US Biomedical Research internship programs

Our ten-week Summer of Science Internship Program provides research training opportunities for students to actively contribute to a team project in industry research. This program enables students to gain research experience that enhances their preparation for careers in biomedical research and application to top graduate programs. Interns will learn about BR’s approach 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 or San Diego, California. 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. Double majors and/or minors in both STEM and business or finance are also encouraged to apply for a limited number of slots to be paired with BR finance mentor.

About the program

A BR Summer Internship is a unique opportunity for all qualified college students who meet the eligibility requirements 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 doctoral degree programs. We encourage students from all backgrounds, including those who are attending Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) or Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs) to apply. We also encourage students from IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) programs, which are statewide biomedical research networks of higher education and research institutions in IDeA-states and Puerto Rico to apply.

Program highlights

As a Summer Intern, you will design and conduct your own project with mentoring from a BR scientist. You will also participate in a vibrant research community while engaging in opportunities for professional development.

• 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 Life Sciences industry experts; showcasing your results to the broader Novartis BR community; evaluating scientific articles in a fun and interactive setting
• Professional development: exploring the diversity of career options of a scientist in the biomedical industry, while 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

We encourage applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds and encourage those who may be first-generation college students, aspiring first generation scientific professionals, 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:

• 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 Ph.D. in a biomedical field

Students who are enrolled in Ph.D., Master’s, PharmD, or M.D. programs are not eligible to apply to 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. 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: BR Summer Internships are available at our research headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts or our West Coast site in San Diego, California.

Application process

Deadlines

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, Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV), 3 letters of references, and an official transcript from your academic institution. All documents uploaded must use the pdf file format.

Please click the link below to apply. The application link will be active only during the open application period. All application materials must be received by the deadlines 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 December through February. Successful applicants will be notified for offers on a rolling basis through the end of February.

For questions regarding the BR Summer of Science Internship Program, please contact us at the following email: future.talent@novartis.com. 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. Our program is dedicated to providing research training opportunities for talented students to increase their competitiveness for Ph.D. biomedical degree programs. Selected Postbac Interns will perform independent research with a dedicated Novartis scientific mentoring supervisor.

About the program

A BR Postbaccalaureate Internship is a unique opportunity for all qualified recent college graduates who meet the eligibility requirements and are highly motivated to pursue their PhD in a STEM field and 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 Life Science professionals in an internationally renowned industry environment. This program aims to prepare interns for highly competitive doctoral degree programs. We encourage students from all backgrounds, including those who are attending or have recently attended Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) or Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs) to apply. We also encourage applicants from IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) programs, which are statewide biomedical research networks of higher education and research institutions in IDeA-states and Puerto Rico to apply.

Program highlights

As a PRISM Intern, you will work on your own project with mentoring from a Novartis BR scientist, as well as participate in professional development activities to expand your research capabilities in a vibrant community. 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 an interactive setting, development of presentation skills including active listening, collaborative problem solving and active team meeting participation.
• Professional development: engaging in graduate school preparations; participating in a thriving community of scholars, post-docs, and industry mentors.

Eligibility

We encourage applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds and encourage those who may be first-generation college students, aspiring first generation scientific professionals, and individuals with a disability that inhibits one or more major life activities 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. Candidates would need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Students who will be completing their undergraduate studies (in biological sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computational sciences, biomedical engineering, or other STEM majors) prior to the start of the program.
• Individuals who are current seniors or completed their bachelor’s degree the previous year.
• Students and recent graduates should have a strong desire to pursue a PhD in the biological sciences, chemistry, computational sciences, or other STEM fields.
• Applicants must attend or have attended a university in a US state or territory and be eligible to work in the United States (US Citizens & Green Card holders only and be able to commit to a 2-year program).

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

Pay

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

Travel Assistance: Assistance for 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 travel assistance.

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

Application process

Deadlines

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, Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV), and an official transcript from your academic institution. In addition, you will need to request 3 letters of references; 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 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(s) of the PRISM Program team. Follow-up interviews include virtual meetings with the PRISM Program team Novartis scientists .

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