2026 Future Talent Program – Intern

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features internships that last up to 12 weeks and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research and Development Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

A summer research intern position focused on building a foundational understanding around enzyme kinetics and drug interactions is available in the Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, Metabolism and Bioanalytics (PDMB) function within our Research & Development Division in Boston, Massachusetts. The mission of PDMB at our Research & Development Division is to advance our therapeutic pipeline with cutting-edge analytical and biochemical data, strengthen molecular design and provide mechanistic insights for translational modeling that is integral to the development of safe and effective new medicines, all while developing our people as scientific leaders and technical experts. Further, through foundational internships such as this, we aim to help the successful candidate develop basic lab skills, understand and design experiments which are routinely conducted within PDMB and build a confidence in interpreting and presenting the experimental outcomes in a collaborative group setting.

This research internship will last up to 12 weeks at our Research & Development Division Boston site. Throughout the internship, there will be a focus placed on understanding the clearance pathways and drug interaction potential of a drug using in vitro systems with well-established methods that have been refined over years of PDMB research. The student will learn about reagent choice, conduct of initial linearity experiments and subsequent generation of enzyme kinetic parameters for well-characterized probe substrates. Upon successful completion, the student will have the opportunity to follow up with enzyme inhibition experiments for the same probes with selective inhibitors, exploring the effects of incubation conditions on the resulting data output. Simple data fitting techniques will be taught in conjunction with the in vitro data generation.

Key Roles/Responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:

• Familiarization with literature and regulatory guidance surrounding common in vitro approaches for enzyme kinetic and DDI assessments

• Design and conduct in vitro enzyme kinetic and inhibition experiments using well characterized probe substates of various drug metabolizing enzymes

• Analysis of resulting data with a focus on in vitro to in vivo translation and measures of variability within experimental data

• Participate and present in local group meetings with presentation of completed research efforts to full department at the end of internship

Education

• Must be a full-time student currently enrolled in a B.A. or B.S. program in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related life science fields

Required Experience and Skills:

• Must have basic laboratory skills and familiarity with common laboratory equipment (e.g., pipettes, centrifuges), as well as understanding of basic safety protocols

• Must be able to complete an onsite 10-12 consecutive week internship in Boston between May and August 2026

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Should have prior experience following experimental protocols to conduct basic experiments

• Should have demonstrated proficiency in biochemistry or related course, including a basic understanding of enzyme kinetic principles (e.g., Km, Vmax, IC50)

• Should possess good verbal and written communication skills and interpersonal skills

• Should be efficient, organized, and able to handle short timelines in a fast-paced environment

• Should have strong critical thinking skills, ability to identify issues and seek solutions

• Should have the ability to work both independently and collaboratively

• Should have a minimum GPA of 3.0

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Salary range:

The salary range for this role is $39,600.00-$105,500.00 USD

 
FTP2026
RL2026

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

Yes

Required Skills:

Biological Sciences, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Biopharmaceutics, Clinical Research, Cloud Data Catalog, Communication, Conducting Experiments, Critical Thinking, Data Analysis, Database Management, Data Science, Data Security, Data Visualization, Data Wrangling, Detail-Oriented, Drug Interactions, Enzyme Kinetics, Event Planning, Immunochemistry, In Vitro Studies, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Life Science, Phytochemistry, Project Management {+ 2 more}

 Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

11/3/2025

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.