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Funding Internships and Research

Author: Alice Shukla, U.S. Department of State Intern in Greece and International Center Peer Advisor

Preparing your Funding Application
Campus Resources for Undergraduates (U-M only)
Graduate Student Funding (U-M only)
Fundraising
Funding Tips
Additional Resources for Finding External Funding

Funding Your Internship

Bill Nolting, Overseas Opportunities Office

This is a 40-minute recording on the topic of Funding Internships. It features the following 7 speakers on different aspects of funding through their personal experience and questions/answers. You can watch the entire video above, or select specific speakers below:

Intern Funding Tips
Sara Schmidt on Graduate Student Tips. Sara has a dual masters degree in Public Health and Social Work.	Anna Lembryk on Undergraduate Tips and LSA Scholarships. See Scholarships: Current LSA Students

Funding available to U-M undergraduate & graduate students For more information, see U-M International Institute & Area Studies Centers
Gigi Bosch on Center for South Asian Studies. See Scholarships: Current LSA Students	Rachel Bosch on Intl Inst Individual Fellowships & Ctrs for European Studies, Russian & East European Studies, European Union.
Azumi Ann Takata of the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS).	Kate Restrick on Minority Health & Health Disparities International Research Training Program (MHIRT).

Grants available only to students in U-M Rackham Graduate School For more information, see Rackham Financial Assistance
Ethel Thoms on Rackham Fellowships Office grants available to Rackham graduate students.

Questions and Answers
Questions and Answers from various students answered by several speakers.

Preparing your Funding Application

Most funding sources require you to complete a specific application form and have guidelines about which materials to include with the application. Even if there is not a formal application form, generally, you will be asked to submit any of the following items:

Statement of Purpose:

One of the most important parts of the internship application is your statement of purpose. This is traditionally an essay (1-2 pages) explaining why you are interning abroad and why you require funding. Additionally, statement of purpose is meant to give insight into who you are. Parts of this statement are applicable to both the initial internship application and funding applications. Useful items to address include a specific explanation of why this internship will help you meet your future academic/career goals and how this fits with your past and future experiences. It is also beneficial to address the needs of the organization you are applying to and demonstrate your awareness of the organization's mission.

Budget:

Include figures for travel, housing, and personal expenses (e.g. transportation to internship). In order to submit a budget, most successful applicants research the currencies compared to the dollar and cost of living in the country where he or she will be interning. The employer or internship provider may also be able to assist with a cost estimate. Try to reduce costs for airfare, housing, and other items on your budget.

Airfare:

The student travel agency (STA) is a good resource for student travel rates.

Housing:

Negotiate with the employer to see if housing can be provided as “payment in kind” or see if the employer can help locate inexpensive housing.

Sample Budget for U.S. Department of State Internship in Athens, Greece
Travel:	$1,200 (roundtrip airfare from Detroit to Athens, summer)
Room/ Board:	$3,000 (10 weeks)
Personal Expenses:	$600 (including cost of daily transportation to internship)
TOTAL:	$4,800

Letters of Recommendation:

Letters from professors or Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) attesting to the relevance of the internship to your academic and personal goals strengthen your application.

Verification of your acceptance:

This can be in the form of an acceptance letter from a program or supervisor which includes information regarding location, dates, and nature of your internship.

Official or Unofficial transcript

Campus Resources for Undergraduates (U-M only)

Your U-M school may offer funding even if there is not a formal application. In the case of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LS&A), for example, there is no formal application process or deadline for funding, but the process usually requires that you submit a resume, statement of intent, proposed budget, and proof of acceptance. Please contact the LS&A Scholarship Programs office at 734.764.0324.
Your U-M school's international office, if it has one (e.g. International Programs in Engineering; LS&A's Office of International Programs).
Your concentration's department. U-M departments may have funding available for students that can relate an internship to their academic coursework. Traditionally, the University's Language Departments and Area Studies Centers are good places to start. Visit the U-M International Institute for more information.
Foreign Language Departments may offer grants for undergraduates - even to non-majors - who will be doing an internship in a language taught by the Department (examples: Department of Germanic Languages; Romance Languages; Modern Greek/Classics).
U-M International Institute offers grants for undergraduates through the International Institute's Fellowship program. The application deadline is early in the winter semester. Visit the U-M International Institute for more information.
Financial Aid / Scholarships: If you are receiving academic credit for your internship, it is possible that financial aid can be used to assist with funding. Please visit the Financial Aid Office for more information. U-M Office of International Programs (OIP) offers internships with many of their study abroad programs. Many study-internship programs (both U-M and non-U-M) offer scholarships. The volunteer-internship program Cross-Cultural-Solutions offers scholarships for U-M students. Some non-U-M programs can process financial aid (examples include Boston University, IES, Syracuse University).

Specific Schools or Colleges (Undergraduates)

The Honors College:: For Honors College students, this is also a resource for travel and research grants for undergraduates. Applications are required. Some have specific deadlines and others are accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit the Honors Program. Rewards are usually processed through reimbursement.
The Residential College (R.C.):: For R.C. students, the Residential College offers an internship award that can be applied toward living expenses, travel, etc. Students are expected to share their experiences with the R.C. community upon their return. There are usually three awards per year. For further inquiries, please visit the Residential College Main Office.

Graduate Student Funding

Possible sources of funding:

Your School or College.
Sometimes, your department or degree program within the school or college will be the most likely source of funding.
International offices within your School or College (e.g. International Programs in Engineering)
Professors, who may have funding for research projects

U-M Offices That May Have Funding for Graduate Students (U-M students only)

Area Studies Centers	US/ED Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS) Listings of specialized grants via web sites and email lists Some centers will consider grant applications or offer grants (e.g. Center for Russian and East European Studies (CREES) Center for Research in International Finance (CRIF) grants; Center for Afro-American and African Studies (CAAS) South Africa Initiative)
Center for the Education of Women	Grants for women who propose research on women's issues (also available to undergraduates).
U-M International Institute	The International Institute has the most comprehensive listing of all U-M funding sources for international educational activities. It includes International Institute Fellowships (for internships, research, theses, dissertations; available for all students, including non-U.S. citizens) and IIE-Fulbright and Fulbright-Hays Fellowships.
Foreign Language Departments	See undergraduates section
Nonprofit and Public Management Center (NPM)	For Business School, Ford School and Social Work graduate students only, who will be serving an internship with a nonprofit or public organization. NPM also offers doctoral research grants.
Rackham Fellowships Office	Fellowships for students in Rackham graduate degree programs Tips for fellowships

Fundraising (Off-Campus)

Rotary Club, Kiwanis, ethnic/religious organizations, family and friends. It is often possible to approach your local Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, etc. club and offer to do a presentation about your internship for them instead of just writing a request for funding. Usually these types of clubs are very interested in having speakers present at their meetings and enjoy establishing a relationship with the people they are funding. It would also be to your advantage to offer to present again upon your return from the internship in order to assure them that their money has been put to good use. Specifically for Rotary Clubs, offering to attend a Rotary meeting in the country where you will be interning would be extremely beneficial. Presenting your internship in front of religious organizations as well as in front of family members and friends is also a good way to inform them of your goals and to give them a sense of investing in your education as opposed to just giving you money.

Two web sites that have excellent general suggestions for fundraising are:

Funding Tips

Don't hesitate to ask! Networking and asking people for funding ideas is always worth a try.
Start early! For example, the U.S. Department of State accepts candidates for summer internships any time between December and January (application deadline is November 1). Begin exploring sources for funding your internship right away. Deadlines for grants are usually early in the winter term, and some are offered as late as March.
If you are interested in a paid internship, persistence helps! For example, approximately 1/3 of the U.S. Department of State internships are paid, depending on financial need. The initial application asks that you submit a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR). If you qualify for a paid internship, you will be sent specific paperwork to complete. Contact the student intern coordinator with any questions or concerns. Other internship programs also offer specific stipends or paid internships that might not be listed.

Additional Resources for Finding External Funding

U-M Rackham Graduate School	Lists fellowship resources for graduate and undergraduate students.
U-M International Center, Overseas Opportunities Office	Evaluates web sites and books; includes sections for grants, region-specific and profession-specific. Our office has the following books available: Financial Aid for Research and Creative Activities Abroad 2006-2008, by Gail Ann Schlachter, 2006. Also available from Reference Service Press. Lists over 1,200 funding sources available to support research, professional development, teaching assignments, or creative activities (relatively few listings for undergraduates). Indexes for level of study, location, and subject. Financial Aid for Study and Training Abroad 2006-2008, by Gail Ann Schlachter, 2006. Also available from Reference Service Press. Lists almost 1,000 funding sources available to support formal educational programs such as study abroad, training, internships, workshops, or seminars. This is the most up-to-date and comprehensive directory of scholarships for study abroad currently available.
Michigan State University Grants for Individuals: International	Up-to-date, though it includes both grants for students coming to the U.S. and going abroad.

Last reviewed: 4/08