Short-Term Residential Research Fellowships and Internships

APS/CSHL Undergraduate Summer Internship in the History of Biology

Apply online by February 2, 2026

The American Philosophical Society’s Center for the History of Science and the Center for Humanities and the History of Modern Biology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory invite applications for a joint summer internship program for undergraduates working on junior or senior research projects related to the history of the life sciences.

This eight-week hybrid internship offers funding for one undergraduate to conduct research using the rich archival collections at both the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. The intern will divide their time between both institutions and will benefit from hands-on research guidance, mentorship, and networking opportunities. The intern will be expected to deliver a presentation on their research as part of the program and complete a short essay or blog post about their work.

The internship will take place from May 18 through July 10, 2026. The intern will be expected to be in-residence at Cold Spring Harbor between June 1-June 12 and at the American Philosophical Society between June 15-June 26. The first and last two weeks of the internship will be completed remotely.

The intern will receive a stipend of $2,000, as well as funding to support travel (up to $500). CSHL and APS will also secure and cover the costs of housing in Cold Spring Harbor and Philadelphia.

Possible research areas include:

  • Genetics, heredity, genomics
  • Genetic engineering
  • Eugenics
  • Molecular biology
  • Microbiology
  • Cancer research
  • Evolution
  • Embryology and development
  • Conferences/symposia and institutional history

Eligibility

  • Applicants must have completed a minimum of two years of their undergraduate studies and be entering their third or fourth year.
  • Applicants must be currently enrolled or have recently graduated from a U.S.-based college or university. The internship is open to non-U.S. citizens or residents, but does not provide visa sponsorship.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who have completed a research paper related to the history of biology or who have previously taken a seminar on a similar topic.

Terms

  • 8-week internship with 4 weeks of onsite research divided between Cold Spring Harbor, NY and Philadelphia, PA
  • $2,000 Living Stipend
  • Travel and Accommodations Covered

Application Instructions
Applicants will submit:

1. Resume or curriculum vitae      

2. Two letters of reference

3. A single document containing two short essays addressing each of the following topics (250 words each):

A statement of interest in the internship including discussion of how it supports the applicant’s career goals;

A summary of which APS and CSHL collections the applicant plans to use during the internship. Information about collections at CSHL may be found here. Information about available materials at the APS may be found here.

4. Writing sample (optional)

 

Applications will be submitted by February 2, 2026. Notifications will be sent in March 2026.

For questions related to the APS, or if you have any problems accessing the application form, please contact Adrianna Link at [email protected]. For questions about Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, please contact Tricia Loria at [email protected].