About Internship Program

The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) is a partnership between the University of Maryland and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The JIFSAN internship program allows undergraduate students at the University of Maryland, College Park to participate in research at FDA facilities, including the Harvey Wiley Building in College Park and the MOD1 & MOD11 facilities on Muirkirk Road in Laurel, MD. Internships are available in many areas, including but not limited to biology, chemistry, biochemistry, entomology, microbiology, nutritional sciences, toxicology, public health, and a variety of non-laboratory-based projects. Internships require a time commitment of 8-10 hours/week during the semester and 30 hours/week during winter term and summer. The yearly internship cycle begins in Summer and continues through Fall and Spring.

Update: As a result of the restructuring of HHS announced on March 27, 2025, JIFSAN will not be able to support new interns for the 2025-26 cohort year. All submitted applications and selections for interns unfortunately will not be considered at this time. We recognize the time, commitment, and effort contributed to applying to this competitive program and we thank all of the talented undergraduate students who applied and showed their interest in this important work. We hope to have updates that we may share in the future.

Available Internships

A complete listing of current JIFSAN internship projects is available on our INTERNSHIP DATABASE. Projects are generally open for application and advertised no earlier than January and applications must be submitted by March 15. (Applications for 2025-26 are closed.)

Eligibility

  • Enrolled full or part-time as an undergraduate, degree-seeking student at the University of Maryland, College Park
  • Completion of two college semesters prior to internship start date
  • Willingness to devote and ability to commit to ~30 hours/week during summer and 8-10 hours/week during spring and fall semester
  • Foreign Nationals: In order to gain access to FDA facilities individuals must be able to pass a background check that is predicated upon their residency in the U.S. for three full years (a total of 36 months) during the last five years.

To Apply

  • New Interns: Please submit a complete application including: 1) JIFSAN Paid Internship Initial Application, 2) Resume/CV, and 3) Unofficial transcript (including courses for which you are already registered). All three items should be assembled into a single PDF document and uploaded to the webform located at go.umd.edu/JIFSAN2025 . (Applications for 2025-26 are closed.)
  • Continuing Interns: Please complete a JIFSAN Internship Renewal Form every semester and return to both Dr. Kaci Thompson and Erica Mudd by email.

Important Links

Contact Information

Please do not reach out to FDA mentors directly in regards to JIFSAN internships. All queries and applications should be routed to Dr. Kaci Thompson or the JIFSAN office.

Erica Mudd
Program Manager, Payroll and Benefits
301-405-1784
elmudd@umd.edu

Dr. Kaci Thompson
Director of Undergraduate Research and Internship Program
301-405-3353
excels@umd.edu