GDP Center Accepting 2019 Summer in the Field Applications

The Global Development Policy (GDP) Center, an affiliated center of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, is now accepting applications for the 2019 Summer in the Field Program.

The GDP Center Summer in the Field Program provides summer stipends to a select group of qualified Masters and/or PhD students to participate in unpaid internships or PhD students to conduct field research for a dissertation project. This program enables students to take advantage of unpaid internship opportunities or field research that would otherwise have been financially unfeasible.

Students are responsible for identifying and securing internship positions and the focus of the internship must be related to GDP Center’s mission to advance policy-oriented research for financial stability, human wellbeing, and environmental sustainability across the globe. Applicants must undergo a competitive selection process and only a limited number of stipends are available. To be considered, applicants must obtain a letter of support from a GDP Center core or affiliated faculty member.

All application materials are due by March 15, 2019. Finalists of this competitive selection process will be invited to the GDP Center for interviews before March 22, 2019 with final decisions provided on April 1, 2019. Application requirements include:

  • Applicants must be Masters or PhD candidates with strong academic records and returning to classes in the Fall of 2019.
  • The internship must be related to the mission of the GDP Center.
  • The internship cannot be part of a ‘for-credit’ class in any of BU’s schools.
  • The internship must take place during the summer of 2019 for a minimum total of 200 hours on site.
  • The internship must be unpaid (not including the stipend from the Center).
  • International students are subject to ISSO regulations and/or approval.

Prospective Masters applicants must submit a 500-750 word Statement of Purpose that outlines why they are interested in the internship, how the internship will further their career goals, why they believe that they are a strong match for the internship, and what they intend to learn/gain from the experience. Prospective PhD students must submit a 500-750 word Statement of Purpose that outlines how the field funding will help in making progress towards the completion of a dissertation project. In addition, applicants must submit an unofficial copy of their transcript, an application form, and, if an internship, a copy of the offer letter or email which details the hours of the internship and that it is unpaid. Finally, all applications must be accompanied by a faculty member letter of recommendation. For PhD students, this letter should come from a committee member and outline how the field research support will be beneficial. All materials should be sent to gdp@bu.edu.

Stipend amounts can be as high as $4,000, depending on circumstances such as travel distances. They will be paid in three monthly installments. Stipend recipients participating in internships must provide contact information for their immediate supervisor so that the internship can be verified. Interns are also required to submit a mid-point internship form (filled out by their direct supervisor) and a final self-evaluation form within 30 days of the end of the internship. PhD candidates conducting field work should provide an update midway through their field work, as well as a summary of their experience after returning from the field work. All participants in this program will be invited to a luncheon event where they will present to the group about their experience.

You can download the application here.

Last year’s Summer in the Field Research fellows represented three different schools across Boston University including the School of Public Health (SPH), the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) – Economics Department, and the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global StudiesThe 2018 fellows included Federico Pisani (Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, MA candidate), Rebecca Olson (BU School of Public Health, MPH candidate) and Gedeon Lim (BU Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, PhD candidate in Economics). You can learn more about them here.

The GDP Center is a university-wide research center in partnership with the Office of the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research and the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. The GDP Center’s mission is to advance policy-oriented research for financial stability, human well-being, and environmental sustainability.