Internships

Looking for summer funding? Want to intern with an organization you’re passionate about on a project that jives with your academic and professional interests? Pitch your idea to UChicagoGRAD!

• The Program
• The Process
• What we look for
• Dates
• Past Projects

THE PROGRAM

UChicagoGRAD’s GRAD Global Impact (GGI) Pitch program offers funding for UChicago graduate students to spend their summers in self-devised internships with host organizations of their choice. Since its inception in 2015, the program has facilitated over 100 internships around the world. GGI Interns have worked in Chicago, across the U.S. (Los Angeles, DC, Boston, New York, and beyond), France, England, India, Australia, China, and more.

Pitching an Internship

In January and February, students are invited to submit proposals for summer internships with nonprofits, university entities, and small startups that are unable to pay interns, and apply for a $6000 stipend for a 250-hour summer internship. The program provides students with an opportunity to create a relationship with an organization that is meaningful to them, and work collaboratively to design a project that will have a lasting impact for the organization and on the student’s career.

Internships that students propose can take one of two forms:

1. The GGI Pitch Program is intended for students to collaborate with potential host organizations to develop a one-of-a-kind internship tailor-made for their interests and goals.
2. We will also consider applications to receive funding for a pre-existing, unpaid internship with a nonprofit or other eligible organization. We realize that interview and offer schedules for pre-existing internships may not line up with the GGI interview timeline. In these cases, selected students will be awarded “conditional” funding, meaning that UChicagoGRAD will agree to fund them if they are selected.

Applications are due February 13, 2020. Students may only submit a proposal for one internship, and if funding is awarded, it is not transferable to another internship.

Hours & Timing

GGI Internships require a minimum of 250 hours of work, and are expected to take place during the Summer Quarter. The exact number of hours per week and the exact weeks in which the internship takes place can be flexible, and are up to the student to determine with their host organization.

THE PROCESS

Submission

Applicants choose a single organization with which they would like to work and/or collaborate to design an internship, and should make contact with their potential host at this organization as soon as possible. Based on the student’s particular area of study, applicants pursuing the “pitch your own” option should work with their potential host to develop an idea for a project that complements both the student’s academic research and current career goals. Applicants submit a written proposal, along with a resume or CV, to UChicagoGRAD.

UChicagoGRAD career advisors are available to discuss strategies for networking and making connections with organizations, GGI application materials, and other questions about the program both before and during the initial submission process.

Interviews, Offers, and Confirmation

Applicants who are chosen for an interview will be invited for a 20 minute meeting with two members of the selection committee. After the students being awarded funding are notified, UChicagoGRAD will then communicate with host organizations in order to verify that the organization has approved the project. We will also contact research advisors/Directors of Graduate Studies for PhD students, and Deans of Students for Masters students to confirm that the recipient is in good academic standing in their program.

A specific timeline of the above follows in the “2020 GGI Pitch Dates” section.

Other Programming & Requirements

Shortly before the end of the academic year, all recipients will attend a presentation on making the most of your internship, panel discussion with past GGI interns, and reception with fellow members of this year’s GGI cohort. Recipients will also be asked to submit a reflection essay following the conclusion of their internship to UChicagoGRAD, and are expected to serve as mentors for the following year’s cohort of interns.

Non-Transferability of Award Funding

GGI Pitch award funding is granted for the specific purpose of supporting the internship experience described during the selection process. While projects may change, students are not permitted to switch host organizations.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

Applicants must submit a resume and/or CV and a cover letter. Specific dates are outlined below.

Resume/CV

In general, a traditional resume is preferred, but UChicagoGRAD will accept a CV if it is more appropriate for the internship you are proposing.

Cover Letter

Your cover letter should address 5 key points:

1. An overview of the project you are proposing. Please be as detailed as possible. We look for projects that are specific, well-defined, and encompass a scope that is realistic for a summer internship.
2. What relevant conversations have you had with your host organization?
3. How does your project draw on the academic work you have done so far and advance your future academic goals?
4. How will this opportunity advance your professional goals?
5. What impact will your project have on the mission of the host organization?

Eligibility

GGI Pitch Candidates must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting graduate program at the University of Chicago at the time of application. This includes students who meet these criteria but will have graduated by the time they begin their internship. Both domestic and international students are eligible.

Other Funding Sources

The GGI Pitch program provides some financial support for students who are participating in otherwise UNPAID (or underpaid) opportunities. While you are encouraged to consider other potential funding to support your internship, UChicagoGRAD will only award a stipend that brings the total support for this experience up to $6000. This condition does not include regular student support that you may receive unrelated to this internship. It does apply to funds supplied directly by the host, or by another granting unit, intended to support this experience. If the amount awarded from another source is less than $6000, UChicagoGRAD will award a stipend amount for the difference between these awards.

2019 GGI PITCH DATES

January 3, 2020: Applications open

• Search for “Pitch” or requisition “64691” in the Jobs section of GRAD Gargoyle to submit your materials.

January 15 and 16, 2020: GGI Pitch info sessions at UChicagoGRAD

• Info sessions about the program and application expectations will be held at UChicagoGRAD’s office (Bookstore Building, 3^rd Floor) on January 15 from 4:00-5:00 pm and January 16 from 12:30-1:30 pm.
• Please RSVP in GRAD Gargoyle if you plan to attend by clicking Events > Info Sessions. The info sessions are listed with UChicagoGRAD as the employer. Click the session you wish to attend, and an RSVP button will be at the bottom of the screen.

