Imagine performing research at a leading global pharmaceutical corporation while gaining practical experience and contributing to the search for new disease therapies. Through internship programs at the Biomedical Research (BR) division of Novartis, your contribution to the search for new disease therapies can begin early in your scientific education journey. Our internship programs are designed to introduce talented students and recent college graduates to drug discovery research together with rigorous training and development opportunities.

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Our ten-week Summer of Science Internship Program provides research training opportunities for top-tier students who have minimal exposure to industry research. This program enables students to gain research experience that enhances their preparation for careers in biomedical research and application to top graduate and professional programs. Interns will learn about BR’s approaches to patient-driven research as they work on their own research project under the guidance of a BR scientist mentor at our research facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts. BR's research covers many disease, science, and technology areas that allow us to closely match each intern’s specific interests with one of our labs.

About the program

A BR Summer Internship is a unique opportunity for top-tier college students to gain research experience in a biomedical industry setting. Interns are mentored by BR scientists who are passionate about patient-driven approaches to drug discovery research and motivated to enhance students’ preparation for graduate and professional degree programs.

Program highlights

As a Summer Intern, you will design and conduct your own project with support of a BR scientist. You will also participate in professional development and social activities.

  • Research project: designing and executing experiments; analyzing your own data, learning new experimental techniques, and building your understanding of scientific concepts
  • Scientific development: learning about drug discovery projects from experts; showcasing your results to the broader BR community; evaluating scientific articles in a fun and interactive setting
  • Professional development: exploring the diversity of career options the biomedical industry has to offer; engaging in graduate/professional school preparations; cultivating your network with fellow interns and BR scientific leaders
  • Social activities: fostering collegial interactions during formal and informal social activities; participating in welcome and farewell events

Eligibility

Inclusion of the broadest and best talent is very important to us. We encourage applications from talented individuals who are currently underserved in the sciences as defined by NIH. Examples include first-generation college students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, individuals with learning differences, under-represented minorities in the sciences, and individuals with a disability that inhibits one or more major life activities. We also encourage Military veterans to apply who are currently enrolled in a 4-year college/university. All candidates would need to meet the following criteria to apply:

  • Applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the start of the program
  • Applicants must have completed at least three semesters or four quarters at an accredited U.S. college or university before the start of the internship
  • Applicants must attend a school in a U.S. state or territory and be eligible to work in the United States
  • Applicants must have a strong desire to pursue a career in a biomedical field
  • Applicants should have a GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, however, this comprises only one element of the application, which is reviewed in its totality

Students who are enrolled in Ph.D., Master’s, PharmD, or M.D. programs are not eligible for this program.

Pay

The program is a paid, full-time, research opportunity. Pay is competitive with local internship wages.

Housing and Travel: Financial support for housing, travel, and local transit systems will be provided based on the Company's non-discriminatory assessment of the applicant's need. All interns have the opportunity to reside in local university residences within the heart of the city, where access to local transit systems is readily available.

Health Insurance: The Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law requires that all adult residents (permanent and temporary), age 18 and older, must have health insurance. In Cambridge, health insurance will be provided to those who will not have continuous coverage from another source during the summer.

Locations: NIBR Summer Internships are available at our research headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Application process

Deadlines

Application DeadlineIntern NotificationsStart DateProgram Length
December 31, 2023February - March 2024End of May/first of June 202410 weeks

Online application

To apply, you must use the link to the application portal below. Please note that this on-line application process requires uploading a Cover Letter, Personal Statement, Curriculum Vitae (CV), a list of 2-3 references, and a transcript from your academic institution (non-official transcripts from academic institutions are acceptable). All documents uploaded must use the pdf file format.

Please click the link below for more details and to apply. The applications link will be active only during the open applications period. All application materials must be received by the deadline indicated in the application portal.

Use this link: https://nibr-bei.smapply.io/ to begin the application process. You will have the opportunity to select one or more areas of interest in the on-line application.

All applicants will receive an automated email notification that their application has been received. Applicants chosen for interviews will be contacted between January and March. Successful applicants will be notified for offers on a rolling basis through early March.

For questions regarding the BR Summer of Science Internship Program, please contact us at: [email protected]. Please note, we are not able to accept or respond to applications sent by email.

