PRI offers paid internships that connect students with hands-on research. These programs provide mentored experience in the field and laboratory, and offer opportunities to engage in data-driven work that supports research serving our community.
Paul Edwin Potter Internship Program
The Paul Edwin Potter Internship Program immerses students in projects that address geologic issues in Illinois.
This internship’s 10-week summer appointment offers interns the opportunity to work alongside professional geologists at the Illinois State Geological Survey and contribute to ongoing field research.
Undergraduate and master’s students from any accredited U.S. higher-education institution are eligible to apply.
Project descriptions and the Summer 2026 application are available on the Potter Internship site.
Dr. R.W. Larimore Stream Ecology Internship Program
The Dr. R.W. Larimore Stream Ecology Internship supports hands-on undergraduate research in stream ecology through summertime field- and research-based work in Vermilion County, Illinois. Interns work with the Stream Ecology Lab at the Illinois Natural History Survey.
This paid internship is available every other year and is open to currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Applications for Summer 2026 are due by March 15, 2026. More information is available on the Stream Ecology Lab site.