This page covers research opportunities and internships for undergraduate students at Connecticut colleges and universities, including on-campus faculty labs, summer research programs, pharmaceutical and biotech internships, and public health research positions.
Why Research Matters for Healthcare Applicants
Research experience demonstrates intellectual curiosity, analytical thinking, and the ability to contribute to the scientific foundation of medicine. While not every medical school requires research for admission, the most competitive programs expect it, and it strengthens any application. For students interested in MD-PhD programs (see our MD-PhD page), extensive research is essential. Even for students pursuing clinical careers without a research focus, time in a research lab teaches you to read scientific literature critically, understand study design and statistical analysis, and appreciate the evidence base that informs clinical practice. Connecticut’s research infrastructure, including major research universities, medical centers, and a strong pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector, provides outstanding opportunities for undergraduate researchers.
On-Campus Research at Connecticut Institutions
University of Connecticut: UConn’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) supports students in finding research mentors and provides funding through programs like the UConn SHARE (Summer Humanities and Arts Research Experience) and SURF (Supply Undergraduate Research Fund) awards. The Honors Program encourages thesis research. In the sciences, faculty across biology, chemistry, molecular and cell biology, physiology and neurobiology, pharmacy, and other departments accept undergraduate researchers into their labs. The best strategy for joining a lab is to review faculty profiles on department websites, identify 3 to 5 professors whose research interests align with yours, and email them directly with a brief, professional inquiry about available positions. Visit ugradresearch.uconn.edu.
UConn Health (Farmington): UConn’s medical campus offers summer research programs for undergraduate students, placing them in biomedical research labs alongside graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. These programs typically run 8 to 10 weeks during the summer and may include a stipend. Research areas include genetics, immunology, neuroscience, cancer biology, musculoskeletal biology, and clinical research. Contact the UConn Health Office of Research or specific department coordinators for application information.
Yale University: While primarily serving its own students, Yale’s research enterprise is massive and some labs hire undergraduates from other Connecticut institutions, particularly for summer positions. The Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, and the various basic science departments offer research opportunities in virtually every biomedical discipline. Yale’s Pathways to Science program focuses on increasing research participation among students from underrepresented groups, and some programs may be open to students from other institutions. Visit pathways.yale.edu.
Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Fairfield, and other Connecticut institutions: Faculty at these universities conduct research and often welcome undergraduate research assistants. The process for joining a lab is the same as at larger research universities: identify faculty whose work interests you, read one or two of their recent papers, and send a professional email expressing your interest. Smaller institutions often provide more mentorship and hands-on time with faculty than large research universities where competition for lab positions is intense.
Summer Research Programs (REU and Institutional)
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU): The National Science Foundation funds REU programs at universities across the country, including several in Connecticut and the Northeast. REU programs provide 8 to 10 week summer research experiences with a stipend (typically $5,000 to $7,000), housing, and travel support. They are competitive but open to students from any institution. Biomedical, chemistry, ecology, engineering, and other science REU programs are available. Search the NSF REU database at nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu for programs in Connecticut and neighboring states. Apply early (most deadlines fall between January and March for the following summer).
NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP): The National Institutes of Health offers a competitive summer internship program at its Bethesda, Maryland, campus and some satellite locations. While not in Connecticut, the NIH SIP is one of the most prestigious undergraduate research programs in the country and is accessible to Connecticut students. The program provides a stipend, and the research experience and NIH affiliation significantly strengthen medical school applications. Apply through training.nih.gov/programs/sip.
Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program: The Jackson Laboratory’s main campus in Bar Harbor, Maine, offers a highly regarded summer student program for undergraduates interested in genetics and genomic research. The program includes a stipend, housing, and an intensive 10-week research experience. JAX’s Farmington, CT, campus may also offer local research opportunities. Visit jax.org.
Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry Internships
Connecticut’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector provides industry research and internship opportunities for undergraduate students. Major companies with Connecticut operations include Boehringer Ingelheim (Ridgefield, with research positions in immunology, oncology, and cardiovascular medicine), Bristol Myers Squibb (with Connecticut-based operations), Alexion Pharmaceuticals/AstraZeneca (New Haven, focusing on rare disease therapeutics), Protein Sciences/Sanofi (Meriden), and numerous smaller biotechnology companies in the New Haven, Fairfield County, and Hartford biotech clusters. Industry internships expose you to drug development, regulatory science, clinical trials, manufacturing, and the business of pharmaceuticals, providing career perspective that laboratory-based academic research alone may not offer.
To find industry internships, check company career pages for summer intern postings (typically posted between December and March for the following summer), attend career fairs at your college (many Connecticut companies recruit at UConn, Quinnipiac, and other local schools), and network through your school’s career services office and alumni database. Industry internships often pay competitive stipends ($18 to $30+ per hour) and may lead to post-graduation job offers.
Public Health Research and Internships
Students interested in public health, epidemiology, and community health can find research and internship opportunities at Connecticut’s public health agencies and organizations. The Connecticut Department of Public Health offers internship opportunities in epidemiology, health statistics, environmental health, and health policy. Local health departments in cities like Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, and Stamford hire interns and research assistants for disease surveillance, health education, and community health assessment projects. Academic public health programs at Yale School of Public Health and UConn conduct community-engaged research on topics including health disparities, substance use, mental health, environmental health, and chronic disease prevention. These positions combine research skills with direct community impact and are particularly valuable for students considering MD-MPH dual degrees or public health careers. See our public health career page and MD-MPH page.
Making Research Count on Your Application
The quality and depth of your research experience matters more than the prestige of the institution where you conducted it. Admissions committees look for evidence that you understood the scientific question, contributed meaningfully to the project, can articulate what you learned, and ideally presented your work (poster presentation at a conference, oral presentation at a symposium) or contributed to a publication. If your research does not lead to a publication (most undergraduate research does not), a poster presentation at your school’s research symposium or a regional conference still demonstrates your ability to communicate scientific findings. Ask your research mentor about presentation opportunities and about writing a section of a manuscript or review article. See our Research Experience page for comprehensive guidance.
When approaching a faculty member about joining their lab, prepare a brief email (3 to 4 sentences) that introduces yourself, explains why you are interested in their specific research (reference a recent paper or project), states your availability (how many hours per week, during which semesters), and asks whether they have openings for an undergraduate researcher. Faculty receive many such emails, so specificity and professionalism matter. Mention any relevant coursework, lab skills (if you have them), or prior research experience. If the first professor does not have space, ask whether they can recommend a colleague who might. Persistence is important: most successful undergraduate researchers contacted multiple labs before finding a position.
Connecticut’s academic institutions also host annual undergraduate research symposia where students present poster or oral presentations of their work. UConn’s Frontiers in Undergraduate Research poster exhibition, Quinnipiac’s Academic Festival, and similar events at other schools provide presentation experience that you can list on your medical school application. Ask your research mentor about opportunities to present at regional or national conferences as well. The Experimental Biology meeting, the American Chemical Society regional meetings, and discipline-specific conferences all accept undergraduate poster submissions.
References
NSF. “Research Experiences for Undergraduates.” NSF, 2025. https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/. Accessed March 2026.
University of Connecticut. “Office of Undergraduate Research.” UConn, 2025. https://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/. Accessed March 2026.
NIH. “Summer Internship Program.” NIH, 2025. https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip. Accessed March 2026.