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Rackham Spring/Summer Internship Grants for Bioscience Doctoral Students
Amount
$12028
Description
Through internship opportunities that are available during the academic year as well as the summer, this program offers students maximal flexibility for incorporating these vital experiences into their doctoral education. Students apply their skills in a range of sectors, from biotechnology and national laboratories to information technology and cultural institutions.
- It is geared exclusively to doctoral students. Internships have long been accepted as a part of the educational experience for undergraduates and master’s students. But doctoral professional experience has traditionally focused on research and teaching in the academy, rather than non-academic settings. This program offers doctoral candidates the opportunity to broaden their career horizons through internships, where they apply their academic skills and expertise to real-world problems in nonprofit, government, start-up, and corporate sectors.
- It expands the traditional model of summer internships to the academic year, providing full fellowship funding for doctoral students to undertake an internship in either fall or winter term (as well as the summer). Such timing provides students with maximal flexibility in incorporating an internship experience when it makes sense during the course of their doctoral training.
- It provides full semester funding for doctoral internships, thus integrating professional development experience with the student’s academic work, and allowing candidates time for deep career exploration and the application of their skills outside of academia. The internship experience is intended to complement the professional learning students gain through teaching or research positions.
- It provides a cohort experience for all doctoral student interns in a given term. Rackham has designed a wrap-around program of support (including orientation, check-in meetings, workshops, and final debrief) that enables students to get the most out of their internship and connects them across disciplines. This programming encourages students to treat their internship as a form of experiential learning, helps them grasp the transferable skills they are acquiring, and prepares them to network and conduct informational interviews.
- It is a campus-wide program that is open to all doctoral candidates.
- It will broaden students’ perspectives and prepare them equally well for jobs both in the academy and beyond.
Benefits for Doctoral Candidates
- Provides increased flexibility and alignment of internships with graduate program curricula.
- Integrates internships into doctoral training so students are not forced to choose between this unique professional development experience and making progress on their degree.
- Exposes students to and prepares them for a broader set of career possibilities and professional aspirations.
- Provides access to employer engagement, coaching, mentorship, and a supportive cohort of peers.
- Legitimizes career exploration beyond academia by tying internships to a major source of graduate education funding.
- Offers opportunities for social impact through public and community engagement.
More information at
Funding type
Grant
Key eligibility criteria
Any Citizenship
PhD Students
Funding source
Rackham Graduate School