Cancer Research Interns (CRI) Summer Program

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The Cancer Research Interns (CRI) Summer Program provides undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, the opportunity to complete a paid summer internship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Candidates will have the ability to spend up to 12 weeks, exploring opportunities in basic and clinical research, cancer epidemiology and genetics research, cancer control science, as well as global health.

CRI provides valuable research experience combined with mentorship and professional development designed to advance your career in biomedical research. CRI serves to provide a research opportunity to those with limited or no previous research experience. Training at NCI makes individuals highly competitive for future academic and research pursuits. Since its inception in 2004, 465 students have participated in CRI. The majority of CRI Fellows have gone on to complete graduate school or medical school or have entered the scientific workforce.

I benefitted greatly from working in the lab both in terms of tangible bench skills and making very valuable connections…I feel like everyone here is looking out for my success and happy to help me figure out my interests and hone my skills.

Ons Mrad Bouali, Former CRI participant

How to Apply

Information on eligibility, and the application and selection processes can be found at Train at NCI. NCI is committed to training the next generation of scientific leaders. The application cycle is now CLOSED.

Important Program Dates

February 17 - Applicant pool released and published projects become available to selectees
February 17 – March 10 - Interview period
March 17 - Deadline for entering candidate feedback and scoring
March 31 - Final CRI candidate matching

Benefits of a Summer Internship

Spend up to 12 weeks conducting research side-by-side with the nation's best researchers
Participate in a variety of summer activities including summer intensives, preparing for college or graduate/professional school, wellness activities, and more
Present your research at the NIH Summer Poster Day
Meet other students from across the U.S.

My summer research internship at the NCI was a transformative experience. I gained practical skills, from data analysis to lab techniques, that have been invaluable in my academic journey. I also gained an incredible network comprised of researchers and mentors, who provided me with crucial guidance and opened doors for future opportunities.

Brittni Moore, Former CRI participant

For Additional Information

If you have questions about the program, please contact ncicri@nih.gov.

The highlight of my internship was the weekly meetings [where] we got to know the other summer interns and share all the fun and exciting things we were learning. Being a summer intern at NCI was intellectually enlightening and transformative.

Andrea N. Robinson, Former CRI participant