CFDE Summer Internship at UNM

  • CFDE: Common Fund Data Ecosystem
  • IDG: Illuminating the Druggable Genome

The CFDE Summer Internship is an NIH CFDE sponsored program, organized by the IDG Data Coordinating Center (DCC) at the University of New Mexico (UNM), and focused on effective use and integration of Common Fund (CF) datasets for biomedical discovery.

Internship concentration options:

  • Integrating heterogeneous biomedical datasets, for data science research applications featuring Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG) use cases.
  • State of the art Neo4j knowledge graph databases, with instructions and examples suitable for beginning to advanced learners.
  • Public databases (e.g. CFDE Data Portal, Pharos, PubMed, PubChem) and cloud workspaces (e.g. Galaxy, AllofUs) to conduct biomedical data science research, for applications including bioinformatics, cheminformatics, and clinical informatics.

Interns will have access to project templates, example code, documentation, and other resources, based on CFDE scientific use cases, which can readily be extended and customized for novel independent study projects.

The first session of the CFDE Summer Internship at UNM is scheduled for the summer of 2025, as a fully remote internship with optional in-person meetings for local interns. The effort expectation is equivalent to 3-credit course or 16 hours/week job, with evaluation primarily based on a final report and poster. Interns may allow their project reports and posters to be published online via the course website, and optional video poster presentations published via YouTube channel.

Dates:

  • June 2 – August 1, 2024

Prerequisites and requirements:

  • Interns should be either graduate students, advanced undergraduates, or recent graduates seeking training for a career in biomedicne.
  • Interns with a broad range of data science skills are welcome to participate via a custom research plan designed to be suitable to their background.
  • Interns are required to use their own computer, but will be provided with access to additional computational resources as needed.
  • Interns must, in cooperation with program instructors and advisors, submit a preliminary research plan by the start of the internship, June 2.

Application and Registration process:

  • Application Form [DEADLINE: MARCH 15] 
  • In addition to completing the application form, applicants may be required to answer follow up questions via email or other channels.
  • If accepted, please save a copy of your confirmation email.
  • Internship limit: 5. 
  • In mid-May, registered interns will receive an introductory email, invitation to an orientation meeting (via videoconference), and instructions regarding research plan development.

Requirements for Completion:

For successful completion of this internship, the following outcomes are required.

  • Final Research Plan
  • Final Report
  • Poster
  • Poster Presentation Video
  • Active Participation and Engagement

Project Templates and Ideas

  • See this document: ISBDS-CFDE Project Templates and Ideas
  • Interns are welcome to develop original research plans, and to ask for assistance in doing so, with priority for projects involving CFDE and Common Fund data and tools. 
  • Additional project templates are in development.

FAQs

  • Will interns be employees? No, interns will not be employed, by UNM, NIH, or any other entity.
  • Are interns required to be UNM students? No. 
  • Is this a paid or unpaid internship? The internship is officially unpaid, however, a $2000 stipend will be provided directly to the interns, on successful completion of the internship, sponsored by corporate partner Deucemont Data Science Systems, Inc.
  • Where is the internship being held? This internship is entirely online to facilitate participation of motivated learners anywhere, however, in-person meetings at UNM will be arranged for local interns.
  • What kind of support will interns receive?  Interns are paired with an advisor and instructors and administrators are also available to answer questions.
  • What equipment is required?  Interns are expected to have their own computer along with the ability to participate in videoconference meetings with their advisor.
  • Do I have to be a current undergraduate or postgraduate student to take this training course?  No. All qualified current students (undergraduate and up) and recent graduates are welcome to apply.
  • Can I receive UNM credit for this internship? Yes, if enrolled as a UNM student for the summer semester, you may concurrently register for the course BIOMED 505 (Special Topics in Biomedical Sciences): Independent Study in Biomedical Data Science (ISBDS), for 3 credits, for which Dr. Yang is instructor, and complete that course by fulfilling the requirements of the internship. However, the tuition fee must be paid by the intern/student.

Contacts:

Feel free to contact us with any questions about the internship program.

See Also: