Established with the aim of increasing the outreach of Florida Museum programs across the UF campus, this internship award program seeks to support undergraduate students by facilitating their work on museum-based internship projects.
Internships are to be focused on gaining experience in collections work, laboratory analysis,and/or fieldwork. Awards supporting up to 65 hours of work during one semester will be funded.
Note: This internship may count toward QUEST 3 credits for students who wish to do so, though additional program requirements must be completed to receive full credit.
Eligibility:
Undergraduate students, including graduating seniors, enrolled at the University of Florida who can demonstrate how their involvement will expand the museum’s reach.
Students should not have had previous paid museum experience* or been in this internship before. Prior voluntary service does not disqualify.
* Conducting research, field work or outreach
Application Deadline:
Application for Fall 2026 will open from May 8th through May 24th
Internship awards will be announced in mid-June 2026.
Awardee Agreement:
Successful Awardees will meet with their mentor and agree on project activities and work schedule soon after the start of classes. A progress report and summary, including project-related photos, will due near the end of the semester. Students will also be expected to give a lightning talk presentation about their internship experience.
Please review these examples of past project reports of students in the program.
Before applying, please review the application to familiarize with the questions and all necessary information. Student without prior museum experience and those with previous unpaid museum experience are encouraged to apply. Students will select from a list of available projects (see below).
Once you have your information ready, click “Apply here”. Please note that we only accept applications submitted via UF qualtrics at the following link PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL YOUR APPLICATION
Funding for this internship program was provided by the Department of Natural History and iDigBio.
Fall 2026 Museum Internship Projects
Project mentor: Heru Handika Lab/Collection: AI Biodiversity Project Description: By combining computer vision and agentic AI, we can now visualize trait similarities and query massive museum collections using natural language. The Porto Lab is developing an AI-assisted web application for large-scale trait discovery across more than 600,000 butterfly specimen images. Students will help build the app by designing intuitive interfaces, developing agents to process natural language queries, and generating automated summary statistics of the database. Skills needed:Basic computer programming, preferably Python and TypeScripts, and an interest in collection-based biodiversity research Skills to be gained:Students will gain experience experience in using computer vision for analyzing patterns in large-scale specimen datasets while developing the analytical and visualization skills necessary to communicate complex biological findings to a broad audience. Semester: Fall
Project mentor: Nicolas Gauthier Lab/Collection: AI for Human Ecology Project Description:The AI for Human Ecology lab is looking for creative students who want to learn how to use supercomputers to study our species’ role in Earth’s past, present, and future. We make maps and models of how climate, environment, and society interact, focusing on topics like food production, biodiversity, pandemics, warfare, and cultural evolution. Current projects include research on past societies of the US Southwest, Mexico, Tibet, and Mediterranean, but regional focus is open to student interests. Skills needed: Creativity and an interest in archaeology, climatology, or biodiversity. No experience required. Skills to be gained: Students will gain experience working with maps and spatial data using applications like Google Earth and develop basic coding skills for analyzing and visualizing spatial data. Semester: Fall
Project mentor: Nicolas Gauthier Lab/Collection: AI for Human Ecology Project Description: This project explores how AI image generators can be adapted for scientific illustration and reconstruction, with a focus on producing images that are visually compelling and factually accurate. We’re investigating techniques for “grounding” generative models — through reference imagery, controlled prompting, fine-tuning, and post-generation editing — so that outputs faithfully represent anatomy, ecology, material culture, geological features, or whatever subject matter the science demands. Applications range from reconstructing extinct organisms and past environments to producing figures for publications, educational materials, and public-facing science communication. Students will help test current tools, develop workflows that pair AI generation with traditional sciart practice, and document what works (and what doesn’t) for different scientific domains. Skills needed: Creativity and an interest in science illustration, generative AI, or scientific visualization. Background in art (drawing, digital illustration, design) and/or coding (Python, prompt engineering, working with model APIs) is helpful – at least one is preferred, both is a plus. No prior AI experience required Skills to be gained: Students will gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art image generation models, techniques for controlling and constraining their outputs (ControlNet, LoRA fine-tuning, inpainting, reference-based generation), and an understanding of how to evaluate AI-generated imagery for scientific accuracy. Semester:Fall
