Call for Submissions: Social Sciences Undergraduate Internships in Social Justice and Sustainability
The new Center for Innovation in Social Sciences (CISS) is pleased to announce this call for proposals for its undergraduate research internship program, focusing on three thematic areas: 1) social justice and inclusion; 2) inequalities; and 3) sustainability. Applicants may be based in any CAS department, but the project should draw on social science methods and explore questions related to human society and social behavior. Priority will be given to projects that directly involve undergraduates in the analysis and/or collection of data, where data are construed broadly to encompass qualitative, quantitative, archival, digital, and other forms.
The purpose of this initiative is two-fold: 1) to help support and advance faculty research in these areas and 2) to provide undergraduate students interested in honing their research skills with an experiential learning opportunity. This initiative will run for the course of Academic Year 21/22 with student interns presenting their final work at the CISS-sponsored research symposium featuring the interns and their mentors in April 2022.
This initiative is possible thanks to generous philanthropic support. The inaugural cohort of interns presented their research at an April 2021 event.
Details
- How it works: Research projects will be organized and managed by faculty members. At this time, we are seeking proposals from faculty who are conducting research on the identified topics and have defined a role for undergraduate student researchers.
- Expectations: The student would be an integral research partner:
- Developing, preparing, and presenting their work within the research project
- Gaining research skills training and experience
- Contributing up to eight hours a week
- Funding: Up to $2,500 per student research intern is available as a stipend to the student (it is expected that students will contribute approximately 133 hours over the two semesters).
- Timeline:
- Submissions Due: September 22, 2021
- Announcement of selected projects: October 4, 2021
- Mid-term meeting of funded interns: February 2022
- Final Presentation: April 2022
- How to apply:
- Faculty members should follow the application template:
- Brief explanation of the research project goals, significance, and approach (2–3 paragraphs)
- Description of the specific role of the research intern in the project (1–2 paragraphs), including the methods used and a description of the skills and knowledge the student will acquire as a result of the work
- Tentative timeline of the research intern’s work over the year (1 paragraph)
- Faculty who have already identified a student(s) as a possible collaborator(s) are encouraged to apply.
- CISS plans to award up to six funded internships in AY 21/22. Proposals will be evaluated by a team of faculty members appointed by the CISS Director. Criteria will include the project’s relevance to the themes of social justice/inclusion, inequality, and sustainability; clarity and feasibility of research plan; and potential for students to hone effective research skills and knowledge.
- Submit proposals to carrds@bu.edu.
- Faculty members should follow the application template:
If you have any questions, please contact Deborah Carr, Director, Center for Innovation in Social Sciences (carrds@bu.edu).