If I were to tell you that I have a very important similarity to people like Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, and Mindy Kaling, what would you say? Your first reaction might be, “Obviously, Lyric. We already know that you are all so wildly famous that you can’t go to the grocery store without a sharpie to sign autographs for your fans.” Unfortunately, I have not (yet) achieved that level of fame, wealth, or recognition. In actuality, the real connection I have to these celebrities is that we all started our careers off with an internship!
In the beginning of my career, I knew I loved science but had a sense that being at the bench wasn’t the path I wanted to pursue. As a scientist pursuing a Ph.D., this was a scary thought! What other careers were out there for people who wanted to advance science by identifying problems, generating evidence, and communicating findings outside of the lab? Fortunately, I had already discovered the value of a professional network, and mine turned me on to an internship with AAAS that allowed me to explore the policy world. I think it is fair to say that I never looked back after learning about how much I can contribute to furthering research through policy.
When I began my leadership role at OSP, one of my primary goals was to develop a world-class paid internship program that could provide access for budding policy professionals to gain exposure to the exciting world of science policy. Last summer, we launched the first official OSP Summer Internship Program, and I think it was a phenomenal success. The applicant pool was fierce, and the interns selected gained valuable experience in how a government policy office operates: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Conversely, OSP also learned from our interns some valuable lessons from their perspectives and experiences, (at the end of this piece, please see some testimonials from our inaugural class of interns) and they substantially contributed to some of the major issues we were working on at the time.
With our first year under our belts, I am beaming with excitement to launch year two. We are now accepting applications for the 2024 Summer Internship Program! After looking at the 2023 Program, we made some enhancements that will make things even better. The biggest change is the 2024 Program will be open to undergraduates as well as students in a graduate or professional degree-seeking program. Another change we have made is the application process. OSP has developed an easy-to-use portal that allows applicants to easily determine eligibility and submit documentation and references.
Applications for the 2024 OSP Summer Internship Program will be accepted until February 12, 2024. Full information on the opportunities available, eligibility, and how to apply can be found at: https://osp.od.nih.gov/the-2024-nih-office-of-science-policy-summer-internship-program/.
I encourage anyone with an interest in a policy career to apply for the 2024 OSP Summer Internship Program. One day you could add your name to mine, Steven’s, Tom’s, and Oprah’s and Mindy’s as intern alums.
PS: Another benefit of an internship is that you get to call celebrities who also interned by their first names even if you have never meet them!
Straight From the Class of ‘23
 | Name: Nina D’Amiano, MPH (MD expected May 2024) Institution: Johns Hopkins University What would you say was your biggest takeaway from the OSP Internship Program? At OSP, I learned about the appropriations process and selection of policy priorities. My main project was to coordinate with various NIH ICOs to prepare the annual NIH Congressional Justification. I recognized the need for experts to participate in policy and the legislative processes and gained experience translating technical, scientific knowledge into language that is understandable and useful to decision makers and the public alike. I saw how research-derived scientific knowledge can be applied to real-world policies that directly impact Americans. I hope to pursue a career in medicine through which I can impact health outcomes through policy and advocacy. |
 | Name: Abigail McElroy (PhD student in Neuroscience) Institution: Emory University What did you enjoy most during your time as an intern at OSP? I started this internship having a longstanding curiosity about science policy, but not really knowing anything about what it was or how it worked. I was excited to get to see what the field was like close-up and enjoyed getting to interface with people in the policy office and find out what they did. I especially liked reading the Request for Information responses and getting to be a part of how those public comments would be incorporated into the policies OSP were crafting. |