Project mentor: Zoë Dennehy-Carr, Rob Guralnick Lab/Collection: Guralnick Lab (Biodiversity Informatics) Project Description: Today’s biodiversity is the outcome of evolutionary processes shaped by past global changes, including climatic and geological events, as well as lineage movement and interaction. Yet we still know relatively little about how these past changes led to the patterns and diversity of traits we see today, and how those traits may relate to plant resilience under continuing disturbance. We are interested in understanding the environmental and climatic drivers that may have contributed to the evolution and persistence of plant traits across space and taxonomic groups. In this project, you will collate, clean, and analyse plant trait data to assess potential relationships between environmental conditions and plant adaptation. This project will contribute to a larger project exploring spatial patterns of plant biodiversity across the North American continent, which integrates species distributions, traits, and molecular data. Skills needed: Interest in either plant ecology, evolution, or conservation. Willingness to learn and enthusiasm. Skills to be gained: Curation, processing, and statistical analysis of large plant biodiversity, environmental, and trait datasets. Basic programming in R. Semester: Fall
Project Mentor: Joshua Doby Lab/Collection: Guralnick Lab (Biodiversity Informatics) Project Description: Nitrogen is critical for plant growth and development, but plants cannot directly use atmospheric nitrogen despite its abundance and must rely on bioavailable nitrogen in soil. Only plants in a few clades have evolved adaptations to take advantage of abundant atmospheric nitrogen, all of which have converged on leveraging symbioses with bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen. The most diverse clade (~ 31,200 species) is the “nitrogen-fixing clade” which uses anaerobic nodules to house and increase efficiency of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria Frankia and Rhizobia. We utilize leaf chemistry and stable isotopes to understand broad spatial patterns of evolution within the “nitrogen-fixing clade”. This project has 3 components, field, lab, and computational. The student will learn to collect and create herbarium specimens, select samples for analyses, prepare those samples for mass spectrometry, and learn to computationally analyze and interpret those results. This is part of a continent-wide project with ~3,000 specimens, so the questions the student is able to address are not limited to what they are able to regionally sample or analyses time constraints. Skills Needed: Creativity, curiosity and a care for data quality. Skills to be Gained: The student will gain field, lab, and computational skills which can be readily applied to other projects and taxa. We will also work on soft skills: question development, project framing, and presentation skills. These can be tailored to the student’s interest and goals. Semester: Fall
Project mentor: Zach Randall, Nicole Fuller Lab/Collection: Digital Imaging Division Project Description: The Environmental Archaeology Program (EAP) curates a specialized skeletal comparative collection developed specifically for identifying fragmentary animal remains from archaeological sites. As digital access becomes increasingly essential for researchers, we are seeking an intern to help build an online comparative skeletal reference collection using specimens held in the EAP. This internship will involve creating 3D photogrammetry models of select skeletal elements from taxa commonly recovered from archaeological contexts in the Southeastern United States. Photogrammetry uses digital 2D photographs to generate 3D models with life-like external textures. Models will be made publicly accessible via the EAP Specify Database (https://specifyportal.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/zooarch/) and the Florida Museum Sketchfab page (https://sketchfab.com/FloridaMuseum). Skills needed: Interest in skeletal anatomy, photography, and 3D technology. Attention to detail and an ability to work independently are preferred. Skills to be gained: Zoological skeletal anatomy, Experience in photography, 3D model reconstruction, 2D and 3D image processing software, data management, including dissemination of 3D models to online resources. Semester: Fall
