Request for Proposals
University of Minnesota Graduate School
Graduate Research Internship for 2016
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Noon on Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Overview
In a continuing effort to broaden research experiences and career options for graduate students, the Graduate School will again support research-based internships in 2016. The goal of the program is to expand the network of partners in industry, government, and the non-profit sectors offering internships to students pursuing advanced degrees, and to encourage students who otherwise might not consider an internship to explore this possibility. Because we are seeking to expand available opportunities, priority consideration will be given to proposals from students in fields currently without well-established pathways to internships as a regular part of their graduate student training. For students in programs where opportunities for internships exist, priority consideration will be given to proposals for experiences that would not typically be supported by the student's program. This year, the program has been expanded to include students in research-based master's (Plan A) programs. Internship awards will provide a stipend, and will include health insurance coverage for eligible students not already covered by the University for summer 2016. We anticipate offering at least twenty-five (25) awards.
Eligibility
Students in research-based doctoral (Ph.D. and D.M.A.) and master's programs (Plan A) are eligible for the award. Students must be considered to be in good standing in their programs, and must hold active status. Students may not hold any other University appointment (e.g., graduate assistantship, traineeship, fellowship) during the paid internship period. This restriction does not apply to non-University employment or fellowships not administered by the University. In order to receive the award, students must agree to the terms of the Board of Regents policy on intellectual property (IP) rights . If the proposed research involves human subjects, students must demonstrate that they have obtained the proper IRB approval from the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) prior to commencing the project.
Award Information
The Graduate School will provide stipends of up to $4,000 to support internships of 10 or more weeks between May 30, 2016 and August 28, 2016. A weekly stipend of $400 will be provided for internships lasting less than 10 weeks. Students will be appointed as Graduate School Fellows during the internship period, and will receive their stipend through University payroll on a biweekly schedule. The award will also include health insurance through the Graduate Assistant Health Plan for eligible students without summer coverage.
Students may accept additional stipends offered by their internship host of up to $1,500. However, additional stipends above $1,500 will be deducted from the $4,000 Graduate School award, such that the total combined Graduate School and host site amount does not exceed $5,500.
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed by a committee consisting of faculty and staff, and should include the following:
- A description of the proposed internship research project.
- How will the proposed project complement and support the student's doctoral dissertation or Plan A thesis research?
- What resources and/or experiences will the student have access to through the internship that would otherwise not be available through her/his program?
- How will the internship experience advance the student's research skills, and/or career readiness and options?
- A letter of support from the student's academic advisor(s) supporting the proposed research and internship experience.
- What support/opportunities will be offered to the intern to ensure a productive internship experience (e.g., on-site mentoring, training opportunities, interacting with other members of the organization)?
- How will the research conducted by the student during the internship benefit the organization?
- Will the organization provide a stipend and/or fringe benefits for the student? If so, in what amount. If not, please provide reasons.
Students will be required to complete a brief online evaluation of their experience after completing the internship summarizing:
- The expectations and goals the student had for the internship and whether these were met.
- The research that the student expected to conduct during the internship and whether it was completed.
- The benefits to the host site and the student as a result of the internship.
- How well the experience met the student's overall expectations.
- Major achievements and activities of the internship.
- What could be done to improve the internship experience?
Proposal Submission and Deadline
Proposals should be submitted online, and can be accessed here. In order to be considered, the proposal must be complete and submitted by Noon on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 . Students are responsible for submitting the information required from the host site. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all parts of the proposal have been submitted and received by the deadline. Awards will be announced by early May.
For questions regarding the 2016 Graduate Research Internship Program, please contact gsdean@umn.edu.
