Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory

The Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory (RISCL) offers several opportunities for students and the general public to increase their knowledge of forensic science and the State Crime Laboratory.  Staff members conduct tours of the Laboratory to small groups (limit of 10 per tour). A virtual tour is offered to large groups through a PowerPoint presentation either at the University or at an off-site location. Public and private schools can contact the director to schedule a presentation. Social, corporate and civic groups can schedule a presentation through Dennis Hilliard the Laboratory Director,  by phone 401-874-5056 or by email dhilliard@uri.edu.

High school students who have science projects, capstone projects, or senior projects may schedule an interview with Laboratory staff and may attend the Forensic Science Seminars, which are free and open to the public. High school students have used these seminars to meet their quota of hours for senior or capstone programs.

A competitive internship program is offered during the summer to students in a forensic science related program of study at the undergraduate or at the graduate level at a college or university. The program is described in detail below.

RISCL Internship/Volunteer Program

James Medeiros, Criminalist II / Latent Print Examiner
Jane Northup, Criminalist I/Quality Assurance Officer

Application Packets
Complete application packets are made available each year on approximately January 15th.  All information is emailed to interested parties.  Anyone interested in the program should send an email to James Medeiros after the 1st of the year.

Dates of Program
The RISCL Internship/Volunteer Program accepts up to a maximum of two (2) interns for placement each summer. Internships are only offered during the summer. No internships will be offered during the school year. Internships are experiential and limited to 40 hours.

Types of Internships
All RISCL Internships are unpaid volunteer positions. All students who meet the program requirements are welcome to apply. Internships are limited to 40 hours. The 40 hour limit is firm and will not be extended.

Types of Students
The RISCL Internship/Volunteer Program accepts applications from graduate and undergraduate students who meet the following criteria at the time of application:

• Majoring in a life science, physical science or forensic science
• Minimum GPA of 3.00
• In good standing with their school
• Graduate students must have completed at least two academic semesters
• Undergraduate students must have completed a minimum of 60 credit hours at the time of application

Please note: Social science majors such as criminal justice, anthropology, and sociology do not meet the educational requirements of this program. Online forensic science programs usually do not meet the educational requirements unless they include a significant hands-on laboratory section.

Placement
Placements for interns vary depending upon the level of education and the need of the Laboratory. Typically, an intern is assigned a rotating schedule including but not limited to each of the following Laboratory sections: Latent Prints, Trace Evidence, Firearms and Quality Assurance. 

Hours of Work
The internship will be conducted Monday – Friday during normal business hours. Interns will work 10 hours per week for four weeks.

Application Process
The RISCL application process consists of two (2) levels. Applicants must satisfy the requirements of each level before proceeding to the next level.

• Internship Application (Level 1) – Upon request, an application will be sent to you.  Please complete the application and return with a cover letter, official college transcripts and resume to the Rhode Island State Crime Lab.

Please note incomplete packages will not be processed.

• Interviews (Level 2) – Completed application packages will be reviewed by an interview committee. Based on this review, the committee will select the applicants who will move to the interview stage. The interviews are almost always conducted in-person and are scheduled during normal business hours.  Alternate accommodations may be made in certain circumstances.

2024 Deadlines: Completed application package must be postmarked no later than March 15th, 2025.

For any questions or to request an application, please contact James Medeiros, RISCL Internship Coordinator at 401–874-2922 or at james_medeiros1@uri.edu.