Have you ever discovered an intriguing internship that perfectly aligns with your career goals and offers new growth opportunities, but you weren’t sure you could participate due to financial or logistic reasons?
Last year, I found myself in that exact situation. Fortunately, while browsing the MIT CAPD website, I stumbled upon the MIT Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF), which completely turned things around for me.
Through the CEF, I was able to engage in a remote internship at Ourobionics, a Netherlands-based 3D bioprinting startup. I worked on exciting machine learning research and engineering projects that are set to be deployed in biomedical applications.
This was me giving my remote midterm presentation for my internship, featuring Ourobionics’ Netherlands based team.
How I found the MIT Career Exploration Fellowship
The CEF is a grant awarded to students who find internships that could significantly boost their careers, especially in impactful areas aligned with CAPD’s goals like sustainability. The grant, ranging from $3000-5000, supports students seeking meaningful work experiences across various industries.
To apply, you need a detailed proposal explaining the internship’s role, its relevance to your career path, and a supporting budget. Tavi, the program coordinator, was extremely helpful and supportive throughout the process, from the application to the final reflection. I remember setting up a meeting with her through CAPD appointments on Handshake before applying, where she answered all my questions.
An essential part of my application was demonstrating how Ourobionics, the startup from which I had received an offer, aligns with sustainability goals—a key criterion for the CEF grant. Ourobionics advances sustainability in biotechnology by utilizing advanced 3D bioprinting to reduce animal testing and medical waste through the creation of precise, human-derived tissues and organs. Their use of biocompatible and biodegradable materials in medical implants promotes environmental responsibility and improves health equity by making regenerative therapies more accessible and cost-effective. These practices not only enhance patient outcomes but also minimizing ecological impacts and promoting ethical medical innovations.
Another significant part of the application involved defining my role, where I laid out my goals for enhancing machine learning models for bioprinting and the impact I aimed to make. For example, I knew I was interested in becoming a better researcher and building skills to support that, and I also hoped to explore new topics at the intersection of machine learning and healthcare, like biomaterials.
This is me holding my laptop with the presentation I gave on feature importance analysis for electrospinning parameter setup.
My role and takeaways at Ourobionics
At Ourobionics, my work was central to my passion for healthcare innovation. I developed AI-driven systems to improve the precision and efficiency of bioprinting processes. As part of a research-driven experience, I synthesized dozens of papers on 3D bioprinting and electrospinning, the core technologies behind Ourobionics.
On the engineering side, one of my projects involved performing feature importance analysis using explainable AI techniques on pre-trained machine learning models, crucial for optimizing the electrospinning technique. This role not only honed my technical skills but also gave me the unique opportunity to directly contribute to advancements in medical technology that promise to minimize animal testing and enhance drug discovery.
Despite working remotely, the team was extremely supportive. I had the opportunity to be directly supervised by the CTO, meeting with him weekly to share progress and discuss next steps. Through 12 weeks of collaboration, I truly got a glimpse into what it’s like to work in a biotech startup environment as an early engineering hire.
Additionally, I had the flexibility to converse with top-notch researchers and engineers—the authors of the papers I was tasked with reading. I absorbed their advice and built research skills that significantly leveled up both my confidence and career trajectory. The highlight of my internship was presenting my findings to the Ourobionics team, receiving commendations for my innovative approach and the potential impact of my work.
Looking ahead
This internship was a turning point for me. It cemented my interest in merging machine learning with healthcare and opened my eyes to how AI can transform biotech. I concluded my experience with a strengthened technical skill set and a clear career path, eager to use technology to make healthcare better and more accessible worldwide. Moreover, I’m excited to announce that I am continuing my collaboration with Ourobionics and working on publishing a research paper based on my internship results.
MIT CEF’s financial support was key in making this possible. It covered my essential living expenses, allowing me to fully focus on maximizing my learning and contributions during the internship.
Tips for future CEF applicants
If you’re considering the CEF, just go for it. Whether your passion lies in sustainable energy, biotech, or any field in between, the CEF can be your ticket to an incredible learning experience, without the financial stress often associated with unpaid internships.
When you apply, ensure your application highlights how the internship fits with your future plans, the skills you’re eager to gain, and what you bring to the table. Be transparent about your financial needs and use the fellowship to overcome any barriers that could hold you back from fully diving into your career.
All in all, the Career Exploration Fellowship is more than just a grant; it’s a springboard into your future career, equipping you with experiences, skills, and connections to succeed in your chosen field. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunities it has unlocked for me, and I can’t wait to see where the road leads next.
Ariadne Dulchinos (MIT BS ’24, MEng ’25) is a Peer Career Advisor and a current MEng student in the Departments of Computer Science and Cognitive Science.
