The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard offers a paid summer internship in science writing and communications.
We are not currently accepting applications for this internship.
Launched in 2004, the Broad is a biomedical research center located in Cambridge, MA. The institute is dedicated to understanding the roots of disease and closing the gap between new biological insights and impact for patients.
This paid summer internship, based in the Office of Communications, is 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 social media 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 6,000 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 internship is full-time (40 hours/week) and runs 12 weeks, starting in May or June and ending in August or September. Salary is $22/hour.
Interns may work remotely, must be based in and be able to work in the US, and must be available to work during East Coast business hours. However, strong preference will be given to applicants who can participate on-site.
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 no longer accepting applications for our summer 2025 internship. The next application window, for the summer 2026, will open in early 2026. If you have any questions, contact Tom Ulrich (tulrich@broadinstitute.org).
Past interns
- Summer 2024: Ari Navetta, Tufts University
- Winter 2024: Claire Hendershot, graduate student, Johns Hopkins University Science Writing Program
- Summer 2023: Makenzie Kohler, graduate student, Texas A&M University Science & Technology Journalism Program
- Winter 2023: Andrea Tamayo, University of Florida
- Summer 2022: Alex Viveros, Tufts University
- Winter 2022: Nora Bradford, doctoral student, University of California, Irvine
- Summer 2021: Natalia Mesa, doctoral student, University of Washington & Allen Institute
- Winter 2021: Calley Jones, postdoctoral fellow, Mayo Clinic
- Summer 2019: Abbey Bigler, graduate student, Boston University College of Communication Science Journalism Program
