The Howard Hughes Medical Institute/National Institutes of Health/Montgomery County Public Schools (HHMI/NIH/MCPS) Student Intern Program is funded by a grant from the HHMI. This year-long educational experience is open to MCPS high school students and is managed by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

A student internship at the NIH is a demanding and extremely rewarding experience that will be offered to up to 20 MCPS juniors and/or seniors who best meet the following criteria:

Selection Criteria for Students:

• Grade point average of 3.0 or higher
• Demonstrate significant interest in exploring a career in biomedical research
• Completed algebra 2, biology, and chemistry, or are taking algebra 2 and chemistry concurrently
• Excellent attendance record
• Produce assignments of high quality in a timely manner
• 16th birthday on or before July 1 of the internship year
• U.S. citizen or hold a valid Green Card

The intern experience will begin on the Monday after the school year ends, with a one-week course in biotechnology, research methods, and introduction to the NIH. After the week of training, student interns will enter their chosen laboratories to begin seven weeks of full-time research. An honorarium of $1,600 will be paid in two installments for the eight weeks and students will earn one credit with grade. Students who successfully complete the summer program will continue their internship during the academic year and earn two additional honors credits per semester, earning five credits for the total intern experience. Student who do not complete the summer program may not continue in the following academic year and will not earn any credit. The HHMI/NIH/MCPS Student Intern Program is a twelve-month commitment. Shortly after school begins in September, student interns will start working in their laboratories four afternoons a week on their own research projects, continuing through the spring, and culminating with a dinner symposium in May. At that time, students will present summaries of their research.

During the academic year, student interns should enroll in a maximum of four classes at their home schools. The remainder of the day is reserved for their laboratory work at NIH. They will spend a minimum of 16 hours per week in their laboratories. Friday afternoons will be reserved for make-up work and group meeting with the intern coordinator. Student interns will not be able to participate in regularly scheduled after-school activities, such as sports or band.

Each high school may submit four applications, with the final decision being made by the principal. The application is a two-step process. Begin here

If selected for this program, you will also be required to provide the following items before your beginning the NIH Summer Internship:

• Parent/Guardian Permission Form
• Unofficial High School Transcript of Grades