The BIDS@I2 program is a funded, 11-week internship opportunity allowing undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds to explore the field of biomedical informatics.
The BIDS program trains students in biomedical informatics and data science core competencies. Under the guidance of faculty mentors & research scientists, BIDS interns focus on the support & elevation of biomedical informatics through research translation and practice.
“There is such a wide variety of backgrounds covered between the different program mentors. They can offer something for everyone’s interests.”
Kathryn M. Pieta , Intern ‘21
I2DB selects students based on background, experience, skills & interest in learning more about informatics. To promote interdisciplinary collaboration, I2DB recruits students from various disciplines, including, but not limited to:
- Health Science
- Public Health
- Nursing
- Pharmacy
- Medicine
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Data Science
- Computer Science
- Visual Arts
- Engineering
Program Directors
Po-Yin Yen, PhD, RN, FACMI, FAMIA, FAAN
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medical Sciences
Associate Professor, Goldfarb School of Nursing, Barnes Jewish College
yenp@wustl.edu
- Application open: Oct. 1, 2023
- Application deadline: Jan. 15, 2024
- Interviews complete: Early March, 2024
- Final decisions issued: Late March, 2024
- Virtual orientation and preparatory training period: May 20-24, 2024
- In-person program start date: May 28, 2024
- Lab retreat: July 10, 2024
- Poster session: August 1, 2024
- Program end date: August 2, 2024
* Dates and deadlines are subject to change.
As a BIDS@I2 intern, you will:
- Work within the lab of an I2DB faculty member & participate actively in research in progress
- Receive biomedical informatics & data science training
- Participate in interdisciplinary, weekly lab meetings
- Attend weekly seminars
- Collaborate with fellow interns, faculty & staff on projects and research
- Attend I2DB retreat & present summer research
- Create a scientific poster for a culminating event for the WUSM community
- Experience a broad range of biomedical informatics & data science research methods, technology, and theories
- Who is eligible to participate in the BIDS@I2 summer internship program?
Undergraduates and Master’s students studying at a U.S. institution are eligible to apply. This program is primarily intended for undergraduates, but we do reserve a few slots for Master’s students. Every summer, approximately 15 trainees from a wide range of academic backgrounds work on research projects as part of the BIDS@I2 program. - What items are required for the internship application?
- Unofficial transcripts
- Personal statement
- One letter of recommendation
- CV or résumé
- A short list of faculty you are interested in working with
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The link to apply can be found above. There is no fee to apply.
- Is the program open to international students?
Yes, as long as you are enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at a U.S. institution and can apply for CPT or OPT with your home institution. We are not able to sponsor international visitors whose university is outside of the U.S. at this time, but hope to in the future. - How competitive is this program?
We receive approximately 5-6 applications for each available slot. - What is the time commitment required of a BIDS trainee?
Most trainees should expect to conduct research in a full-time capacity, though there are occasions where we have allowed part-time work upon faculty or trainee request. This is a 11-week program, typically beginning in mid-May and ending in early August. The first two weeks are focused on orientation and preparatory training. - How does the mentor-trainee “matching” process work?
Each January, we survey faculty on their needs for summer trainees and ask them to share any desired skillsets or backgrounds they are looking for in a trainee(s), as this can change from year to year. We take this information, along with the list of preferred faculty gathered from each application, into consideration during the admissions process. We will issue final admission decisions and, if admitted, faculty mentor assignments by early April. - What projects might I work on?
While the specific projects that trainees may work on is constantly evolving, you can check out our faculty bio page below to learn more about general areas of interest. In recent years, trainees have worked on projects ranging from applying machine learning to single-cell data sets to utilizing informatics techniques to solve problems in the population health domain. Check out this St. Louis Public Radio article, which highlights a recent project led by Dr. Beth Prusaczyk and a previous summer trainee who studied the relationship between Facebook connections and the spread of COVID-19. - My summer availability doesn’t quite line up with the posted dates. Is this a problem?
We have accepted applicants who requested an alternate start or end date in the past. Please indicate your need for a different timeline on your application. - Is financial support provided?
Undergraduates can expect their financial support to equate to approximately $16/hr for 10 weeks. Graduate students are supported at a slightly higher hourly rate. These rates are subject to change. Trainees are also provided university housing if needed. - For more information, please contact Katie Bay at k.bay@wustl.edu, Senior Program Manager at I2DB.
Po-Yin Yen, PhD, RN, FACMI, FAMIA, FAAN
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medical Sciences
Associate Professor, Goldfarb School of Nursing, Barnes Jewish College
yenp@wustl.edu
