Upstream Process Intern

Summer Intern Position – Upstream Process Development

About the Vaccine Production Program (VPP)

The Vaccine Production Program (VPP) is a science-driven organization that exists as a unique bridge between government and the biopharmaceutical industry. Research at the VPP combines the rigor of academic research with cutting-edge development. Specialized teams of scientists and engineers work in close collaboration with each other, other labs and programs within the VRC and the NIH, as well as with academic and industry partners.  Through our collaborative environment, the intern will gain valuable experience in industrial process development.

Research in Upstream Process Development centers on the identification and optimization of process parameters to support and control the growth of a mammalian or microbial cell line in a production bioreactor. The resulting process must ensure a robust and scalable method to deliver high-yielding expression of the recombinant vaccine or other protein of interest. Development begins with automated microbioreactors (15 to 250 mL) and progressively increases from 3 L bench-scale bioreactors up to a pilot scale of 50 L. The finalized processes are then transferred externally to enable larger scale manufacturing of clinical material under cGMP regulations.

We are seeking motivated internship candidates for a 10-week program to solve key challenges related to controlling our bioreactors, improving cell culture performance, and gaining insight from our past experiments.

Apply at VPP

Candidates should submit their resume, transcript, and a brief statement of research interests/career goals to Sean Mack at sean.mack@nih.gov

Additionally, applicants must apply to the NIH SIP by February 18th. 2026. Go to https://www.training.nih.gov/research-training/pb/sip/  for information on how to apply.

After review of the applicants in January, selected candidates will be invited to interview. The final candidate will be selected once the interviews are complete.

Eligibility criteria

To apply for the NIH SIP, and SIP cohort programs, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. In addition, you must be:

• 18 years of age or older on September 30, 2026

AND

• enrolled at least half-time in an accredited community college, college, or university as an undergraduate, graduate, or professional school student at the time of application,

OR

• accepted into an accredited graduate program for the fall semester with the expectation of attending at least half-time. High school graduates who completed a gap year and are starting community college or college in the fall, are also eligible to apply.

Individuals who are U.S. permanent residents must be attending or have been accepted into educational institutions in the U.S.