banner with ALA logo and photo of a small native mouse (New Holland Mouse). Text reads: Internship Opportunities

The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) Internship Program offers aspiring Australian university students a remarkable opportunity to learn and refine best-practice skills and create meaningful connections with professionals working in the industry.

Our internship program has options for both undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in Australian universities looking to gain real-world experience. Whether you’re passionate about biodiversity data, informatics, programming, open science or are more broadly passionate about gaining a deeper understanding of ecological sciences, we work with interns to create bespoke projects with practical applications.

We provide mentorship and skills development opportunities in the office and working remotely (project dependent). You will gain invaluable experience that sets you up for a successful future working in STEM.

Read more from our past internship students

If you are an industry engagement representative for an Australian university and wish to explore potential collaboration opportunities with the ALA regarding your university’s current work-integrated learning programs, kindly connect with us via email at outreach@ala.org.au.

ALA internship program options

The ALA internship program has options for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, these options are detailed below:

Undergraduate Vacation Studentship

The ALA offers opportunities to promising tertiary students in scientific, engineering and business-related disciplines over the summer holiday period, with placements beginning in late November or early December.

The duration of placement ranges from 8-12 weeks and are typically full-time. Students receive a stipend for the duration of their placement with the ALA.

These internships are advertised around July-August and will also be listed on this page, and across the ALA & CSIRO’s communications networks.

Read more about Undergraduate Vacation Studentships

Undergraduate Vacation Studentship (Indigenous identified positions)

The National Collections and Marine Infrastructure at CSIRO is helping to solve Australia’s greatest challenges by leading Australia’s landmark marine and biodiversity infrastructure and carrying out innovative science.

Our Undergraduate Vacation Studentships run over the Australian summer holidays and offer undergraduate students the opportunity to collaborate with leading CSIRO researchers in our world class facilities.

Students will have the chance to work on a real project in science, technology or a related field such as science communication.

Participation in the Vacation Studentship Program has influenced previous scholarship holders in their choice of further study and future career options. Many have gone on to pursue a PhD in collaboration with CSIRO or to build a successful research career within CSIRO, a university or industry.

Read more about Undergraduate Vacation Studentships (Indigenous-identified positions).

Postgraduate Internships

Looking to gain valuable experience but not eligible for our undergraduate summer internship program? If you’re a PhD or Masters student enrolled at an Australian university and eager to explore internship possibilities with us in the future, let us know by filling out the form below.

Postgraduate internships are unpaid, and offered to students who are required to complete work experience as a component of their studies. Students completing an internship must ensure that they remain enrolled in a postgraduate program at an Australian university for the duration of their placement.

By submitting an expression of interest, you will be added to our talent list for potential postgraduate internship opportunities. We typically review expressions of interest every 3-6 months. If a relevant internship opportunity becomes available, we will reach out to you directly.

Expressions of interest are kept on file for up to 12 months. After this period, we will review and possibly reach out to confirm your continued interest before removing your details.

If your details are no longer current or you wish to withdraw your expression of interest, please contact us at outreach@ala.org.au with your request.

Your personal information is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and CSIRO will handle your personal information in accordance with the Act, and CSIRO’s Privacy Policy.

For all other enquiries please contact outreach@ala.org.au.