Internship Details

HCIP Internships
Examples of Projects/Work Assignments
Work Hours
Pay and Benefits

HCIP Internships

HCIP interns work in an NCI host office for the duration of their internship. Offices that have hosted HCIP interns include:

Center for Cancer Research
Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities
Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
Office of Advocacy Relations
Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research
Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Office of Communications and Education
Office of Media Relations
Office of Science Planning and Assessment
President's Cancer Panel
The Cancer Genome Atlas Program

All HCIP interns are assigned a mentor. The mentor, who works in the office to which the intern is assigned, provides guidance to the intern and supervises their work throughout the internship. The mentor also develops the intern’s training plan, an outline of learning objectives and projects the intern will work on during their internship. Throughout their internship, HCIP interns are encouraged to attend professional development seminars.

Examples of Projects/Work Assignments

HCIP interns have worked on many high profile assignments. Examples of past HCIP projects and work assignments include:

Researching and developing briefing materials for the President's Cancer Panel
Writing material for newsletters for internal and external audiences
Developing comprehensive communication plans
Assessing the feasibility of the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG), a voluntary network connecting individuals and institutions, enabling the sharing of data and tools
Standardizing the integration of electronic medical records with various health alerts and information
Evaluating NCI's Exhibit Program, which represents NCI at conferences throughout the year
Redesigning and updating websites
Writing, editing and proofreading health and science stories
Developing multimedia presentations for the Science Writers' seminars
Assisting in the development of the Understanding NCI: Toll-Free Teleconference Series, in which cancer research experts present issues and discuss them with the public.
Assisting with the creation and revision of Consumer Health Profiles (CHP) materials
Developing a CIS research library and bibliography
Developing promotional materials for research programs
Assisting in the development and testing of the Research Portfolio Database

Work Hours

HCIP interns work full-time (40-hours per week) from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, with a 30-minute lunch break. Changes in schedule must be approved by the intern's supervisor.

Pay and Benefits

Stipends

HCIP interns are paid a monthly training stipend through a Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA). The amount of your monthly stipend will be based on your undergraduate GPA, your highest earned degree, and your relevant post-degree experience. You will earn exactly 1/12 of your annual stipend rate per month. See below for some sample stipend rates.

If your highest earned degree is a Bachelor's:

With an undergraduate GPA less than 3.5 and no relevant post-baccalaureate experience you will earn approximately $28,300 per year.
With an undergraduate GPA 3.5 or above and no relevant post-baccalaureate experience you will earn approximately $31,600 per year.
With an undergraduate GPA less than 3.5 GPA and two years’ relevant post-baccalaureate experience you will earn approximately $31,600 per year.
With an undergraduate GPA 3.5 or above and two years’ relevant post-baccalaureate experience you will earn approximately $35,000 per year.

[The rate continues to increase up to five years' relevant experience. Graduate courses do not count as relevant experience.]

If your highest earned degree is a Master's:

With no relevant post-master's experience you will earn approximately $33,900 per year.
With two years' relevant post-master's experience you will earn approximately $36,500 per year.

[The rate continues to increase up to five years' relevant experience.]

Note: In the event that you have significant post-baccalaureate experience and no post-master's experience, you can elect to stay on the post-baccalaureate scale, if it is to your benefit.

If your highest earned degree is a Doctoral degree:

You will earn a minimum of $45,500 per year.

Stipends are paid monthly in arrears (i.e., you are paid the first business day of the month for the previous month's work). Your first payment will be prorated based on the number of days worked. You will receive your first payment in August.

Taxes

Your stipend is taxable even though no taxes will be deducted. You will receive reference materials at orientation which will assist you in filing quarterly estimated tax payments to federal and state taxing authorities. You will owe taxes to the state you live in during your internship.

Health Insurance

You are eligible to receive health insurance at no cost through the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES). NCI will pay your monthly premium. If you already hold a health insurance policy in your own name that you would like to keep, NCI will reimburse you for the cost of your policy up to the amount that NCI would have otherwise paid for your insurance. For more information about health insurance, visit www.faes.org/health_insurance.

Other Benefits

Paid Federal government holidays
Flexible work schedules
Professional development seminars
Public transportation subsidy
Housing database
On-site fitness center
Recreation and Welfare Association
Loan deferment for eligible federal loans