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 of January 2026: JIFSAN will be supporting interns for the 2026-27 year (Summer through Spring). As of now, application links are not live and we are not currently accepting applications but we expect to be updating internship information and providing project listings soon. Please check back for updates, there will be multiple announcements once applications open.

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 2026-27 have not yet opened, please keep checking back.)

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 participate the entire internship year and commit to ~30 hours/week during summer and 8-10 hours/week during spring and fall semester
  • Willingness and ability to participate in Spring Oral Presentations at FDA, showcasing intern research projects with peers, mentors, and leaders. Interns will also complete brief final progress reports at the end of their internship.
  • 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/JIFSAN2026 . (Applications for 2026-27 have not yet opened, please keep checking back for this link to be live.)
  • Current 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