Communications Summer Internship Program is a 12-week program for rising undergraduate juniors or seniors or graduate students interested in the health and science communications field.
Interns will learn how various communications programs function and receive on-the-job training reporting on NIH events, communicating science to the public, and more. This is a paid internship on NIH’s main campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Interns will have the opportunity to work remotely 2-3 days a week, but will need to be able to come to the Bethesda campus on a regular schedule and on an ad-hoc basis for special events and projects.
Description:
NIH OCPL manages communications on NIH programs and activities to the public, the media, the NIH
community, and research communities. Located in the NIH Office of the Director, OCPL coordinates its
activities with communications offices in NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers.
Interns will receive in-depth exposure to the federal health and science communications environment
while learning professional and team-building skills. Each intern will be assigned a mentor who will
advise them and work together with OCPL’s branch chiefs to set learning objectives and orient the
intern to OCPL. Each intern will be assigned to two OCPL branches for the entire summer, determined by their professional interest and OCPL branch capacity. There will also be opportunities for ad-hoc projects outside of their assigned branches over the course of the summer. The functions of OCPL’s eight branches include:
community, and research communities. Located in the NIH Office of the Director, OCPL coordinates its
activities with communications offices in NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers.
Interns will receive in-depth exposure to the federal health and science communications environment
while learning professional and team-building skills. Each intern will be assigned a mentor who will
advise them and work together with OCPL’s branch chiefs to set learning objectives and orient the
intern to OCPL. Each intern will be assigned to two OCPL branches for the entire summer, determined by their professional interest and OCPL branch capacity. There will also be opportunities for ad-hoc projects outside of their assigned branches over the course of the summer. The functions of OCPL’s eight branches include:
• Strategic communication planning and implementation
• Management, content creation, and strategy for NIH.gov and Salud.nih.gov
• Content creation and strategy for NIH social media platforms
• Media Relations
• Writing and editing press releases and other media products
• Content development, including biomedical graphics, for the NIH Director’s speeches and blog
• Video production
• Tours and management of special events
• Internal communications
• Respond to questions and comments from the public via Ask NIH
• Management of Freedom of Information Act requests
• Spanish language communications
• Creation, design, and distribution of NIH OCPL publications
Eligibility:
Applicants should demonstrate an interest and initiative in the communications areas listed above. A
successful applicant does not necessarily need to be in a communications or journalism program at their
university/college; people come into public health communications from many backgrounds. For
example, many students in scientific degree programs discover they love writing and communicating
about science over lab work.
successful applicant does not necessarily need to be in a communications or journalism program at their
university/college; people come into public health communications from many backgrounds. For
example, many students in scientific degree programs discover they love writing and communicating
about science over lab work.
For the summer 2024 cohort, OCPL plans to hire at most two rising juniors or seniors enrolled in an
undergraduate program and one graduate student.
Applicants’ cumulative unweighted GPA should be 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale.
Other Requirements:
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States.
undergraduate program and one graduate student.
Applicants’ cumulative unweighted GPA should be 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale.
Other Requirements:
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States.
Compensation:
This is a paid internship program through the NIH Pathways Program. Rising undergraduate juniors or
seniors will be paid at the GS-4 or GS-5 level and graduate students will be paid at the GS-7 level,
depending on a combination of work experience and education level.
seniors will be paid at the GS-4 or GS-5 level and graduate students will be paid at the GS-7 level,
depending on a combination of work experience and education level.
Application Process:
Apply on USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/771458400
Additional information:
Interns can benefit from the many resources available on the NIH campus. Interns may use NIH’s many
facilities, attend professional meetings, training seminars, scientific and educational events, and spend
time with peers. Students will also have access to the vast cultural resources of Washington D.C. and the surrounding area.
facilities, attend professional meetings, training seminars, scientific and educational events, and spend
time with peers. Students will also have access to the vast cultural resources of Washington D.C. and the surrounding area.
For information about the program, please contact the internship program office at:
NIH Office of Communications & Public Liaison
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
1 Center Drive, Room 344
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0188
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
1 Center Drive, Room 344
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0188
