Recruitment for Winter 2020 is now closed.
The internship is composed of two main elements. The bulk of the internship is the work carried out in collaboration with supervisors, while a weekly seminar/workshop series exposes interns to a variety of disciplines and provides training in translating research to policy. The internship is an opportunity that will require at least as great a time commitment as an academic course—it is recommended that students selected to be interns reduce their workload accordingly for the semester.
Duration and payment
This internship program is offered for 13 weeks in the Winter semester. Students are expected to spend 10-15 hours per week on their internship project for the entire semester. At the end of their internship, students receive an award of $2000.
At the beginning of the internship, students meet with their supervisors to go over specific tasks and goals for the semester-long program. For this part of the program, interns are accountable to supervisors for work on their project.
The training component is carried out through a weekly seminar or workshop, typically one to two hours in length.
Training sessions may include
| Sessions focused on Research to Action | Sessions focused on Professional/Academic Skills |
|---|---|
| What is Interdisciplinary Research? Challenges for Researchers in Health and Social Policy How Can We Influence Policy? Knowledge Translation Data Visualization/Representation Guest speakers from government Tips for Disseminating Research Working with the Media |
Careers in Health and Social Policy Presentation Skills Academic Integrity Literature Reviews Proof reading/editing Self-evaluation Networking Skills |
Roles and responsibilities
Student Responsibilities
- Spend 10-15 hours per week on a defined policy research project (for a total of no more than 195 hours)
- Attend and actively participate in weekly seminars/workshops
- Engage in one small collaborative project focusing on policy
- Present findings to IHSP faculty and staff and the policy partner
- Complete a supervisor/program evaluation form
Supervisor Responsibilities
- Establish a clear and reasonable project to be completed over 13 weeks
- Clearly communicate expectations to students
- Provide feedback on internship work (two formal evaluations, informal meetings/email as needed)
- Meet with intern throughout the semester
- Show how intern work relates to the overall efforts of the research program
Student Programs Administrator Responsibilities
- Actively recruit students and facilitate the application/hiring process
- Work with faculty to establish internship projects prior to January
- Administer all paperwork concerning the internship in conjunction with the Administrative Officer
- Schedule and facilitate the training program
- Check in with students and supervisors bi-weekly
- Provide evaluation tools to interns and supervisors
- Field administrative questions throughout the internship
- Maintain student alumni network