Science writing and communications internship

Launched in 2004, the Broad is a biomedical research center located in Cambridge, MA. The institute is dedicated to improving human health by using genomics to advance our understanding of the biology and treatment of human disease, and to helping lay the groundwork for a new generation of therapies.

These paid winter and summer internships, based in the Office of Communications, are designed to provide interns with a comprehensive, mentored experience that touches on many of the major activities of a communications department in an academic research institute.

Interns gain experience in a variety of science writing and communications approaches. In particular, interns have opportunities to:

• Research, report, and write stories, Q&As, blog posts, and other content for the Broad Institute website, all geared toward a smart, curious lay audience.
• Develop new content for the Broad's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
• Collaborate with designers to develop infographics and other visual material.
• Develop, draft, and edit video scripts.
• Write for our internal newsletter, which is read weekly by more than 4,000 members of the Broad community.

Interns also have opportunities to attend seminars featuring Broad scientists presenting research in progress, and to work with Broad scientists to translate and communicate new scientific findings. 

By the end of the internship, interns should have a strong portfolio of clips as well as established contacts within the Broad's research community, which includes leading scientists from MIT, Harvard, and Harvard-affiliated hospitals.

The winter internship is part-time (20 hours/week) and runs 12 weeks, starting in January and ending in March or April. The summer internship is full-time (40 hours/week) and also runs 12 weeks, starting in May or June and ending in August.

Interns may work remotely, must be based in and be able to work in the US, and must be willing to work East Coast business hours. Salary is $22/hour.

We are looking for candidates who have:

• A bachelor’s degree or higher
• Excellent writing and communications skills for a nontechnical audience
• A passion for communicating science to the public
• An ability to meet deadlines and handle multiple projects at once
• An enthusiasm for learning 

Background in science, journalism (especially science journalism), and/or multimedia production is a plus. 

The Broad Institute will not offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.

How to apply

We are not currently accepting applications for these internships. For more information contact Tom Ulrich (tulrich@broadinstitute.org).

Past interns

• Summer 2021: Natalia Mesa, doctoral student, University of Washington & Allen Institute (now at The Scientist)
• Winter 2021: Calley Jones, postdoctoral fellow, Mayo Clinic (now at the American Association for Cancer Research)
• Summer 2019: Abbey Bigler, Science Journalism Program, Boston University College of Communication (now at IQ Solutions)