If you're a college student thinking about becoming a scientist, now is the time to apply for summer internships. Aside from studying hard, the most important thing that you can do for yourself is get some research experience.

The National Science Foundation sponsors hundreds of summer programs, which allow sophomores and juniors to get their first taste of real labwork. Most of them last ten weeks and pay more than 3,000 dollars to cover your living expenses.

Here are some stellar examples:

Amgen Scholars Program at Caltech

Theme: Biology, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology

Deadline: February 17th

Summer Internship at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland

Theme: Biomedical Research

Deadline: March 1st

The Big Muddy Expedition on the Missouri River

Theme: Geology and Earth Science

Deadline: March 3rd

Marine Science Internships in Oregon

Theme: Marine Biology, Environmental Science

Deadline: Feb. 16, 2009

Summer Applied Biotechnology Research Experience at UCSB

Theme: Biotechnology, Bioengineering

Deadline: March 2nd

Astrophysics and Space Science at Baylor University

Theme: Physics, Astronomy

Deadline: March 1st

Research Experiences at Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida

Theme: Marine Biology

Deadline: Feb 16th

Center for Embedded Networked Sensing at UCLA

Theme: Engineering and Computer Science

Deadline February 16th

Summer Scholarships at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, DC

Theme: Geology

Deadline: February 28

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at UC Santa Cruz

Theme: Chemistry and Biochemistry

Deadline: February 18th

Photo: SMercury98 / flickr