ISTernship – The interns of IST Austria

Every summer, the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) welcomes 30 to 40 outstanding undergraduate and graduate students for a unique summer internship.

The ISTernship—composed of “IST” as in IST Austria and the word “(int)ernship”—is a summer internship for bachelor’s and master’s students from around the world to extend their scientific research and practical experience. The ISTernship is an excellent opportunity for students to gain experience and knowhow in the basic research areas of biology, neuroscience, computer science, physics, mathematics, and chemistry.

This year, 44 ISTerns from 25 countries came to Klosterneuburg to become part of the dynamic research scene of IST Austria. Here, they are supervised and supported by 40 professors. The average length of an ISTernship is approximately 2.5 months in the period between May and September. As the working language on campus is English, the ISTerns can communicate with each other and everyone else on campus without any language barriers. Here and there, they may even pick up a few words of German (or any other of the numerous native languages spoken by the IST Austria staff).

In weekly presentations, professors, postdocs or PhD students briefly present their current research projects, so that the ISTerns get an overview of the different areas of basic research at the institute. Also, ISTerns receive an introduction to the Graduate School—in the end, one or the other may wish to come back as a PhD student in the future. The ISTerns themselves present their own research projects through a poster session in August, where they have the opportunity to exchange and network with IST Austria researchers and staff.

The ISTernship offers students not only a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience, but also other benefits, such as a monthly payment for the duration of their internship, access to affordable health insurance, travel assistance, repayment of travel expenses, housing support, campus housing options, and a free shuttle bus between Vienna and the IST Austria campus in Klosterneuburg.

“I was not sure what to expect, but it turned out that the ISTernship is the best internship of my life! Great lab and great people! “- Nawon Kim from South Korea.

The application call for ISTernships during summer next year will be open from December 2019 to February 2020. Find detailed information on our Graduate School website!