Project Mentor: Sadie Mills, Carla Ruffer, Alise Cross Lab/Collection: Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI) Project Description: The Earth Systems Outreach Intern will support the Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI) by researching scientific topics and helping create clear, engaging outreach materials for public audiences. This intern will translate the importance of Earth system concepts, such as climate, the water cycle, and human–environment interactions, into accessible materials to use at in-person outreach activities. The intern will also pilot the materials at TESI outreach events. Key responsibilities include: Conducting background research on Earth systems science and existing outreach programs, assisting in drafting and creating outreach materials (e.g., hands-on activities, signage), supporting ongoing outreach and education efforts as needed. Ideal candidates are curious, detail-oriented students with strong writing skills, an interest in Earth systems or environmental science, and a desire to communicate science effectively to broad audiences. Skills Needed: Not needed but preferred: some background in science, outreach, and/or education; design experience Skills to be Gained: Science communication, outreach design and implementation, an enhanced understanding of Earth systems, and more Semester: Fall
Project Mentor: Amanda Hall Lab/Collection: North Florida Archaeology Project Description: Students will assist with assessing North Florida archaeological museum collections to meet NAGPRA compliance deadlines for various archaeological sites. Tasks will include inventorying and recording artifact collections, and digitizing site documents to create site summaries for affiliated tribes. Skills Needed: No previous experience is necessary, but the work requires respectful handling of Native American objects of cultural patrimony and various museum documents. Must use discretion, be organized, detail oriented, and work well independently. Previous experience working with Native American cultural materials is helpful, but not required. Skills to be Gained: Hands-on experience working with museum artifact and document collections, experience in identifying and describing archaeological artifacts /indigenous cultural materials, and experience in repatriation efforts. Semester: Fall
Project Mentor: Alan Franck, Lucas Majure Lab/Collection: Herbarium (Botany) Project Description: Digitizing the plant diversity of the world – To understand plant diversity and target conservation needs, the herbarium is digitizing its collection of about a half-million specimens. Priorities include specimens from the Neotropics, Paleotropics, historic sets from the 1850s-1970s, bryophytes, and lichens. We have a very unique collection, some of which needs meticulous curatorial work. Students can focus on a particular collection, plant group, or geographic area of interest. Remote work may be possible for bryophyte or lichen projects. Skills Needed: Interest in plant diversity Skills to be Gained: Curation and digitization of plant specimens, including databasing, photography, mounting, and filing, as well as various interesting tidbits about plant species that we work with. Semester: Fall
Project mentor: Zuania Colón-Piñeiro Other mentors: David Blackburn Lab/Collection: Herpetology Project Description: The diversity in amphibian reproductive modes, organized by water dependency, is key for understanding vertebrate adaptation to terrestrial habitats. In species that bypass the tadpole stage, females incur the cost of water independence by providing the necessary nutrients for development without food supplementation from foraging, resulting in larger, nutrient-rich eggs. Although reproductive modes are well-documented in most amphibians, comparative research on maternal provisioning is limited, likely due to challenges in measuring nutritional compounds in small eggs. This project aims to scale down current protocols for measuring compounds such as lipids and proteins in larger egg yolks so they can be applied to amphibian eggs. The developed protocols will enable us to use museum specimens to characterize maternal provisioning across amphibian reproductive modes. Skills needed: Attention to detail, organizational skills, and interest in amphibian diversity, museum collections, and dissection. Skills to be gained: Hands-on experience in dissecting museum specimens, gathering morphological data, and sample preparation; data management; writing skills; and potentially presenting research findings. Semester: Fall