February 13, 2020: Applications due

February 21, 2020: Interview invitations sent

February 24 – March 6, 2020: Interviews take place

March 13, 2020: Conditional awards offered

• UChicagoGRAD will also confirm recipients’ good academic standing with their research advisor or Dean of Students as applicable and confirm individual project plans with host organizations.

April 19, 2020: Award status confirmed

May 17, 2020: Stipends requested

PAST PROJECTS

2019 Cohort

2018 Cohort

2017 Cohort

2016 Cohort

2015 Cohort

Are you interested in a career in university administration? The Higher Education Administration (HEA) Internship Program offers UChicago graduate students the opportunity to explore administrative careers and gain meaningful experience through paid internships with campus offices. (If you are an on-campus employer looking to hire a graduate student, please click here.)

What You’ll Do

HEA interns employ their skills in research, analysis, communication, leadership, and project management to help advance the university’s academic mission. Past HEA internship projects have included writing a long-term strategic plan for an entire division, compiling procedural manuals, organizing and publicizing major events, revising the content and structure of websites, and devising methods for engaging students in university outreach initiatives.

What You’ll Gain

HEA internships offer UChicago graduate students a number of benefits:

• Opportunities to explore potential career paths in higher education
• Connections and networking opportunities in the field
• Skills and experiences that are attractive to employers
• A better understanding of how the university functions
• A chance to shape programming and policy
• An hourly wage of at least $15

Requirements

HEA internships are open to any current, full-time UChicago graduate student, including students in the professional schools. The internships require a minimum of 100 work hours, depending on the position, as well as participation in a short series of related lunchtime workshops on topics such as effective program design and best practices in office communication. Note that graduate students may not work more than 20 hours per week during the academic year and 37.5 hours per week during the summer. For more information on student employment policies, click here.

CREDENTIAL in Higher Education Administration

HEA interns may also choose to complete additional training and work towards UChicagoGRAD’s Credential in Higher Education Administration. To learn more about the credential, including its requirements, please contact Deborah Blumenthal at deborahb@uchicago.edu.

Questions?

If you have questions about the Higher Education Administration Internship Program or the Credential in Higher Education Administration, please contact Deborah Blumenthal (deborahb@uchicago.edu).

Phillip N. Norton GGI Internship

Awarded to outstanding GGI Pitch proposal from the Physical Sciences Division

A generous donation from alumnus Phillip N. Norton (Ph.D. Statistics 1988), this award is presented to the top GGI Pitch winner from the Physical Sciences Division. The application process is the same as all other GGI Pitch internships, and PSD applicants are automatically be considered for this prize.

2019 Winner: Matthew Shin, M.S. student in Computational and Applied Mathematics

“With the support of the Phillip N. Norton GGI Internship, I spent the summer abroad in England studying under Dr. Ruth Baker of the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford. The research group at the Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology probes modern problems in biology using techniques from applied mathematics. In particular, I considered methods from stochastic processes and statistical mechanics to model cell dynamics (such as stem cell migration) with simulations and PDEs. This opportunity provided me a unique and didactic introduction to the world of academic research, tailored to my particular interest in quantitative biological models. I come away from the experience with a greater understanding of the tools required and eagerness to tackle large scientific questions through mathematics.”

2018 Winner: Erin Lipman, M.S. student in Statistics

“Through the generous support of the Phillip N. Norton GGI internship, I spent my summer interning with Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) in San Francisco, CA. HRDAG is a non-profit organization that uses rigorous and objective statistical science to to investigate human rights abuses worldwide. At HRDAG I worked on issues of racial bias in the criminal justice system, in particular concerning the use of automated risk assessment systems for pretrial detention decisions. The experience was invaluable in building my data science skills and giving me a clear picture of my career path forward as a statistician concerned with issue of human rights and fairness.” 

Awarded to outstanding GGI Pitch proposal from the Humanities Division

A generous donation from alumna Danette Kauffman (M.A. Humanities 1969), this award is presented to outstanding GGI Pitch winners from the Humanities Division. The application process is the same as all other GGI Pitch internships, and Humanities applicants are automatically be considered for this prize.

2019 Winner: David Hogue, Ph.D. student in East Asian Languages and Civilizations

(internship in progress in China at journal Bamboo & Silk)

2018 Winner: Simone Levine, M.A. student in Humanities

“With the support of Danette Kauffman, my GGI internship provided me with the opportunity to be involved in an exhibition catalog published by the Smart Museum of Art.  The catalog was published for the occasion of the exhibition The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China, curated by Professor Wu Hung with Orianna Cacchione. I wrote three artist profiles for the publication, for was credited as a contributor.  My GGI Internship marked the first time I have undertaken comprehensive research and historical writing on contemporary Chinese art outside of my studies.  Most importantly, the internship enabled me to begin making scholarly contributions in the art world, the field in which I plan to invest myself professionally.”

2018 Winner: Charlotte Saul, Ph.D. student in English Language and Literature

“With the support of Danette Kauffman, I completed a research-based curatorial internship at Chatsworth House, engaging specifically with the Devonshire Collection and its group of rare 17th-century court masque designs. Only half of the drawings’ catalog entries had been recently revised, so my task was to update the catalog entries for the remaining drawings, writing physical descriptions and critical narratives for each object. This internship gave me the opportunity to learn how to best work with a collections management system used by many institutions, and a chance to work directly with unique archival materials; as a student of literary and visual culture, this was a particularly meaningful experience.”