FDA Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: October 2026

The FDA doesn't run one intern class. Most student placements go through the ORISE Research Participation Program, where each posting is a specific research project with its own mentor and deadline. On 16 October 2026 there were 74 open FDA opportunities in the ORISE catalog, and only 11 listed undergraduates as eligible. The FDA's other student routes are a paid Pathways internship with nothing posted today, an unpaid volunteer program, and an Office of Policy internship that's suspended. In plain words: you apply to a posting now, you intern in summer 2027. No posting is titled "Summer 2027" yet, and ORISE doesn't publish stipend amounts.

Quick Facts

ORISE postings are open year-round with deadlines set by each mentor; no FDA summer 2027 cohort page has appeared, and Pathways has no open announcement.

Externships are short remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The TruBridge Healthcare Data Analytics Externship builds healthcare data skills, and the ARCeH Data Analytics, Health Outcomes Externship gives you a health-outcomes dataset to analyze. Explore all Externships.

What Is an FDA Internship?

An FDA internship is usually a research placement through ORISE, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which the Department of Energy runs under an agreement with the FDA. The FDA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has more than 18,000 employees and is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Students work on one project with an FDA mentor at a center such as CDER, CDRH, CBER or NCTR. ORISE participants aren't FDA employees. The FDA also lists a Pathways program for paid federal student jobs, but nothing is posted today.

When Do FDA Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

ORISE postings go up all year, so there is no single FDA wave. In 2025, summer cohort pages opened around 1 October 2024 (per an ORISE mailing and the 2025 postings) and closed between February and June 2025: NCTR on 15 February, CDER on 18 April and CDRH on 30 June. That's about 7 months from opening to a May or June start. No 2026 or 2027 summer cohort page has appeared, so treat any summer 2027 timing as expected, not confirmed.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

ORISE postings are rolling. Each one says mentors review applications as they arrive, and a posting may close before its deadline. Your application stays invisible to the mentor until a recommendation arrives, so request one before you start. Apply early: the background check and health insurance setup add weeks before you can begin.

Which FDA Internship Programs Should You Target?

The FDA keeps four student routes separate, and they differ in pay and who can apply.

The FDA's student programs hub also lists science internships at NCTR, a pharmacy experiential program and other routes. Some of those pages are older, so confirm details on the FDA page before you rely on them. Two live ORISE internships open to undergraduates are FDA-CDER-2026-0182 and FDA-CDRH-2026-0008.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Rules come from the ORISE FDA pages and the live postings.

• Education: enrolled in an accredited U.S. institution and pursuing a STEM degree, with satisfactory progress. Several undergraduate-eligible postings want a degree received within the last 60 months or expected by mid-2027, which suits graduating seniors.

• Citizenship: usually U.S. citizens, J-1 visitors and other approved statuses; some offices are citizen-only. Foreign nationals must have lived in the U.S. 36 of the past 60 months.

• Age and insurance: 18 or older, and health insurance from the first day through the appointment.

• Application package: the ORISE application, resume or CV, official transcript and a recommendation.

• Ethics: applicants with prohibited financial interests in significantly regulated organizations aren't placed unless they divest.

Can Freshmen and Sophomores Apply?

Rarely. Of the 74 live postings, only 11 list undergraduates, and those still set degree-timing windows. Lower-division students generally won't qualify. NCTR's 2025 summer pages listed a 2.5 minimum GPA, while most CDER and CDRH postings state none. Early in your degree? Look at the Student Volunteer Service Program, or watch for Pathways announcements.

What Skills Does the FDA Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

The FDA's postings are project descriptions, so the skills come from what each project says. Across the 11 undergraduate-eligible postings, regulatory science, data and computational methods, chemistry and analytical methods and statistics come up most. One project names NMR, dynamic light scattering and chromatography. Every posting pairs you with a mentor. Several ask for reports and presentations.

How Is Demand for Research Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row links a skill from the FDA's postings to a remote Externship that gives you a project to describe.

None of these Externships is connected to the FDA. They give you a finished project to describe, which helps for a STEM research posting where mentors choose among fully submitted applications.

What Is the FDA Application and Interview Process Like?

The ORISE process works posting by posting.

1. Create a Zintellect profile. Browse the ORISE FDA catalog and search by reference code and mentor, not by "FDA internship."

2. Apply to a specific posting. Submit the ORISE application, resume, official transcript and a recommendation.

3. Mentor selection. ORISE prescreens only; the mentor selects from fully submitted applications and sets the review time.

4. Appointment and background check. ORISE sends an appointment letter, you confirm health insurance and citizenship, and a background check runs before your stipend starts.

Contact a mentor only as the posting directs.

What Students on Reddit Say

No first-hand undergraduate FDA internship accounts were readable on Reddit, so these cards cover the ORISE process.

How Do You Stand Out for an FDA Internship?

First, read the degree-timing line in each posting and target projects that fit your coursework. Second, line up the recommendation early. The mentor can't see your application without it. Third, show the method skills a project names, such as statistics, analytical chemistry or data analysis, with something you finished. The FDA publishes no class size, acceptance rate or conversion rate, and the ORISE stipend amount isn't posted.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students targeting the FDA often also look at other federal science agencies and regulated employers.

For more federal options and USAJOBS timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 FDA internship?

No. No summer 2026 cohort page was found; the 2025 summer pages closed between February and June 2025. ORISE does post year-round, so apply to a current project now. Undergraduate-eligible postings run from 30 October 2026 to October 2027, and none is titled Summer 2027.

Does the FDA have an internship program?

Yes, several. The main route is the ORISE Research Participation Program, which pays a stipend. The FDA also lists a Pathways Internship Program on USAJOBS, an unpaid Student Volunteer Service Program and an Office of Policy internship, which the FDA page says is suspended until further notice.

Are FDA internships paid?

ORISE participants receive a monthly stipend set by education level, but the dollar amounts aren't published on the ORISE page or in the postings. Pathways is paid when an announcement is open. The Student Volunteer Service Program and the Office of Policy internship are unpaid.

When should I apply for summer 2027?

Apply to a current ORISE posting now, since postings are rolling and mentors review as applications arrive. A dedicated summer 2027 cohort page hasn't appeared. In 2025, center summer pages opened about 1 October and closed February to June, which is an expected pattern only.

Can undergraduates apply?

Some can. Of 74 open ORISE postings on 16 October 2026, 11 list undergraduate students. Those postings often ask for a degree received within 60 months or expected by mid-2027, so they suit graduating seniors. Freshmen and sophomores should consider the volunteer program or watch for Pathways.

Do I need to be a U.S. citizen?

Not always. ORISE allows U.S. citizens, J-1 visitors and other approved statuses, though some offices are citizen-only, and foreign nationals must have lived in the U.S. 36 of the past 60 months. Pathways requires U.S. citizenship under the federal rule.

Where are FDA interns located?

Mostly Silver Spring and White Oak, Maryland, where the FDA is headquartered. Some projects are at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson, Arkansas, and one posting is in St. Louis, Missouri. Postings are full-time unless stated, and some say the location varies.

Is a STEM major required?

For ORISE, yes: student eligibility is a STEM degree. Policy and non-STEM options are limited to the Student Volunteer Service Program and Pathways when posted. The Office of Policy internship, which would have suited policy students, is suspended, so check the FDA page for updates.

ORISE postings are open now, and some close as soon as 30 October 2026. Browse the catalog by center, line up your recommendation, and if you want a finished project to point to, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.