Project mentor: Helen B. Plylar, David C. Blackburn Lab/Collection: Herpetology Project Description: Snakes are a highly diverse and prolific tetrapod lineage, with >4000 extant species and major radiations spanning all continents except Antarctica. Despite their lack of limbs, their success as predators is infamous, and this is due (in part) to the anatomy of their jaws and teeth. Snakes possess pleurodont teeth (i.e., teeth that are directly attached to the jaw bones, rather than sitting in sockets like those of humans) on the maxillary, palatine, pterygoid, and dentary bones. These teeth are continuously replaced throughout their lifespan. The unicuspid, conical, and curved shape of snake teeth, and their distribution across the bones of the lower jaw, upper jaw, and palate reflects their utility in grasping and subduing prey as it is swallowed whole. Tooth morphology varies both within and between lineages and is dependent on prey preference, rather than evolutionary relatedness. In the “typical” pattern of tooth replacement in snakes, every other tooth is either an established or newly replaced tooth, although this pattern is not common to all taxa—worm- and slug-eating specialists apparently replace all teeth simultaneously as they undergo ecdysis (the process of shedding the skin). This suggests that tooth replacement in snakes with extreme dietary specializations may differ from the typical alternate tooth attachment of more generalist predators. This project aims to comparatively examine modes of tooth replacement in snakes across all lineages, ecologies, and dietary habits using both microCT scans of intact snake heads and high-magnification images of individual jaw bones. Skills needed: Attention to detail, good communication and organization, and interest in any/all off the following: use of museum collections, 3D data, microscopy, snakes, teeth, vertebrate morphology Skills to be gained: Knowledge of snake cranial anatomy and morphology; protocols for access and use of museum collections; acquisition and processing of microCT scan data; use of microscopes to acquire high-magnification 2D images; qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of data generated; scientific writing and presentation of scientific studies Semester: Fall
Project mentor: John Slapcinsky, Gustav Paulay Lab/Collection: Invertebrate Zoology Project Description: Curating material from biodiversity surveys. IZ has large collections of specimens, tissues, and images coming in from coastal and deep sea biodiversity surveys that need to be rehoused, organized, databased, curated, and prepared for study. Currently specimens from a large survey of the California intertidal and from specimens collected from submersibles and ROVs in the Western Pacific are priorities. Both surveys aim to document marine diversity broadly, across marine animal groups, resulting in large collections of specimens with associated tissues (for DNA sequencing) and live images. Skills needed: Interest in marine biodiversity, being detail oriented Skills to be gained: Curation and digitization of specimens, including sorting, data organization, data capture, image organization and curation, working with databases. Subsampling tissues for DNA sequencing. Will learn about a lot of marine biodiversity across phyla. Opportunities for further work and research on marine biodiversity with morphological and molecular methods. Semester: Fall
Project mentor: Ivone de Bem Oliveira, Jaret Daniels Lab/Collection: McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity Project Description: The Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus) is a rare and declining butterfly species of conservation concern in North America. Populations are fragmented across different geographic regions, raising questions about their evolutionary relationships. The species is currently divided into three recognized subspecies. Nevertheless, the taxonomy of the Frosted Elfin is still unresolved. In particular, the separation between Callophrys irus irus and Callophrys irus arsace remains uncertain. Morphological traits alone have not fully corroborated whether these groups represent distinct evolutionary lineages. Resolving taxonomy is important for accurate conservation planning, management, and listing decisions. The Daniels’ Lab at the Florida Museum of Natural History has been working closely with the US Fish and Wildlife Services on the Frosted Elfin species status assessment (SSA) as well as on many other species SSAs. Students will learn how to design species-specific mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) primers to help confirm taxonomic designations for C. irus, providing a fast and reliable molecular identification tool for the species (and less costly). This project is classified as applied genomics. Work will be based in the molecular lab at the McGuire Center, and lab procedures will require students to be able to work in the lab for several hours, two days each week. Students will also be expected to complete several online training courses to comply with environmental health and safety requirements. Skills needed: Responsible attitude, punctuality, ability to perform repeated tasks with care and precision, organization, enthusiasm, and curiosity. Skills to be gained: Molecular lab practical experience, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, gel electrophoresis, and bioinformatics Semester: Fall
