The Quantitative Methods for HIV/AIDS Research Summer Internship program, funded by a five-year NIAID R25 grant, offers 12-week full-time summer internships for graduate students in quantitative sciences (statistics, biostatistics, data science, mathematics, computer science, and engineering, etc.). These internships provide hands-on research experience in leading HIV/AIDS laboratories. Interns are matched with projects in clinical, translational, or socio-behavioral science and co-mentored by HIV/AIDS researchers and quantitative scientists. The program has been highly successful, with 9 out of 10 interns in 2024 saying it was an extremely helpful experience for their career goals and 6 out of 10 saying they were very or extremely interested in a career in HIV/AIDS or healthcare research.
Meet the 2024 Quantitative Methods Summer Interns!
Discover the stories and reflections of ten talented interns who spent their summer working on research projects related to HIV/AIDS. Learn about their projects, the impact of their work, and what they learned through their internship experiences.
Applications for 2026 will open in Fall 2025.
Duke Quantitative Summer Internships in HIV/AIDS are paid internships during Summer 2025 to conduct research in HIV/AIDS for graduate students in quantitative disciplines. Areas of research may include data analysis, visualization, machine learning, computer simulation, mathematical modeling, or device engineering. Interns are jointly mentored by an HIV research scientist and a quantitative faculty member (who could be your current research advisor if appropriate). Interns will gain valuable hands-on research experience in a collaborative setting, increased knowledge in HIV/AIDS research, and will strengthen oral and written communication skills. Interns will also have the opportunity to present their work at local, national, or international HIV/AIDS conferences.
Internship Details (program website link)
- Up to 10 summer internships available in Summer 2025: May 12 – August 1 (12 weeks)
- Multi-year internships are possible
- Interns will be provided a stipend of $21 per hour (up to a maximum of 40 hours per week) for their participation (unless forbidden by NIH- e.g., T32 recipients)
- Funding is available for interns to present a poster or talk at a national or international conference
- All interns are required to attend in person meetings and seminars on one set day every week.
- Click here for examples of projects that interns worked on in past years.
Application Process
Applicants will be asked to submit the following materials:
- Personal Statement and Goals
- What is your research experience? What are your research interests? (Up to 300 words)
- What do you hope to learn and accomplish by participating in this program? (Up to 300 words)
- What are your career goals? (Up to 300 words)
- CV/Resume
- Graduate school transcript
- Unofficial copies are acceptable
- Two professional/academic references (Feedback survey will be sent to listed references)
Click here to apply for the internship.
Applications are due by midnight Saturday, January 12, 2025.
Intern Eligibility
- Interns must have a quantitative background (e.g. stats, math, CS, data science, engineering).
- Interns must be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of the internship.
- All graduate student employees must work in North Carolina.
- No students can work outside of the U.S. whether a U.S. citizen, Green Card holder, visa holder or not.
- Foreign nationals who are physically located in the U.S. can work, but their visa status must allow for this work.
We especially welcome applications from women, individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities or individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Please email kelly.sune@duke.edu if you have any programmatic questions.
LINK to Summer 2024 Curriculum Page
Call for Proposals: Duke Quantitative Summer Internships in HIV/AIDS (2025)
The Quantitative Methods in HIV/AIDS Research Summer Internship, now in its 7th year, invites quantitative graduate students to research HIV/AIDS projects proposed by the Duke HIV/AIDS research community for the Summer 2025 program (May-July). Proposals should involve data analysis, visualization, machine learning, computer simulation, mathematical modeling, software development, or device engineering, with optional fieldwork or lab work. Interns will be co-mentored by an HIV/AIDS researcher and a quantitative researcher, with the program providing suitable mentors. The internship aims to introduce students to HIV/AIDS research and foster interdisciplinary collaborations, with past interns rating the experience highly and many considering a future career in HIV research. Examples of previous proposals are linked here: Previous Proposals
The summer internships will cover
- 12 weeks of full-time paid work (May 12 – August 1, 2025)
- Up to $2,800 per intern for laboratory or other research expenses
- Travel/accommodation to present a poster or oral presentation at a national conference (all interns)
- Travel/accommodation to present a poster or oral presentation at an international conference (limited)
Expectations of scientific/clinical mentors (either PI or designated group member)
- Collaborate with the quantitative mentor over the internship period
- Prepare expectations, objectives and a structured research plan for the intern
- Ensure that any resources necessary are available at the start of the internship (e.g. data sets)
- Meet regularly with intern to provide guidance
Accepted proposals must have the required information below.
- PI
- Lab Mentor (optional)
- Quantitative Mentor (optional- one will be assigned if there is none suggested)
- Research Project Summary: Title, Research Question(s), Research Context/Background
- Desired quantitative skills, if known (High/Medium/Low/Not required)
- Statistics
- Bioinformatics
- Computational biology
- Mathematical modeling
- Engineering
- Programming (state preferred language if known)
- Other
Multiple proposals are welcome!
Submit your proposal for the 2025 Quantitative Methods in HIV Summer Internship to THIS LINK by December 30, 2024.
For assistance with crafting a successful project proposal, CLICK HERE to request a consultation.
If you have any questions about the internship, please contact Kelly Sune (kelly.sune@duke.edu).