USDA Grant Funds Paid Veterinary Student Internships
Veterinary students will fill paid summer roles in state animal health offices, building the regulatory workforce that guards pets and livestock.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Veterinary Medicine
The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the NASDA Foundation a Veterinary Services Grant Program award to fund a three-year project placing nine veterinary students in paid summer internships at state animal health offices. The project aims to draw students toward state and regulatory veterinary careers.
Why it matters
State animal health offices are central to disease prevention, preparedness, and response, and the project targets a workforce pipeline for those roles at a time when Nevada is experiencing a veterinarian shortage. For households, a stronger regulatory veterinary workforce supports the systems that track and contain animal diseases that can affect pets, livestock, and food supply.
The three-year project, titled Strengthening the Regulatory Veterinary Workforce, supports nine students through paid 10- to 12-week summer internships, with three participating each year. The NASDA Foundation will handle student recruitment, placement, and program support.
The players
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
A USDA agency that funds agricultural research and education, including the Veterinary Services Grant Program that supports this project.
NASDA Foundation
The philanthropic arm of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, which will recruit, place, and support the veterinary students.
The details
Participating state animal health offices will host and mentor the students, giving them direct exposure to disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and response, animal health programs, regulatory activities, and stakeholder engagement. Students will also take part in professional development and networking, including the NASDA Next Generation program. The goal is to show students how state veterinary medicine careers differ from private practice and other pathways. The NASDA Foundation coordinates the placements from start to finish.
Timeline
The three-year project period runs for the duration of the federal grant.
Each summer, three students complete paid 10- to 12-week internships in state animal health offices.
The Big Picture
The project is funded through the USDA Veterinary Services Grant Program, which channels federal money toward strengthening the veterinary workforce that supports animal disease prevention. It shifts emphasis from direct animal treatment toward building the regulatory pipeline that keeps state surveillance and response systems staffed.
If you have pets or livestock, consider how a stronger state animal health workforce supports early detection of disease in your area. Students and early-career professionals interested in regulatory veterinary work can look into the NASDA Foundation's program for paid summer placements.
The takeaway
A stronger regulatory veterinary workforce is one of the quieter safeguards behind disease prevention for pets and livestock. If you work with animals or are considering a career in the field, keep state animal health offices and their internship pipelines in mind as a route into public-sector veterinary work.
Further reading
For more on the veterinary careers and animal-health systems behind this program, explore Veterinary Medicine.
