Deadline for Undergraduate BFS Internships is Feb. 26

ONEONTA—The application deadline for college students interested in the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station 2025 summer internship program is Wednesday, February 26. These internships offer both high-school and college students the opportunity to develop hands-on experience with lake management field work, laboratory and data analysis, and research presentations. The application deadline is Wednesday, March 26 for high-school students.

According to a press release, the program is free and offers qualified participants college credit and fellowship funds between $3,000.00 and $5,000.00 upon completion of the curriculum, which runs from late May through August. The Summer Internship Application and more details can be found online at Biological Field Station Internships for College and High School Students | SUNY Oneonta.

 “Otsego Lake is essentially an experiential classroom for our summer interns to study the many elements that make up the ecology of the lake and the hydrology of its watershed,” said Dr. Florian Reyda, director of the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station. “Every summer BFS interns work alongside scientists and researchers to collect data that contribute to the understanding of Otsego Lake. This work facilitates sustainable uses of our freshwater resources throughout the United States.”

Participants in the program receive mentorship from scientists and BFS faculty, as well as access to research laboratory spaces, docks, and boats for scientific exploration. 

Cooperstown resident Braeden Victory began working as a BFS high-school intern and then returned as an undergraduate intern in summer 2024. Today she studies marine sciences with a concentration in marine biology at the University of Maine.

“The BFS internship is an exciting and unusually hands-on experience. I was on the water every day and developed a long list of skills—from driving a boat to fish dissection and mending nets,” said Victory. “I got to make a difference in my community studying the population dynamics of Otsego Lake’s two mussel species, gained scientific writing experience that helps me excel in college, and developed a network of mentors and friends who support me way beyond the summer.”

BFS undergraduate internships are 10-week positions open to individuals enrolled in an undergraduate program of study at the time of application. The number of positions available varies from year to year based on faculty involvement and funding; typically 6-10 undergraduate students are selected to participate.

High-school internships are nine-week positions open to New York State residents age 16 or older as of June 20. The number of positions available varies from 1-3, with at least one position awarded to a resident of Otsego County. Students from locales outside of Otsego County are encouraged to apply, though must be prepared to arrange housing for themselves.