental science, data science, policy, and more.

Humanities, Arts & Cultural Research

Smithsonian Institution

Offers internships and fellowships across museums and research centers in history, anthropology, archaeology, art history, museum studies, biology, and education.

Library of Congress

Provides internships and research experiences in history, literature, archives, digital humanities, preservation, and public history.

American Museum of Natural History

Offers undergraduate internships in anthropology, earth sciences, biology, astronomy, education, and museum research.

Public Policy, Economics & Social Science Research

RAND Corporation

RAND is an independent nonprofit research organization conducting interdisciplinary research in public policy, economics, education, health care, national security, technology, and the social sciences. Students can explore internships and research opportunities while working on evidence-based solutions to real-world challenges.

Urban Institute

The Urban Institute is an independent nonprofit research organization conducting evidence-based research on housing, education, health, economic mobility, criminal justice, and public policy. Undergraduate students can explore internships and research opportunities in policy analysis and social science research.

Brookings Institution

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy research organization studying economics, governance, foreign policy, metropolitan policy, and global development. Brookings offers internships that provide students with experience in research and policy analysis.

Pew Research Center

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization conducting research on public opinion, demographics, technology, religion, media, and social trends. Students interested in survey research and data analysis can explore internship opportunities.

RTI International

An independent nonprofit research institute with opportunities in public health, education, environmental sciences, data science, economics, and public policy.

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

NBER is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit economic research organizations. Its researchers study labor markets, education, public finance, health economics, international trade, and economic growth. Students interested in economics graduate programs can learn about research assistant opportunities and current research.

Federal Reserve Board

The Federal Reserve System conducts research in economics, finance, labor markets, banking, and monetary policy. Undergraduate students can explore internships and research opportunities at the Board of Governors and regional Federal Reserve Banks.

Mathematica

Mathematica is an independent research organization conducting studies in education, health care, labor markets, disability, nutrition, and public policy. Students interested in quantitative research and program evaluation can explore internships and research careers.

Biomedical & Health Sciences

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The nation’s premier biomedical research agency with undergraduate internships, post-baccalaureate programs, and summer research opportunities.

The Jackson Laboratory

Genetics, genomics, cancer, and biomedical research.

Scripps Research

World-renowned nonprofit research institute specializing in chemistry, immunology, neuroscience, infectious disease, and drug discovery

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Genomics, computational biology, precision medicine, AI, and biomedical engineering.

Science, Engineering & Technology

National Science Foundation (NSF)

Supports research across nearly every STEM discipline and provides information about REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) programs nationwide

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

Search hundreds of paid summer research opportunities in engineering, mathematics, computer science, chemistry, biology, psychology, environmental science, physics, and more.

SRI International

Independent nonprofit research institute working in AI, robotics, education, health, security, climate, and advanced technologies.

Earth, Climate & Environmental Sciences

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Offers undergraduate fellowships and summer student research in marine biology, oceanography, engineering, climate science, and environmental research.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Provides undergraduate internships and fellowships in ecology, environmental science, conservation, and climate research.

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Offers research experiences in ecology, environmental science, disease ecology, and sustainability.

Space, Physics & Engineering

NASA

NASA offers paid internships and research opportunities across engineering, physics, computer science, mathematics, astronomy, communications, and business.

Department of Energy Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)

The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program provides paid internships for undergraduate students and recent graduates at U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories. Participants conduct research alongside leading scientists and engineers in fields such as physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science, mathematics, environmental science, materials science, artificial intelligence, and energy.