INTERNSHIPS
The BEST Program supports two types of internship opportunities: “Mini-internships” and “Internships”
“Mini-internships”
Mini-internships are a time-efficient way to experience and learn about careers beyond academic research, such as science policy, biotechnology, intellectual property, science communications, and health care. These often involve a visit to the “mini-internship” host site, and activities, tours, or projects designed to inform trainees on the nature of the profession, important challenges in the field, and required skills. Trainees may participate in one or more mini-internships, the majority of which will require a commitment of between 1 and 7 days.
“Internships”
The BEST program will also facilitate matching students to internships of longer durations as they come available, and will provide a limited number of travel stipends to attend internships outside the Roanoke-Blacksburg region. If you have already identified an internship and would like to apply for a travel stipend, please fill out our BEST Travel Award application. A programming committee will determine if the internship meets the program goals.
Program Details
Location: Mini-internships and internships will be offered at companies or organizations with a biomedical or health focus. Some of these internships will be located at Virginia Tech facilities in Blacksburg and Roanoke, VA, the Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, VA, or Virginia Tech facilities in the National Capital Region in Washington, D.C.
Trainee Commitment: Upon completion of the mini-internship or internship, trainees will complete a short questionnaire to evaluate the quality and appropriateness of the particular experience; this survey should take 10 minutes to complete. Trainees will also take the annual BEST Survey at the end of their experiences that should take less than 30 minutes to complete. This BEST survey will be issued annually for 10 years.
We are currently building our internship database. A sign-up sheet will be posted once these internship activities are available. Individuals and organizations interested in hosting internships may sign up here.
