|
|
Internship Program
The Quality Education for
Minorities (QEM) Network Internship Program
The QEM Network Internship Program is designed to: 1) enhance
participating students’ ability to apply their knowledge to
the internship assignment; 2) increase their understanding of the
health and educational needs of minorities; and 3) instill a sense
of responsibility in each intern to help others in their communities.
The QEM Network Internship Program provides opportunities for students
to: interact with individuals involved in policymaking positions;
increase their awareness and knowledge of the circumstances that
prevent most undergraduate minority students from receiving a quality
education and underrepresented communities from receiving quality
health care; become familiar with programs and strategies being implemented
to address these issues; and become aware of policies and legislation
that have an impact on the health and education of underserved groups.
For Summer
2008, the
following internship opportunities are available:
Science Student Internships at
NSF that provide undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity
to be mentored by program officers involved in making science policy
and in implementing national programs focused on science and engineering.
The experience is designed to increase the students’ under-standing
of how science policy is made as well as to further develop their
potential for becoming leaders and proponents of increased participation
in science and engineering by students from underrepresented minority
groups. For science policy-oriented internships at the National
Science Foundation, an applicant must be a rising junior or senior
majoring in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, or technology
at an accredited U.S. institution. Students enrolled at Historically
Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions,
or Tribal Colleges and Universities who meet the eligibility criteria
are particularly encouraged to apply.
Health-focused Internships at QEM that
provide undergraduate students the opportunity to increase their
knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS and other health disparities
that disproportionately affect underrepresented minority groups.
Health internships will provide interns with the background necessary
to design, develop, and lead academic-year HIV/AIDS education and
awareness outreach activities aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS in minority
communities. Students must be enrolled at an accredited Historically
Black College or University (HBCU) and returning to school in the
fall semester after the summer experience concludes. Applicants
must be undergraduate students enrolled/majoring in one of the
following: a pre-medical or pre-dental program, the biomedical
sciences, life sciences, allied health, physical and occupational
therapy, biomedical research, pharmacy, or public health. Health-focused
Internships are supported by the Office
of Minority Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
 2008
Internship Program Application(.pdf) Deadline:
January 25, 2008
Click on the following links for more details on the QEM Internship Program:
Program Description Program Benefits Eligibility Conditions Application Process
ALERT:
See TCUP for
additional information on internships for students from Tribal
Colleges majoring in STEM fields. Also,
STEM DOCTORAL
Student Internships have been offered as part of QEM's NSF-funded
Science and Technology Centers (STC) Doctoral Internships
Project. Information on the STC Program can be found at http://qemnetwork.qem.org/stc.htm.
Graduate students may apply for the NSF Science Student
Internships described above.
+++++++++++++++++++++
QEM INTERNSHIP PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The ten-week internship
includes a one-week pre-internship professional development session,
a nine-week research assignment with a mentor/advisor, and a post-internship
reflection session. Interns also participate in several special
enrichment activities during the summer. NSF internship assignments
are related to science policy and practice, while Health-focused
internships concentrate on HIV/AIDS,
a health disparity disproportionately affecting underrepresented
minority groups. Projects will be designed to allow students
the best opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills and transfer
the internship experiences
to their college studies and communities. Descriptions
of actual projects are available only after students have been
selected for the program. Specific research topics will be based
on research interests, program resources, and the areas in which
mentors/advisors are working.
The Individual
Development Plan (IDP) is a feature of the Internship Program
that results from joint planning for the internship experience
by the student and the mentor/advisor. The IDP specifies the
intern’s learning objectives as well as the training experiences and timetable required for the attainment of the objectives. Interns will be expected to submit written mid-term and final reports on their internship experiences. These reports are to outline the individual intern’s
activities and document progress during the internship as well
as explain specific details of the experience. As part of their
professional development during the summer, interns receive
both mid-term and final evaluations from their mentors/advisors
as well as ongoing feedback from Program staff.
In addition to the ten-week summer internship, Health-focused interns are expected to implement outreach activities during the academic year at their home institutions or neighboring communities upon returning to school in the fall. Each intern must prepare a written description of his/her academic year project, an interim progress report, and a final report on the outcome of the academic year project to be eligible to receive an academic-year stipend.
PROGRAM BENEFITS
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants for both types of internships must meet each of the
following eligibility conditions at the time of application:
- Must be a citizen or national of
the United States. (Note: A “national of the United States” is
a citizen of the United States or a native resident of a possession
of the United States such as Guam or American Samoa. It does
not refer to a citizen of another country who is a U.S. permanent
resident. U.S. permanent residents are not eligible for Science
Student Internships at federal agencies.)
- Must be a currently enrolled student and have successfully completed at least the sophomore year at an accredited, degree-granting institution by the start of the program.
- Must be returning to a degree-granting institution the
following academic year, either at the undergraduate or graduate
level. (Note: Graduating seniors must be already admitted to
and planning to enter graduate school in the fall in order to
be eligible.)
- Must have a significant interest in working to improve the health and education of minorities; and in participating in community outreach activities that are educational in nature and that involve minority students from low-income or underserved communities.
- Must be committed to participating in the Program for the full ten-week period.
Additional eligibility requirement related
to Science Student Internships at NSF:
-
Must be majoring in one of the following fields: mathematics, science (life or physical sciences, computer science, behavioral sciences, or social sciences), technology, or engineering.
Additional eligibility requirements related to Health-focused Internships at QEM:
- Must be pre-med, pre-dentistry, or majoring in one of the following
fields: biomedical sciences, life sciences, allied health, physical
and occupational therapy, biomedical research, pharmacy, or public
health
- Must have a significant interest in raising the level of awareness about health disparities, particularly HIV/AIDS, and wellness strategies in low-income and/or underserved communities.
- Must be an undergraduate enrolled at a Historically Black College or University.
- Must commit to completing an academic year outreach project upon return to school in the fall.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants
must submit the completed application and recommendation forms,
as well as the required transcript, essay, and resumé by
mail to QEM Network in a single package, postmarked
on or before the deadline date – Friday, January
25, 2008.
Hand-delivered application packages will be accepted at the
QEM Network office until 5:00pm on January 25, 2008. Transcripts
may be mailed separately, if necessary, but must also be postmarked
by the deadline date.
Get
2008 Internship Program Application (.pdf) (.htm)
For more information, please contact:
QEM Network Internship Program
1818 N Street, NW, Suite 350 • Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 659-1818 • Fax: (202) 659-5408 • E-mail: qemnetwork@qem.org
URL: http://qemnetwork.qem.org/internship.htm
|
