Fund Details
ICGC: International Internship Grants

Brief Description:

ICGC seeks to increase the number of University of Minnesota graduate and professional school students in degree programs who undertake internships/supervised fieldwork experiences related to the developing world. ICGC will award a limited number of grants to underwrite travel and living expenses incurred in internships in organizations carrying on activities relevant to the purposes of the ICGC Program. Internships are understood to be experiences involving both learning and service components. The grants are given to internship projects that are a necessary part of the training program of the student or that will significantly enhance career preparation.

Description:


International Internship Grants

ICGC seeks to increase the number of University of Minnesota graduate and professional school students in degree programs who undertake internships/supervised fieldwork experiences related to the developing world. ICGC will award a limited number of grants to underwrite travel and living expenses incurred in internships in organizations carrying on activities relevant to the purposes of the ICGC Program. Internships are understood to be experiences involving both learning and service components. The grants are given to internship projects that are a necessary part of the training program of the student or that will significantly enhance career preparation.
The ICGC Program approaches global studies from an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective. Its focus is on developing societies, particularly in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East, and on minority communities within North America. It emphasizes study and research on four broad dimensions of world society: global governance and transnational norms; environmental sustainability and social justice; war and peace in historical context; and production, performance, and representation of identities. This involves examining processes in developing societies affecting:
  • Economic, political, environmental, and social change and conflict and their consequences for national and international peace and security
  • The sustainability of ecosystems, human-environment relationships, and development processes
  • The capacity of institutions to undergo redesign and reform to cope with tensions caused by political, economic, cultural, environmental, and technological change
  • Popular empowerment and the enhancement of human rights, justice, and freedoms
  • The role of disaffected and disadvantaged sectors experiencing change and conflict
  • The significance of race, class, ethnicity, and gender
  • Transnational linkages and informal networks in processes of democratization
There must be a clear intellectual fit between the applicant's academic/service interests and the interest of the ICGC Program in examining these processes.

Award Description

Awards will vary based on the applicant's original ICGC Scholar fellowship terms. Grants will help pay travel and living expenses incurred in carrying out the internship project. Applicants are encouraged to apply to other funders for additional support if needed. Matching or additional funds may be available from the University of Minnesota's Human Rights Center for internships relating to human rights. Awards will be announced within a month of the deadline for applications.

Application Process

Applications are due Monday, February 14, 2022 by 4:00pm.

The following information is required:

  1. A completed online application form.
  2. A 2-3 page essay describing:
    • the project
    • the sponsoring organization
    • the relevance of the project for your academic or professional training
    • the relationship you see between the project and the issues central to the ICGC Program
  3. Transcript(s) of your graduate/professional degree work (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
  4. Evidence from the sponsoring organization of a commitment to your internship and an outline of your internship activities/responsibilities
  5. Letter of reference from your adviser speaking to your readiness and qualifications to undertake the project and its relationship with your training program

Notification will be given by the end of March.

Travel Approval

University policy requires approval for student travel to locations designated as Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4 by the U.S. Department of State.  If your project involves travel to one of these locations, you must seek special permission from the International Travel Risk Assessment and Advisory Committee. You should apply as soon as possible, as the committee review process commonly takes several weeks. ICGC cannot release your funds until you have received approval from ITRAAC. 

Human Subjects Approval

In addition, if your project includes research involving human subjects, you must apply to the University's Institutional Review Board for approval before commencing your work. This process can also take several weeks to complete, so if your project needs approval you should start your application as soon as possible. ICGC must receive notification of your IRB approval status in order to release your funds.

Reporting Requirements

Within a month of returning to campus or completion of the internship, the grant recipient will submit a 2-3 page report to the Director of the ICGC Program.  The report will

  1. describe the activities undertaken
  2. give an assessment of the value of the experience for the student's training and orientation and for the organization and people served
  3. make a brief accounting of how the grant moneys were spent​

Special Eligibility Requirements:

These grants are restricted to current ICGC Scholars.
Applicants must have adequate language proficiency to meet project objectives and a commitment from the sponsoring organization for the internship that outlines the intern's responsibilities and activities. The project must relate to the purposes of the ICGC program and to the student's academic or professional training. Internships should be for at least 6 to 8 weeks. Candidates cannot yet have completed their program of study.  Budgets proposed must be reasonable.

Contact Information:

For questions about this application, please contact ICGC UMN at icgc@umn.edu

Search Filters:
Type of application
  • ICGC