Coolio! I think I would've applied for this. I assume NCI means either recent MS or PhD graduates:
Applications are now open for the July 2009-January 2010 National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Health Communications Internship Program, a 6 or 12-month program for graduate students or for persons who have recently completed a graduate degree interested in a career in science writing. Applications close March 3, 2009. For additional information or to apply, visit: https://hcip.nci.nih.gov.
The NCI, the Federal Government's principal agency for cancer research and training, invites qualified applicants to apply for its HCIP. Open to US citizens who are graduate students or who have recently completed a graduate degree, the HCIP is a 6 or 12 month program that affords participants the opportunity to participate in vital health and science communications projects in one of many offices that make up the NCI. Interns pursue one of two tracks: science-writing or health communications.
Successful science-writing applicants have a science background plus experience in public relations and/or news writing with the ability to translate technical information into copy suitable for a lay audience. Science writing interns: write feature length, creative articles on the latest, most important advances in cancer research; write fact sheets and press releases; answer inquiries from the press; attend and report on scientific meetings; and participate in professional meetings and training seminars
Applications for the July 2009-January 2010 term are due March 3, 2009. For additional information or to apply, visit: https://hcip.nci.nih.gov.
FYI, it appears that the kind of writing that would be done would be similar to what is done for Cancer Research UK by my colleague and award-winning British science writer, Ed Yong, of Not Exactly Rocket Science.
If I had a chance to be like Ed, I'd go for it!