Leacross Intern - Fossils (3-month contract)

Royal Ontario Museum • Toronto, ON

55d • CA$18 • Onsite

About The Position

The Leacross Foundation Internship Program is a summer internship designed to support female-identifying undergraduate students as they explore careers in research, collections, and museums.
Five interns will work across different areas of the museum: Biodiversity, Earth & Space (including Climate Change), Fossils, Art & Culture, and Collections Care. Throughout the summer, interns will participate in cohort learning opportunities to gain exposure to ROM’s collections, research initiatives, and institutional work.
For the Leacross Foundation Internship – Fossils, we are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented student to support the processing of a recently acquired fossil collection from the Eocene of British Columbia.
This collection—acquired through the LHS Strategic Acquisition (Summer 2025)—includes approximately 10,000 fossil specimens representing plants, insects, vertebrates (including fishes and bird feathers), and other invertebrate groups. The intern will assist with unpacking, sorting, and cataloguing the collection to support research access and long-term preservation within the museum’s paleontology collections.
This role offers hands-on experience working with fossil specimens and museum collections management practices.

Requirements

• Completion of at least one (1) year of post-secondary education in evolutionary biology, biological sciences, botany, geology, paleontology, museum studies, or a related field
• Demonstrated academic knowledge or interest in paleontology or fossil collections
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Excellent attention to detail when working with scientific specimens
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a collections or research environment

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience working in a museum or collections setting is considered an asset

Responsibilities

• Carefully unpack and process fossil specimens from a recently acquired Eocene fossil collection
• Separate vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant fossils to support accurate classification and organization
• Sort and organize specimens into trays while identifying corresponding parts and counterparts
• Assign and track specimen numbers and official object numbers to support cataloguing within the paleontology collection
• Assist with organizing and preparing fossil material for long-term collections storage and research access
• Collaborate with fellow Leacross interns and participate in cohort learning sessions to gain exposure to other areas of the museum

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed