Student Internships at UF Innovate

What Our Interns Say

Internships

UF Innovate offers a variety of paid internships to upper-level undergraduate and grad students, as well as postdocs working in research at UF. Interns are exposed to a unique blend of disciplines and a variety of projects that UF Innovate’s ecosystem provides each day. This is an excellent opportunity for students to explore a career that requires broad scientific expertise, business insight, and legal acumen to convert basic research into practical applications.

Intern positions are paid and benefits include access to startups and other entrepreneurial professionals who work in UF Innovate | Accelerate @ The Hub, where the main offices for UF Innovate are located. The first building in the Gainesville Innovation District, The Hub is a unique business incubator that shortens the journey from discovery to the marketplace for Florida’s tech startup companies.

Graduate and Ph.D. students interested in an internship but already receiving compensation from UF may volunteer to benefit from the experience or apply for an hours extension. Postdocs are only able to volunteer.

Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Intern?

*Minimum Qualifications for All Interns

• Graduate students or upper-level undergraduate students enrolled at UF or postdocs working in research at UF
• Eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship
• Availability for 12-20 hours per week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon-Fri and commitment to work a minimum of two semesters*
• Not employed elsewhere on campus
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Enthusiasm and willingness to take on new challenges
• Capacity to review materials and draw out the most important information
• Ability to maintain the confidentiality of work-related information
• Strong attention to detail
• Good organizational skills
• Strong academic performance
• Proficient in Windows and Microsoft Office Suite
• Professional demeanor and dress

*Grad and Ph.D. students who apply for and receive an hours extension permit to get paid for work at UF Innovate are often limited to much fewer hours with our office. We make exceptions to the hours required weekly for those interns.

Writing & Marketing Intern

Position Details

Position Description:
Writing & Marketing Interns write marketing materials for technologies and identify potential industry partners.
Qualifications:
• A background in science or an interest in science and technology transfer
• Ability to pay attention to detail
• Strong writing experience
• Willingness to research businesses in various industries
• *Must meet the “Minimum Qualifications for All Interns” listed above
How to Apply:
Email a statement expressing your qualifications and interest in this position, your resume/CV, and an indication of your available hours during the upcoming semester to marketing@research.ufl.edu. Applicants will be notified by email if they are invited to interview and complete a technical writing assessment.

Material Transfer Agreements Intern

Position Details

Position Description:
Material Transfer Agreement Interns maintain detailed and precise records of all MTA activities in and out of UF.
Qualifications:
• Upper-level undergraduate students or law students enrolled at UF
• Available to work 15-20 hours/week Mon- Fri between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. with a minimum of one calendar year commitment
• Ability to use a database to accurately record and retrieve information
• Strong knowledge of computers: Windows, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and the ability to use a database to accurately record and retrieve information
• *Must meet the “Minimum Qualifications for All Interns” listed above
How to Apply:
Email a statement expressing your interest, your resume/CV, your transcript and your hours of availability to marketing@research.ufl.edu and Penelope Gianelli.

Social Media Intern

Position Details

Position Description:
Social Media Interns communicate big ideas in succinctly written social media posts and prepare diagrams, charts and other graphics to use as visual communications for print, email, websites, video, and social media.
Qualifications:
• Social media experience
• Experience with Canva or other visual media content applications
• An interest in science or technology transfer
• Ability to pay strong attention to detail and communicate effectively and succinctly
• *Must meet the “Minimum Qualifications for All Interns” listed above
How to Apply:
Email a statement expressing your qualifications and interest in this position, your resume/CV, links, #tags or @usernames that show your work, and an indication of your available hours during the upcoming semester to marketing@research.ufl.edu. Applicants will be notified by email if they are invited to interview and complete a writing assessment.

Patent Research Intern

Position Details

Position Description:
Patent Research Interns execute prior-art searches on technologies developed by UF researchers. These searches help to inform decisions to market technologies for licensing.
Qualifications:
• Upper-level undergraduate, grad student, or second- or third-year law students
• Strong scientific background
• Interest in researching existing patents
• *Must meet the “Minimum Qualifications for All Interns” listed above
How to Apply:
Email a statement expressing your interest in this position, your resume/CV, and an indication of your available hours during the upcoming semester to marketing@research.ufl.edu.

Investment Research and Communications Intern

Position Details

Position Description:
Supports various aspects of venture investing and grant research, including market research, pitch deck preparation, and Investment Memorandum creation. The intern is responsible for collaborating with the team to identify new opportunities, conduct market and grant research, aid in training events, and contribute to communication materials. This position will support UF Innovate Ventures and Pathways activities.
Qualifications:
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Upper-level undergraduate or graduate student preferably majoring in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field with a science interest or background
• Interest in innovation and commercialization, startups, and the business landscape
• Excellent organizational and coordination abilities to assist with various tasks
• *Must meet the “Minimum Qualifications for All Interns” listed above
How to Apply:
Email a statement expressing your interest in this position, your resume/CV, and an indication of your available hours during the upcoming semester to Jackson Streeter at jstreeter@ufl.edu.

Want to work for a UF Innovate startup? 

On occasion, companies that are in our incubators or have graduated need to hire interns or full-time employees. While we don’t keep apprised of that information, we do provide a folder our companies can access in which you can submit your resume or CV. 

Submit your resume or CV here.