Our Postbaccalaureate Research InternShip & Mentoring (PRISM) Program is an intensive 2-year research and professional development experience at BR in Cambridge, Massachusetts or Emeryville, California. It is dedicated to providing research training opportunities for highly talented students from historically underserved communities and increasing their competiveness for top-tier biomedical graduate degree programs. Selected scholars will perform independent research with a dedicated scientific mentor, as well as participate in a robust curriculum that includes career panels, seminar series, graduate school preparations as well as professional and personal development workshops.

About the program

A BR Postbaccalaureate Internship is a unique opportunity for recent college graduates who are motivated to pursue a professional career in biomedical research. Interns will spend 2 years at BR conducting an independent research project with the guidance of scientific experts and other professionals in an internationally renowned industry environment. This program aims to prepare interns for highly competitive graduate and professional degree programs.

Program highlights

As a PRISM Intern, you will work on your own project with the guidance of a BR scientist as well as participate in professional development and social activities. This program includes the following elements:

  • Scientific excellence: performing innovative and interdisciplinary basic research to deepen your understanding of scientific concepts.
  • Scientific communication: sharing your research at local seminars and national conferences; evaluating scientific articles in a fun and interactive setting, training not only in presentation skills but skills on active listening and learning to remember to be able approach projects and meetings alike as a more efficient scientist and team member.
  • Professional development: engaging in graduate/professional school preparations; participating in a thriving community of scholars, post-docs, and mentors.
  • Academic partnerships: fostering collegial interactions with partner institutions and at welcome & farewell events; enrolling in foundational coursework and working with an external faculty advisor at a prestigious local university.

Eligibility

This program is dedicated to providing research training opportunities for highly talented students from historically underserved communities as defined by NIH. First-generation college students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, individuals with learning differences, individuals with a disability that inhibits one or more major life activities, and/or under-represented minorities in the sciences who meet the criteria indicated below are invited to apply to this program. Military veterans currently enrolled in a 4-year college/university are also eligible to apply. All candidates would need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Students who will be completing their undergraduate studies (in biological sciences, chemistry, computational sciences, biomedical engineering, or pharmacology) prior to the start of the program.
  • Individuals within one year of completing their bachelor's degree.
  • Students and recent graduates should have a strong desire to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD in the biological sciences, chemistry, or computational sciences.
  • Candidates should have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 out of a 4.0 scale.
  • Applicants must attend or have attended a university in a US state or territory and be eligible to work in the United States.

 Students who are enrolled in Ph.D., Master’s, PharmD, or M.D. programs are not eligible for this program.

Pay

This is a paid research opportunity. Pay is competitive with local first-year graduate student stipends.

Housing and travel: Housing assistance for 30 days, as well as initial travel to the research site, will be provided for students living greater than 50 miles away from the research site. Students with a local permanent address will not qualify for assistance.

Location: BR PRISM Internships are available at our research headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts or our satellite West Coast site in Emeryville, California.

Application process

Deadlines

Application DeadlineFinalist NotificationsStart DateProgram Length
January 31, 2024April/May 2024August 20242 years

Online application

To apply, you must use the link to the application portal below. Please note that this on-line application process requires uploading a Cover Letter, Personal Statement, Curriculum Vitae (CV), and an official transcript from your academic institution. In addition, you will need to request 2-3 letters of reference; a link will be available within your application to share with your references for them to upload their letters directly to your application. All documents uploaded must use the pdf file format.

Please click the link below for more details and to apply. The application link will be active only during the open applications period. All application materials must be received by the deadline indicated in the application portal.

Use this link: https://nibr-bei.smapply.io/ to begin the application process. You will have the opportunity to select one or more areas of interest in the on-line application.

All applicants will receive an automated email notification that their application has been received. Finalists will be contacted according to the timeline indicated above.

Interviews

Selected candidates will have an initial phone interview with a member of the PRISM Program team. The second interview stage includes a virtual visit during which the candidate meets with potential mentors, current Postbaccalaureate interns, and the PRISM Program team. This second interview stage will determine our final selection of interns and mentor/intern matches.

For questions regarding the BR Postbaccalaureate InternShip & Mentoring (PRISM) Program that are not covered here, please contact us at: [email protected]. Note, we are not able to accept or respond to applications sent by email.