NASW student members looking for great science writing internships or one-on-one networking conversations with editors at news and science organizations are invited to register for the 2026 NASW Virtual Internship Fair. The event will be held online from 1 to 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Registration is required by Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
Are you seeking excellent candidates for a paid internship? See the “Instructions for recruiters” section below to reserve your virtual table.
NASW Virtual Internship Fair details
NASW student members are invited to meet with editors from top magazines, research institutes, national labs and other science communication outlets during a round-robin style internship fair and editor meet & greet. Some recruiting outlets include Scientific American, Nature, Science, Chemical & Engineering News, Retraction Watch, and more to be announced.
The format is a fast-paced, round-robin style of interviews, using Zoom breakout rooms. In each 8-minute interview round, each student participant meets with one recruiting organization. When the 8 minutes are up, students rotate to a new breakout room for their next interview round or take a break until their next appointment.
Recruiters may identify prospective interns at the fair, but internships are generally not offered on the spot.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS:
Step 1: Check your eligibility. Attendance at the NASW Virtual Internship Fair is limited to NASW members who are currently students 18 years of age and older, enrolled in any community college, bachelor’s, master’s, or other graduate degree or certificate program.
Not a member? Submit a membership application by Jan. 27, 2026. Your complete, paid application for NASW membership at the student membership level must be received by Jan. 27. Visit nasw.org/join for more information. Signing up to view free guest content on nasw.org is not the same as joining NASW. Please double-check your membership status by logging in. If the membership fee is a financial barrier, please reach out to education@nasw.org, and we will do our best to assist you.
Step 2: Register. To participate in the fair, students must register for the fair AND be a current NASW student member by Jan. 27, 2026. You will have the option of submitting your resume and clips as part of the registration process.
Step 3: Complete the follow-ups. Registered participants will receive additional information about the event format and platform access instructions via email. This will involve signing up for individual slots during a scheduled time a few days before the fair.
Step 4: Get ready. Please come prepared: Do some background reading on the publications with which you wish to meet and look at their social media feeds. Think about how you will encapsulate your goals and experience, what questions you’ll want to ask, and dress professionally as you would for a job interview. Students will receive details about the internships ahead of the event. Keep in mind that the fair is intended to be an opportunity for NASW student members to learn about various organizations’ offerings and introduce themselves to editors to make a quick first impression. You will have just eight minutes with each editor.
Step 5: Be on time! No matter what time your first appointment is, you must log into the fair no later than 1 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Feb. 6, to participate.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR RECRUITERS:
- If your organization has a paid internship for which you are seeking excellent candidates — or even if you don't have an internship offering, but would like to meet with students — please sign up here to reserve your place. Recruiters do not need to be NASW members. You will receive more detailed information and a meeting link a few days before the fair. For questions, contact NASW Internship Fair program coordinator Chia-Yi Hou at education@nasw.org.
- On the day of the event, Feb. 6, please log on by 12:45 p.m. Eastern so any technical issues can be sorted out before the event starts. Come prepared to describe available internship opportunities (including remuneration).
- Consider having two people from your organization work the fair so they can allow each other to take a break, while still accommodating all the students seeking internships or wishing to speak with editors. NASW volunteers will be on hand to help recruiters and students as much as possible.
Questions? Contact the NASW Education Committee at education@nasw.org.
Thank you to NASW member volunteers Courtney Gorman, Shel Evergreen, Chia-Yi Hou, Corie Lok, Deanna Ferrell, Haley Wasserman, Shaun Kirby, and many others who have led our student programming year after year. Remember to tag #SciWriStudent in your social media posts to join the conversation.
About NASW
Founded in 1934 with a mission to fight for the free flow of science news, NASW is an organization of about 2,600 professional journalists, authors, editors, producers, public information officers, students, and people who write and produce material intended to inform the public about science, health, engineering, and technology. To learn more, visit www.nasw.org and follow NASW on LinkedIn.
