Internship

Master’s internships

Are you a student enrolled in a master’s program in (applied) data science / computer science or a related field, and interested in gaining experience in bioinformatics? Or are you enrolled in a bioinformatics program and would like to do a research project related to computational genomics? We have multiple projects suitable for a master’s internship/thesis! Please consider the following before applying:

• We can only offer internships that involve a minimum of 6 months of research work.
• Students must already bring strong programming skills in a language appropriate for bioinformatics, such as Python, R, Java, C/C++ or Rust. Additionally, some linux or bash skills are desirable.
• For the students with technical background, the knowledge of biology is not required. We expect you to bring in good foundation in data science and/or algorithms. An interest in learning the biological background behind our project (particularly the data generation process) is desirable.
• For students with life science background, the knowledge of data science or algorithms is not necessary. We expect you to bring in a solid understanding of molecular biology and (regulatory) genomics. An interest in learning the statistical and algorithmic foundation of data analysis is desirable.

For students enrolled in molecular life sciences / genetics / biomedical sciences programs, we have opportunities for specific mixed (wet+dry lab) projects from time to time. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in such projects.

For students in UU BiBC program, we only provide the second, 6 month internship (under GSLS profile: general research).

Application process

Before applying, please collect the following information for us:

• Inform the supervisor of your previous internship to prepare a reference letter to be sent (directly) to us, outlining your research and writing/presenting skills and work ethics.
• Provide us (link to) a code repository or a practical assignment result/report which highlights your programming and (optionally) or data science skills.

Step-1: For the application, send us your CV (listing recent relevant courses and grades), a short motivation of your research interests (what do you expect to work or and achieve during the internship), along with the above information. Clearly indicate the expected start and end period for the internship.

Step-2: After we have received your information (including the reference) and are able to accommodate you for the intended period, we can schedule a discussion to discuss potential projects that might be suitable and interesting for you. Once we have identified the project, you start preparing a proposal.

Step-3: You prepare a project proposal based on available literature and the information provided by us. You (together with us) also identify an external examiner who, together with your daily supervisor from our lab, will read and approve your proposal. Once the proposal is approved, your research internship can begin!