Eligibility Requirements

The following information pertains to small companies. Research institutions should contact internship@masslifesciences.com for more information.

Companies

Companies interested in hosting interns can register with the MLSC at any time throughout the year to gain access to our database of internship candidates, though registration for each round opens in January. Pending approval as a host, company representatives can review applications, interview candidates, and select qualified interns. Companies can hire up to two interns per Program Year, with the option to hire two additional interns enrolled in a 2-year/community college/certificate program, or Minority Serving Institution (MSI) such as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The MLSC will reimburse eligible companies for pay rates between $17 and $20 per hour for a total reimbursement of no more than $9,600 per intern at the conclusion of the internship.

Other MLSC-Sponsored Internship Programs

The MLSC also offers an internship program for high school students and an internship program for data scientists. Companies participating in the Internship Challenge will automatically gain access to these programs:

High School Apprenticeship Challenge: Companies can hire up to two subsidized high school interns per program year, which do not count toward the limit on college interns hired through the Internship Challenge. The MLSC reimburses host organizations for high school intern wages of up to $17/hour (up to $4,080 per intern based on 6 weeks of full-time work).

Data Science Internship Program: Companies can hire one subsidized data science intern per program year for a period of up to six months, which counts towards the limit on interns hired through the Internship Challenge. The MLSC will reimburse up to $20/hour for interns that are pursuing or have completed their Bachelor’s degree (up to $20,800 per intern), $25/hour for interns that have completed their Master’s degree (up to $26,000 per intern) or enrolled in a Ph.D. program, and $40/hour for interns that have completed their Ph.D. (up to $41,600 per intern).

This is a first come first serve program and funding will be secured only after the hiring process on the MLSC account and documentation is complete.

Host Companies Eligibility:

Must be located in Massachusetts and internships must take place in Massachusetts. Interns can work remotely for part though not all of the internship. Companies are required to be registered to do business in Massachusetts and must submit Certificates of Good Standing from both the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth (click on links to begin process). Companies will also need to provide MLSC with a signed copy of their Form W-9 and an authorization for electronic fund transfers (if not previously provided).
Must be small businesses, employing 100 or fewer employees in Massachusetts and no more than 250 employees worldwide. Incubators/accelerators and trade associations are also eligible to host subsidized interns. Larger companies and their subsidiaries are welcome to participate in the program, however their internships would not be subsidized.
Must be life sciences companies or organizations that provide services to the life sciences industry. “Life sciences” is defined as: “advanced and applied sciences that expand the understanding of human physiology and have the potential to lead to medical advances or therapeutic applications,” – Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), chapter 23I, section 2.
Must be in compliance with any and all grant agreements and contracts with the MLSC, including reporting requirements and reimbursement certification for past participation in an Internship program.

Interns:

Must meet at least one of the following:
- Massachusetts resident (able to provide proof of residency)
- Attending an accredited college or university located in Massachusetts (able to provide enrollment verification)
- Attending a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) such as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU)
Must meet one of the following:
- 2-year/Community College/Certificate students must be enrolled in an Associate’s Degree or Certificate program or have completed one within the past calendar year. Continuing Education students are also eligible.
- 4-year college or university students are required to have completed at least their freshman year the semester before the internship starts or have graduated within the past calendar year.
- Graduate students must be enrolled in a Master’s program or received their Master’s degree within the past calendar year. Ph.D. and M.D. students are not eligible.

Please Note:

Interns are to be hired and paid directly by the host company. Any employed intern shall be treated as a W-2 employee of the company (not a contractor or subcontractor) for compensation purposes. However, interns must be hired for a temporary internship experience and not hired as permanent employees (interns can be hired full time upon completion of the MLSC-sponsored internship).
It is preferred that interns are paid through a third-party payroll service (e.g., ADP, Paychex, Intuit Payroll). If using an internal payroll system (e.g., QuickBooks) in which payroll is not processed by a third-party, additional supporting documentation may be required for reimbursement. Companies are required to pay their interns at a frequency that is in accordance with Chapter 149, Section 148 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as amended, and any other applicable law and include in each payment all applicable employment taxes in accordance with state and federal law.
Payroll taxes and fees are not reimbursable. Host organizations are required to pay mandatory federal and state employer-paid taxes, such as Social Security and Medicare, and if applicable, an increase in monthly payroll service fees for additional employees.
Multiple companies that are “Related Parties” can participate, however will be limited to the maximum funding available for ONE company. Related Party Companies are defined as companies having common ownership and/or management personnel (including but not limited to the CEO, CFO, or COO). Related Party Companies are also considered to be related if at any time one company has the ability to Control (as defined below) the other company or exercise influence over the other company in making financial and/or operating decisions. Control is defined as:
- ownership, directly or indirectly, of more than one half of the voting power of a company, or
- control of the composition of the board of directors, or other governing body of a company, or
- a substantial interest in voting power and the power to direct the financial and/or operating policies of the company.
Companies cannot hire an intern who is the spouse, child, grandchild, sibling, niece, nephew, cousin or spouse of a child, grandchild, sibling, niece, nephew, or cousin of ANY employee of the company.
Interns cannot participate in more than one subsidized internship in the same Program Year.
Interns cannot participate in more than two subsidized internships (over two Program Years) with the same company.
Internships cannot also be subsidized by another state entity (such as MassTech or MassCEC). Companies participating in more than one state-funded internship program must hire different interns under each program.