Summer Interns
Applications for the summer of 2025 are closed. Please check back in January 2026 for the summer 2026 application instructions.
Each summer we run an internship program for 2-6 students. Our interns are usually undergraduates, but occasionally have been at more advanced stages. We cannot accept interns under 18 years old. We accept interns with a variety of levels of experience, including those with very little prior research experience, and also those with more experience. The 2026 internship program will run from [dates to be announced in January 2026]. Interns are expected to work about 30 hours/week in our lab, in person at our lab in Cambridge, MA. Interns are provided with a stipend of $5,000. We regret that we cannot provide housing. Each intern works closely with one or two senior members of the lab on current research projects. We also provide a number of different research training and professional development events, social events, etc.
In addition to considering applications from US citizens and permanent residents, we will also consider applications from non-citizens. However, please understand that there are administrative processes and regulations that may make present insurmountable obstacles in some cases. We will take a case-by-case approach consistent with applicable policy and law.
To apply to the internship, please fill out [link to be provided in January 2026], and then send a current CV/resume and transcript (screen shot or PDF is fine) to Fiery Cushman at cushman@fas.harvard.edu. The deadline for applications is January 23, 2026.
Research Assistants
Currently there are no openings for paid, full time, professional research assistants. If a position opens, information will be made available on this website.
Every semester several undergraduate students work in the lab as research assistants for course credit. These positions are usually filled by undergraduates enrolled at Harvard. For other students, the summer internship program is typically a better opportunity. Harvard undergraduates interested in working in the lab are encouraged to send an email expressing their interest, describing their goals and relevant experience in 1-2 paragraphs, and including a resume or CV. Do not worry if you have no experience; we take on students with a variety of backgrounds in science, including novices. (However, we do typically have more students interested than available positions). Please email Fiery expressing interest during the second and third weeks of August for fall term work, or during the first and second weeks of January for spring term work.
Senior Honors Theses
The application deadline for submitting a request to complete a Senior Honors Thesis in the lab is by January 15th of a student’s junior year at Harvard. Typically, more students apply to complete theses than the lab can support, so we must be selective in the students we accept to complete honors research in the lab. Additionally, we give preference to students who are current Research Assistants in lab; therefore, if you are not an RA, it will be particularly important to schedule a meeting with the lab’s Principal Investigator, Fiery Cushman, to discuss the possibility of conducting a thesis.
No particular application materials are required to be considered to conduct honors research in the lab. Please directly email Fiery to express interest in conducting a senior thesis in the lab.
Visiting Students and Fellows
If you are interested in joining the lab as a visiting student or fellow (e.g., a visiting doctoral student from another University, a professor on sabbatical, etc.) please email Fiery with a brief description of your interest and plans. Please understand that we receive many more requests than we can accommodate.
Prospective Graduate Students
The application deadline for the 2025-26 cycle has passed.
The following year (2026-27) I will be reviewing applications for graduate students who wish to affiliate with the lab. Here are some tips:
- I read your personal statement very closely. I am interested to hear in detail about your past research experiences, your current interests, and some examples of the kinds of things you might want to study in the future.
- I am also very interested in your writing sample(s). Please make these things that reflect your own effort and writing. I would much rather read a term paper that you wrote than see a published manuscript that you played a much smaller role in (for instance). If one thing doesn’t seem like enough, go ahead and send two.
- I take your letters of recommendation very seriously.
- If you wish to send along an email or some materials before the deadline by email feel free to do so. I will take a look at these if I can, and I will get in touch if I think it will be productive. But, I really start to think about graduate admissions when the applications are in. Do not be discouraged if you do not hear back from me before then.