Research Internships
Research internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience, mentorship from working researchers and scientists, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings today concentrate in Food & Beverage and Technology & Software, with Meta, Honda Research Institute USA, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory among the employers posting roles now.
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Grant Writing and Research Intern
Saint Paul, Minnesota | 10–20 hours per week | $15 per hour
Reports to: Program Development Manager
Work arrangement: On-site in Saint Paul, Minnesota | Duration: Minimum six-month commitment
About Project Pathfinder
Project Pathfinder, Inc. (PPI) is a nonprofit behavioral health provider dedicated to preventing sexual violence and supporting safer communities through specialized treatment, prevention, and community partnerships.
The opportunity
Help PPI identify funding opportunities, develop compelling proposals, and organize evidence supporting our programs. Grant development is the primary focus, complemented by program research and copywriting.
What you will do
· Research government grants, requests for proposals, foundations, and corporate giving programs.
· Screen opportunities for eligibility, program fit, deadlines, award size, match requirements, and reporting obligations.
· Maintain a funding calendar and opportunity tracker with recommendations for staff review.
· Draft letters of inquiry, proposal sections, program descriptions, and supporting materials.
· Gather approved budgets, program details, and outcome measures from finance and clinical staff.
· Prepare cited research summaries on behavioral health access and violence prevention.
· Organize reusable proposal content and assist with grant reporting schedules and draft progress reports.
· Help with copyright and trademark protection for PPI’s curricula, program materials, names, and branding by organizing documentation, researching registration requirements, and supporting applications under staff direction.
What you bring
· Current student or recent graduate in law, legal studies, English, communications, public health, social work, public policy, nonprofit management, or a related field. Law students and recent law graduates are encouraged to apply.
· Strong writing, editing, research, and source evaluation skills.
· Attention to instructions and deadlines; comfort using word processing and spreadsheet tools.
· Interest in using AI tools to support funding research, proposal drafting, and research summaries, with careful verification of sources and results and protection of confidential information.
· Grant writing, legal research, or experience with copyright, trademarks, or nonprofit matters is welcome but not required; academic research and writing are relevant.
Learning and supervision
Work directly with PPI’s Program Development Manager and build close working relationships with the entire leadership team. Wear many different hats through assignments across funding research, grant writing, copywriting, program research, and grant reporting to understand how funding and program development work together. The Program Development Manager provides supervision and review. Leadership selects opportunities and authorizes submissions and commitments; clinical staff review treatment-related claims. All interns must protect confidential information and communicate respectfully about the people we serve.
How to apply
Send your résumé, a brief statement of interest, and a writing sample; an academic paper, research summary, or proposal is welcome. Submit materials to Laraine Baker-Pennington at lbakerpennington@projectpathfinder.org. Use “Grant Writing and Research Intern” as the subject line and include your weekly availability and desired internship dates.
Pay: $15.00 per hour
Expected hours: 10.0 – 20.0 per week
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
Work Location: In person
Grant Writing and Research Intern
Saint Paul, Minnesota | 10–20 hours per week | $15 per hour
Reports to: Program Development Manager
Work arrangement: On-site in Saint Paul, Minnesota | Duration: Minimum six-month commitment
About Project Pathfinder
Project Pathfinder, Inc. (PPI) is a nonprofit behavioral health provider dedicated to preventing sexual violence and supporting safer communities through specialized treatment, prevention, and community partnerships.
The opportunity
Help PPI identify funding opportunities, develop compelling proposals, and organize evidence supporting our programs. Grant development is the primary focus, complemented by program research and copywriting.
What you will do
· Research government grants, requests for proposals, foundations, and corporate giving programs.
· Screen opportunities for eligibility, program fit, deadlines, award size, match requirements, and reporting obligations.
· Maintain a funding calendar and opportunity tracker with recommendations for staff review.
· Draft letters of inquiry, proposal sections, program descriptions, and supporting materials.
· Gather approved budgets, program details, and outcome measures from finance and clinical staff.
· Prepare cited research summaries on behavioral health access and violence prevention.
· Organize reusable proposal content and assist with grant reporting schedules and draft progress reports.
· Help with copyright and trademark protection for PPI’s curricula, program materials, names, and branding by organizing documentation, researching registration requirements, and supporting applications under staff direction.
What you bring
· Current student or recent graduate in law, legal studies, English, communications, public health, social work, public policy, nonprofit management, or a related field. Law students and recent law graduates are encouraged to apply.
· Strong writing, editing, research, and source evaluation skills.
· Attention to instructions and deadlines; comfort using word processing and spreadsheet tools.
· Interest in using AI tools to support funding research, proposal drafting, and research summaries, with careful verification of sources and results and protection of confidential information.
· Grant writing, legal research, or experience with copyright, trademarks, or nonprofit matters is welcome but not required; academic research and writing are relevant.
Learning and supervision
Work directly with PPI’s Program Development Manager and build close working relationships with the entire leadership team. Wear many different hats through assignments across funding research, grant writing, copywriting, program research, and grant reporting to understand how funding and program development work together. The Program Development Manager provides supervision and review. Leadership selects opportunities and authorizes submissions and commitments; clinical staff review treatment-related claims. All interns must protect confidential information and communicate respectfully about the people we serve.
How to apply
Send your résumé, a brief statement of interest, and a writing sample; an academic paper, research summary, or proposal is welcome. Submit materials to Laraine Baker-Pennington at lbakerpennington@projectpathfinder.org. Use “Grant Writing and Research Intern” as the subject line and include your weekly availability and desired internship dates.
Pay: $15.00 per hour
Expected hours: 10.0 – 20.0 per week
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
Work Location: In person
Research Internship Market
Who's Hiring
- Meta93
- Honda Research Institute USA30
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory17
- Microsoft10
- General Motors (GM)6
Top Industries Hiring
- Food & Beverage
- Technology & Software
Tips for Your Research Internship Search
Apply earlier than the role posting suggests
Large employers running structured research cohorts recruit summer interns the preceding fall, sometimes closing applications before the calendar year even turns. Smaller labs and co-op programs post closer to start dates. Map out your target employers in August or September and watch for openings instead of waiting until spring.
Build a documented project portfolio before you apply
Hiring teams evaluating research interns expect limited work history and look for evidence of what you can actually do. Two or three complete projects, with the methods, tools, and results written up and linked to a public repository, published analysis, or case study, give recruiters something concrete to assess.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured programs tied to your university, and professors and career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity widens the pool you reach and catches openings that never appear at fairs.
Practice your technical screen out loud before you apply
Research intern interviews typically include a technical screen, a coding assessment on data structures and algorithms for engineering-adjacent roles, an analytics or statistical reasoning exercise for data roles, or a research-design conversation for applied science positions. Practice explaining your reasoning aloud as you work through problems, since interviewers weigh how you think as much as the final answer.
Target structured cohort and rotational programs first
Larger organizations run dedicated research internship pipelines, university hiring programs, rotational cohorts, and lab apprenticeships built to train people new to the field. These programs recruit early, fill fast, and often convert interns at higher rates than ad-hoc roles. Identify the ones that fit your background and apply in the first wave of their recruiting cycle.
Set your work-type filter before you start searching
On-site roles are 40% of the research internships listed here. Decide what you can commit to, city, relocation, or fully remote, before you start reviewing listings. Filtering by location and work type up front on Migrate Mate means you spend time on roles you can actually accept, not sorting through ones you cannot.
Research Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a research internship?
Lead with coursework, personal projects, and a portfolio rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For research candidates, the concrete artifact is a linked portfolio of documented analyses, published findings, or annotated data sets that gives recruiters something real to assess. Combine direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a research internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What actually drives it for research interns is performance on real project work, whether the team has open headcount when your internship ends, and how early you signal interest in returning. Position for a return offer by delivering complete, documented work, without counting on it.
When should I apply for research internships?
Earlier than most expect. Large employers, particularly those running structured cohort programs, recruit summer interns the preceding fall, often with deadlines in September or October. Smaller companies, labs, and co-op programs post closer to their actual start dates, so openings appear year-round. Checking regularly and applying as soon as a role opens gives you the best shot at any cohort size.
Are research internships paid?
Most professional research internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location. Where an employer discloses pay, the listing will show it. Academic lab positions and nonprofit fellowships are more likely to be unpaid or stipend-based, so read each listing carefully before applying.
What should a research internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Feature two or three complete, documented projects that name the tools and methods you used and link to where the work lives, published analyses, annotated data sets, a GitHub repository, or a written case study. Add relevant coursework directly below projects. Keep the whole document to one page.
Are there remote research internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 60% of the research internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast, so apply early and filter by work type to see them before they close.
Can international students get research internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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