Laboratory Animal Behavior Intern

Zoetis • Lincoln, NE

5d

About The Position

This internship places behavioral medicine at the center of daily clinical care and is designed for a PhD student in Behavioral Animal Science or a DVM/VMD student interested in the clinical application of laboratory animal medicine and behavior, including ACLAM board eligibility. With mentorship from board-certified laboratory animal veterinarians, the intern gains hands-on exposure to laboratory animal and behavioral health assessments, species-specific enrichment, and welfare improvement initiatives across a diverse animal population. The intern also completes a project that can support their professional career and/or ACLAM board portfolio.

The program aims to develop the intern as a laboratory animal clinician or scientist with a behavioral focus. The intern completes a project addressing a clinical behavioral welfare challenge, develops a practical solution, and presents findings to the program team. The role provides experience in behavioral assessments, enrichment and handling approaches, clinical rounds, welfare data, and staff training activities. The position is located in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a PhD in Behavioral Animal Science, or pursuing a DVM or VMD degree from an AVMA-accredited institution.
• Demonstrated interest in laboratory animal medicine, including eligibility or intent to pursue ACLAM board certification.

Nice To Haves

• Prior laboratory animal medicine coursework, externship, or clinical rotation experience.
• Foundational knowledge of animal behavioral science, including normal and abnormal behavior patterns in common laboratory species.
• Interest in the clinical rather than purely research application of behavioral medicine, including welfare assessment, enrichment, low-stress handling, and patient-centered care.
• Basic familiarity with behavioral welfare assessment frameworks such as the Five Domains model or grimace scale methodology.
• Experience with digital tools and applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Power BI, or comparable platforms for data organization and presentation.

Responsibilities

• Complete a mentored project focused on a clinical behavioral welfare challenge or a project of the intern’s choosing, develop a practical solution, and present findings to the program team.
• Observe and participate in behavioral welfare assessments with supervising laboratory animal veterinarians, learning to distinguish species-typical from abnormal behavior in rodents, companion animals, agricultural animals, and other laboratory species.
• Shadow and assist with evaluating environmental enrichment strategies and low-stress, positive reinforcement-based handling protocols under direct veterinary supervision.
• Participate in clinical rounds with the veterinary team, gaining exposure to behavioral assessments, humane endpoint recognition, and welfare-based clinical decision-making.
• Assist in collecting and organizing behavioral welfare data using digital tools to contribute to program metrics and continuous welfare improvement.
• Participate in staff enrichment and training activities, communicating behavioral science concepts to animal care technicians and husbandry teams.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree