Virtual Internship Program

Applications open February 10, 2025 and close March 14, 2025.

Applications for 2025 open on February 10, 2025.

The NRI is excited to offer its Virtual Internship Program (VIP) for high school students for 2025! This 4-week, online-only program will allow students the opportunity to learn from NRI principal investigators and other research staff, participate in group mentoring sessions, and complete an independent nutrition research project and presentation.

All sessions will be via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Most sessions are one hour long; the introductory and concluding sessions are longer. See schedule, below.

Application Requirements: Applicants must be current high school students (rising freshman who will be entering high school in the fall of 2025 are eligible to participate) or recent high school graduates who will begin their freshman year of college in the fall of 2025. Applicants under the age of 18 must have permission from their parents to participate.

Application Process: No applications will be accepted after the deadline.

Your application must include:

  1. Statement of interest to participate in the program (200 word maximum)
  2. Statement of future career interest (50 word maximum)

Applications will be reviewed and scored based on these three criteria. The 30 students receiving the highest scores will be accepted into the 2025 program and notified by email on or before April 1.

Program Requirements: To successfully complete the VIP program and receive the certificate of completion, students must attend all weekly sessions, be actively engaged, and complete their program project on time. Students must also prepare and give a 5-minute presentation summarizing their project.

All applicants will be notified of their acceptance status April 1, 2025.

Schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

 

VIP Schedule 2025

Week One

Tuesday, June 3
1 PM - 2:30 PM
Welcome and Orientation
Nutrition 101
Deborah Tate, PhD
Professor of Nutrition

Jenna Baker
VIP Coordinator

Carsyn Patton
VIP Coordinator

Sandra Mooney, PhD
Associate Professor of Nutrition

Ryan Dayvault
Associate Director of Operations
Thursday, June 5
1 PM - 2 PM
Research MethodsHannah Petry
Graduate Student, Mooney Lab

Week Two

Tuesday, June 10
1 PM - 2 PM
Faculty PresentationDeborah Tate, PhD
Professor of Nutrition
The importance of good nutrition, health behaviors, and risk factors.
Thursday, June 12
1 PM - 2 PM
Faculty PresentationCarol Cheatham, PhD
Associate Professor
The importance of good nutrition to promote healthy brain development and function across the lifespan.

Week Three

Tuesday, June 17
1 PM - 2 PM
UNC Admissions PresentationMelody Burke
Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions
• Undergraduate Admissions Process

Ximena Bustamente-Marin
Assistant Professor
• BSPH-Nutrition Program
Thursday, June 19
1 PM - 2 PM
Mentoring SessionWalter Friday,
Research Specialist, Trujillo and Saini Labs

Sabrina Molina
Assistant Laboratory Manager, Sumner Lab

Carsyn Patton
Events and Programming Manager

Julian Robles
Research Technician, Goode Lab

Week Four

Tuesday, June 24
12 PM - 2 PM
Student PresentationsStudents
Thursday, June 26
12 PM - 2 PM
Student PresentationsStudents