Social Origins Lab Summer Intern

The Social Origins Lab at UC Berkeley, under the direction of Dr. Jan Engelmann, is now accepting applications for the summer 2026 internship program. The lab explores how social and cognitive abilities arise and interact with one another in human development and across species and cultures. In doing so, our research studies primarily involve working with children of various age ranges.

The lab hosts an 8-week summer internship for enthusiastic students looking for research experience. Interns will spend their time in Berkeley working alongside graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and fellow undergraduates to develop and run research studies . This will include data collection at local museums and camps, learning to analyze and code data, and helping pilot and improve ongoing projects.

Summer interns will also have the opportunity to participate in weekly professional development events covering topics such as graduate school applications, academia vs. industry, discussion of scientific papers, ongoing projects in the Berkeley Developmental Labs, and more.

Interns are expected to commit to the entirety of the internship and will work approximately 30 hours/week. They are granted a $2400 stipend for the summer.

Our summer internship takes place from June 1st - July 31st in Berkeley, CA. For those on the quarter system, the start date can be adjusted accordingly. The application is due February 2, 2026.

Qualifications:

• Must be excited about developmental and/or comparative psychology
• Prior experience working with children
• Must be organized, reliable, have strong communication skills, and attention to detail
• Prior research experience is preferred but not required
• Must be a US citizen or currently enrolled in a US-based university or college

Required:

• Must be enthusiastic and comfortable working with children and parents
• Able to commit 30 hours per week for 8 weeks
• Must be a current undergraduate
• Proof of full vaccination and the ability to pass a background check

Unfortunately, we cannot sponsor visas.

Learn more at socialoriginslab.com/summer-internship

Please direct any questions to lab manager Harriet Caplin at [email protected]