For new professionals and college students, or for those new to the tech transfer and commercialization field, an internship can be the starting point to a fulfilling career. So if you think internships are just for those who can’t get a paid position, think again.
The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) Foundation is dedicated to helping people find valuable experiences that benefit the entire technology transfer community. The AUTM Fellows Program offers scholarship and sponsored opportunities in training the next generation of tech transfer professionals to succeed in the field. So if it’s important to a big organization like AUTM, then you know it’s something you need to be considering.
Here are 5 reasons an internship or fellowship in the tech transfer field should be a key part of your career game plan:
- The connections you make will be invaluable. The best thing about an internship or fellowship is that you get to work alongside, and learn from, the people who could one day offer you a full-time job. It’s almost like a working interview. They also know other people in the field and can help you build even more connections down the road.
- You need the real world experience. Let’s face it; taking a test in a classroom is a lot different than actually doing the job. An internship gives you an opportunity to actually put into practice what you are learning, with guidance from the best professionals in the field. You will learn and build your skills in a way that just can’t be done through a textbook.
- An internship or fellowship will help you decide if the field is right for you. Sometimes, figuring out if a job is the wrong fit for you is just as important as finding your right fit. Internships give you an opportunity to see what your day-to-day life will be like in that job, and can help you decide if it is the right path for you.
- It will help you learn the lingo. Every field comes with its own acronyms and important keywords. When you are in the field every day during an internship or fellowship, you can learn all the important phrases and words, which gives you a head start when building your resume to apply for full-time jobs.
- It will build your confidence. In a competitive field like tech transfer, you have to have the tools to stand out as a candidate. Not only that, you have to be confident in your abilities. An internship will show you that you can do the job and will help build your confidence as you grow in the field.
And while internships and fellowships can be competitive, there are also lots of opportunities out there. Below is a list of fellow programs and internships for you to consider as you begin your career journey in tech transfer.
Fellow Programs / Internships
Here is a list of the different internship and fellowship programs offered at various institutions. Click each individual location to be redirected to more information about their programs.
- AUTM Foundation
- University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign internships
- UC-Davis
- UNC Chapel Hill
- Oregon State University Accelerator
- Penn Innovation Center
- Columbia University
- University of Michigan
- Washington University in St. Louis
- WARF
- NIH (National Cancer Institute)
- NIH (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln / NUtech Ventures
- Northwestern University
- University of Washington
- University of Tennessee Research Foundation
- Oregon Health and Science University
- University of California, San Francisco
- Drexel University
- Wake Forest University
- University of Georgia -Innovation Gateway Internship Program
- Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures
- MIT
- UCLA
- Harvard
- Yale
- Rutgers
- USC
- University of Minnesota
- University of Florida
- Mount Sinai
- Emory
- Stanford
- Mass General Brigham
- Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences
Do you know of an internship opportunity not on our list? Send it to us or leave it in the comments below so we can add it!
