Institute for Genome Sciences
All Departments
Undergraduate Program

Undergraduates: A Summer @ IGS: 

Each summer, we welcome around a dozen undergraduate students to work with faculty on a variety of projects. Some of these students come to us through one several University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) intern programs. Others join us directly by applying to intern openings from IGS projects. 

University of Maryland Scholars Summer Research Program (UM Scholars)

Supporting Undergraduate Members in Microbiology and Immunology Research (SUMMIR)

Nathan Schnaper Intern Program in Translational Cancer Research (NSIP)

National Foundation for Cancer Research Summer Internship (NFCR)

When applying to these programs, if you'd like to work with an IGS faculty member, be sure to indicate that in your application materials. 

IGS Project-Funded Internships:

Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH)
Summer internship program hosted by the Institute for Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Applications are open for in-person, hybrid, and remote interns.

🌟 About the Program

The SCORCH program (more information) is an interdisciplinary research program focused on understanding how opioids, substance use disorders, and HIV affect the brain at the cellular level using cutting-edge single-cell technologies.

The program works to:

✅ Study brain cell changes related to addiction and HIV
✅ Generate and share large-scale molecular data
✅ Advance treatments for substance use disorders and HIV-related neurological effects
✅ Support collaborative biomedical research across institutions

💡 Summer Internship Experience

Interns will gain hands-on exposure to biomedical and data-driven research in areas such as:

🔬 Genomics and single-cell technologies
🧠 Neuroscience and brain research
💻 Data science and bioinformatics
📊 Research analysis and scientific collaboration
🌐 Interdisciplinary team science

Participants will work alongside scientists contributing to cutting-edge HIV and addiction research. These research opportunities are computational based (i.e. no laboratory component) with opportunities to tailor summer projects based on individual’s interest and experience.

Exact start and end dates are flexible and will depend on the applicant's schedule. Interns are expected to devote 30 to 40 hours per week (max 400 hours per summer). Salary is $20 per hour.

Who Should Apply

Ideal candidates are undergraduates interested in:

  • Biology or neuroscience
  • Bioinformatics or data science
  • Medicine or health sciences
  • Computational biology
  • Computer science

Application process: Fill out the form linked below, including resume and cover letter, by April 1. Applications are closed for Summer 2026. Please consider applying next year.

If you have any questions about the above opportunities, please contact igs_outreach@som.umaryland.edu