Intern Experience

MCRI's Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP) gives students more than just work experience in a research center: SRIP is an opportunity for students to expand their technical skills and develop their professional abilities. In 2022, the program introduced a hybrid option (in-person or remote attendance) to meet the needs of modern research. Interns will be part of and complete the following activities:

  • Develop a concept proposal with a mentor to guide your work for ten weeks (see example)
  • Attend weekly SRIP meetings and meetings with mentor
  • Learn about the abstract and proposal writing process (see abstracts examples)
  • Participate in the fundamentals of grants workshop    
  • Attend and participate in a public speaking series in preparation for the Research Symposium 
  • Engage in special events organized by our Centers and/or researchers (e.g., team meetings, social events, guest speakers, etc.) 
  • Meet with various guest speakers and learn about their work and professional development journey 
  • Present your project at the Research Symposium 

  • Become part of the MCRI research community 

Please reference a draft of the SRIP Intern Handbook for additional details. See an example of the 2024 summer calendar. 

Research Symposium 

Every year, interns and mentors look forward to the end-of-the-summer Research Symposium. In preparation for the event, the SRIP curriculum has been tailored to support interns with their in-person presentation to MCRI, MCHS, donors, and the general public. This is an opportunity for interns to showcase their summer achievements through preparing and delivering a clear, concise presentation of the summer work and main findings. Interns will have the opportunity to practice virtually and receive feedback from their peers and SRIP staff. Mentors are encouraged to schedule separate sessions for their interns to practice their presentation and receive feedback from members of the study team and/or research center. Although SRIP offers a hybrid option, in-person presentations are required. Please see the 2023 Research Symposium to understand the complete depth of the program.