Check out our list of select volunteer, internship, and graduate school opportunities and resources available for all Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) students. Visit the Student Center for Science Engagement (SCSE) staff for information about additional opportunities and for help with applications.
Featured Volunteer Opportunities
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association has volunteer opportunities available at different centers in and around the Chicago area that can benefit students of all majors.
Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo has volunteer opportunities for all majors and would be particularly useful for students who enjoy the outdoors and learning more about animals, nature and conservation.
The Field Museum
The Field Museum offers a variety of volunteer opportunities in the following areas: Discovery Squad, Docents, Conservation Education, School Experiences, and Collections Care. Many positions seek candidates with a science and/ or teaching background; read more about each of these volunteer positions in the link above. As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to meet world-renowned scientists and experts, explore our libraries, and connect with other enthusiasts who share your fascination with history, science, and culture.
La Rabida Children’s Hospital
Visit the website above for information about volunteering at La Rabida Children’s Hospital. Opportunities are available for students of all majors with interests that include literacy, nursing, tutoring and many other areas.
World Relief - Chicagoland
A global, humanitarian organization that helps refugees and other immigrants rebuild their lives in a new country. Volunteer opportunities include tutoring, health advocacy and more.
Featured STEM Internship resources
American Chemical Society (ACS)
The ACS provides internship opportunities available in research universities and at companies around the United States.
American Mathematical Society (AMS)
Many research opportunities are available for students majoring in mathematics or with an interest in applied mathematical research.
Association of American Medical Colleges
Many of these opportunities are geared towards students interested in pursuing medical careers, biomedical research and/ or Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees.
The Chicago Council on Science and Technology
In addition to offering many science events and programming for the public, C2ST provides an internship experience for interested undergraduates who want to learn more about science communication.
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs)
The National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program opportunities are available for all majors. Many of these experiences are available in partnership with research labs at various academic institutions.
Pathways to Science
About 900 research opportunities are available and listed on the website each year. The current opportunities are useful for all majors.
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/ Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Opportunities Board
A variety of research, internship and job opportunities are listed and searchable by educational level, location and opportunity type.
Graduate School AND CAREER Resources
Cybersecurity Guide offers the most comprehensive student resources for considering a career in the field, including programs in Illinois, internships, and a career center.
Discover Data Science provides information on graduate school, and certificate and boot camp programs in the field of data science as well as descriptions of potential careers in this area.
Graduate Resources for Women in STEM is geared toward helping women access this exciting career sector. Because the gender gap is an issue that people are becoming more aware of, a guide has been created to list resources available for women who are underrepresented in this field. This guide provides numerous STEM scholarships for women going into graduate school, tips for helping applications stand out, and support resources for women in the STEM field. There is also a great expert Q&A that addresses common questions for women interested in STEM.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Post-Baccalaureate Program
This post-baccalaureate program is for students who have their B.S. and are interested in further developing their hands-on research skills before pursuing a career in science, and possibly a Ph.D.
National Science Foundation Graduate Reseach Fellowship Program
The Graduate Research Fellowship Program awards a Ph.D. student with three years of funding. Presented by the National Science Foundation, one of the goals of this fellowship is to broadly promote diversity in STEM. Undergraduate seniors who plan to enter a Ph.D. program are encouraged to apply, and may also reapply in their first year of grad school. The application consists of a personal statement and a research proposal.
The Women in STEM website has the goal of making information about STEM education and careers more accessible to women by providing career overviews, job boards and perspectives from female professionals already working in STEM fields.
A Guide for Women in STEM provides general resources and scholarships for female-identifying students in STEM fields along with specific information about education and career opportunities in data science and analytics.