Planning on becoming a published young researcher?
SPIRE invites undergraduate students to join its Fall Research Internship Program 2026 — an 8–12 week online research program designed to help participants develop practical research skills and work toward producing a scientific manuscript.
The program follows SPIRE’s “Learning-by-Doing” approach, giving participants practical experience in the research process rather than limiting learning to theoretical instruction.
Program Dates: 15 October – 15 December 2026
Core Duration: 8 weeks, with an optional extension of up to 4 additional weeks where necessary
Format: Online
Application: Submit your CV and questions to SPIRE
About the Internship
Research is an essential part of academic and professional development, but many undergraduate students have limited opportunities to experience the complete research process.
The SPIRE Fall Research Internship is designed to introduce participants to the practical steps involved in developing and writing research. Through weekly online sessions, assignments, quizzes, feedback, and practical work, interns progress from developing a research question to preparing their first scientific manuscript draft.
The program is particularly focused on helping participants understand how research ideas are developed, investigated, written, referenced, discussed, and prepared for publication.
What Will You Learn?
The internship takes participants through key stages of the research and scientific writing process:
From Topic to Research Question
Learn how to move from a broad topic to a focused and meaningful research question.
Finding & Selecting References
Understand how to identify available resources and conduct a background search using relevant references.
Scientific Writing
Develop skills in scientific writing, including writing an effective introduction and understanding how to avoid plagiarism.
Referencing
Learn how to insert references correctly and understand different referencing styles.
Presenting Research Results
Understand scientific significance and learn how results can be compiled and presented appropriately.
Writing the Discussion
Learn how to review findings and develop the discussion section of a scientific manuscript.
Manuscript Design & Journal Selection
Understand manuscript organization, scientific manuscript structure, and considerations involved in selecting a journal.
Preparing the First Draft
Bring the different components together to prepare a first scientific manuscript draft.
8-Week Core Curriculum
| Week | Topic | Key Focus |
| Week 1 | From Topic to Question | Connecting the Dots & Research Question |
| Week 2 | Available Resources | Selecting References & Background Search |
| Week 3 | Scientific Writing | Avoiding Plagiarism & Writing Introduction |
| Week 4 | Inserting References | Referencing Styles & Referencing |
| Week 5 | Scientific Significance | Presenting & Compiling Results |
| Week 6 | Live Demonstration | Reviewing & Writing Discussions |
| Week 7 | Manuscript Design | Journal Selection & Manuscript Organization |
| Week 8 | Scientific-Style Manuscript | Preparing the First Draft |
The curriculum provided by SPIRE specifies an 8-week core program. The internship may extend for additional weeks where necessary, giving the overall program a duration of 8–12 weeks.
Learning-by-Doing
SPIRE’s internship is based on a Learning-by-Doing approach.
Rather than simply learning research terminology and concepts, participants work through practical research activities and assignments as they progress through the program. The curriculum includes weekly Zoom sessions, Friday assignments or quizzes, and feedback.
This approach is intended to help interns develop practical experience that can be applied to future academic and research work.
What Support Does SPIRE Provide?
The SPIRE internship framework identifies several forms of support available to prospective interns, including:
- IT support
- Logistical support for local events
- Qualified human resources, including facilitators, teachers and scientists
- Proofreading and publishing support
- Access to qualified research-degree faculty and professionals in various clinical and basic science departments
What Can You Gain From the Internship?
The program provides an opportunity for undergraduate participants to:
- Develop practical research skills
- Learn how to formulate research questions
- Conduct background searches and select appropriate references
- Develop scientific writing skills
- Understand manuscript structure
- Learn about journal selection
- Gain experience in preparing a scientific manuscript
- Receive feedback during the learning process
- Develop a stronger foundation for future research and academic work
The SPIRE internship material specifically describes the experience as an opportunity to build research experience and work toward publication.
Internship Collaboration & MOU
Research collaboration requires clear expectations regarding responsibilities, data, academic work, and confidentiality.
SPIRE provides an MOU between SPIRE and prospective interns as part of the collaboration process. The MOU explains the basis of the research collaboration and emphasizes responsible handling of personal, academic, research data, and specimens.
The MOU also encourages prospective interns to define their expectations clearly and objectively — for example, developing skills in organizing and interpreting research data or learning how to develop a manuscript from an existing academic project.
How the SPIRE Research Journey Works
The internship can form part of a broader research journey with SPIRE.
The collaboration framework provided by SPIRE outlines a process that includes:
Research Idea → Research Team → SPIRE Contact → Orientation → Research Proposal → Institutional/IRB/ERC Approval → SPIRE Approval → Data Collection → Data Analysis → Manuscript Development → Review → Publication
Participants are expected to obtain the relevant departmental and institutional permissions, including IRB/ERC approval where applicable, before undertaking research involving their institution.