Project Mentor: Keith Willmott Lab/Collection: McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity Project Description: Butterflies are one of the best studied groups of insects, yet in a number of tropical groups the true diversity of species and their relationships remain poorly understood. This lack of understanding hinders research on broader questions about species evolution, ecology and conservation. Researchers at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity are using DNA barcoding, a method involving the sequencing of a short, usually diagnostic region of DNA, to better understand diversity in complex groups of species. Students will learn methods for extracting and amplifying DNA and analyzing the resulting sequences, and apply the data to make inferences about species diversity. Students will also gain a deeper understanding of the process of taxonomy, the science of classifying organisms. Work will be based in the molecular lab at the McGuire Center and lab procedures will require students minimally to be able to work in the lab for several hours on each of two consecutive days each week. Students will also be expected to complete several online training courses to comply with environmental health and safety requirements. Skills Needed: Responsible attitude towards working in a shared lab space, including punctuality, respecting lab rules and etiquette, ability to carefully record notes, ability to perform repeated tasks with care and precision, inquiring mind. Skills to be Gained: Experience working in a multi-user molecular laboratory; practical experience in DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, gel electrophoresis; improved understanding of approaches to taxonomy, the science of classifying organisms and studying organismal diversity Semester: Fall
Project mentor:Jonathan Nations, Meghan Holst, Verity Mathis Lab/Collection:Mammals Lab Project Description:The role environment plays in generating phenotypic variation within a species is a central question in evolutionary biology. Populations of the same species living in different habitats may form distinct “ecotypes” with traits better suited to where they live. For example, North American deermouse populations living in forest versus prairie habitats consistently exhibit differences in tail length, foot size, and ear size. The Cotton Mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) is a widespread species in Florida found in many different habitats, yet whether these three important traits vary among habitats is unknown. The student will compile measurement data from specimens in the Florida Museum Mammals Collection and map the occurrences of potential ecotypes within land cover maps to identify their distributions. Better understanding the geographic scale of trait variation will provide insight into how rodents in Florida respond to their environments, and if this pattern of adaptation is predictable. Skills needed:Attention to detail, organizational skills Skills to be gained:Experience with museum collection objects and their data, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Familiarity with mammal ecology, species distribution, and evolution Semester:Fall
Project Mentor: Steve Manchester Lab/Collection: Paleobotany Project Description: Investigating 55 million year old fossil plants based on leaf impressions and pollen. Skills Needed: interest in geology and/or botany Skills to be Gained: microscope use, camera and photoshop methods Semester: Fall
Project Mentor: Jonathan Bloch, Caleb Gordon Lab/Collection: Vertebrate Paleontology Project Description: Assisting with curation & digitization of Paleocene-Eocene fossil mammals from Wyoming. Skills Needed: Attention to detail. Interest in 3D data, fossils, mammals, morphology. Skills to be Gained: Basic paleontology curation and/digitization skill, understanding of anatomy, morphology of small mammal bones Semester: Fall
Intern Testimonials
“An invaluable opportunity to familiarize yourself with careers in scientific fields that often go unnoticed, gain research experience with a supportive mentor, and overall a great way to gain new experiences you might not receive anywhere else”
“My internship experience was a valuable one. I was able to gain hands on experience in artifact preservation and the techniques and measures taken to maintain cultural artifact collections. I had fun too and was able to meet new friends and mentors that will go beyond this experience.”
“This internship gave me a chance to gain a better understanding about the processes to acquire new items for collection and the work done to care for a collection”
The Florida Museum Undergraduate Internship Program (FMUIP) Committee organizes the internship program.
The Florida Museum Undergraduate Internship Program Committee:
Shyla Davidson (iDigBio member)
Steve Manchester (NH chair)
Mariela Pajuelo (NH member)
Jerald Pinson (NH member)
Julian Correa (NH graduate student member)
John Slapcinsky (NH member)
Andrea Torvinen (NH member)
Past Committee Members
Charlie Cobb (2021 – 2022)
Adania Flemming (2020 – 2022)
Nicole Fuller (2019 – 2022)
Jen Green (2022 – 2025)
Lilian Hendricks (2020 – 2021)
Amy Hester (2024 – 205)
Bill Keegan (2021 – 2022)
Taliesin Kinser (2020 – 2022)
Michelle LeFebvre (2019 – 2022)
Alberto Lopez Torres (2024 – 2025)
Gil Nelson (iDigBio member)
Larry Page (2022 – 2023)
Juliette Rubin (2022 – 2023)
Caroline Storer (2019 – 2022)
Shamindri Tennakoon (2020 – 2021)