Natural History SURF with the Smithsonian
A summer research internship for undergraduates funded by the National Science Foundation.
The National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, hosts a world-class research staff and unparalleled scientific research collections. NHRE summer internships pair undergraduates with museum scientists to complete a research project in Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Invertebrate Zoology, Mineral Science, Paleobiology, or Vertebrate Zoology. Although the majority of time during the internship is spent working on the research project, there are additional events including lectures, tours of museum collections, and other activities related to natural history research.
The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is located on the National Mall in the heart of Washington DC. The program runs for 10 weeks starting the day after Memorial Day. Participating students will receive a stipend of $6,000 and be provided with housing in a dormitory at George Washington University. A relocation allowance may also be available.
Previous research experience is not required, and we encourage applications from minorities and members of other groups underrepresented in the sciences.
Applying to NHRE
As part of the application procedure, students will need to identify a field of interest and/or specific individuals with whom they are interested in working. Information about research areas and staff directories can be found through the department websites listed to the right. Students can also browse past projects from previous years for inspiration using the navigation link on the left.
Students selected for placement in the NHRE program will be given full details about their specific research mentor, department, and project in the offer letter.
The deadline for submitting an application to NHRE for this summer is Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
Applicants selected to be in the pool of finalists will be notified of their status by February 28. We will start to make offers by mid-March and all applicants will be notified of their final status by April 1st.