Fellowships and Internships

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Fellowship application

Before beginning your application, please carefully review the program overview and information on eligibility, timeline and the selection process at http://web.mit.edu/mitpsc/whatwedo/internshipsandfellowships/index.html

Proceed with this application only if you can answer yes to each of the following questions:

• Will you be available for an in-person interview/phone interview if off-campus?
• Do you accept the program rules and requirements and will you be able to fulfill them?
• Are you in good academic and ethical standing at MIT?

Invitations to interview for the program will be emailed on November 2nd.
Interviews for the IAP Public Service Fellowships will take place November 7-15.
We expect to inform all candidates of their status on November 17.

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Application Timeline

Friday, March 23, noon	Deadline for submitting applications
Wednesday, April 4	Invitations to interview sent out
April 6, 9-13, 18	Interviews
Thursday, April 19	Offers emailed to successful applicants
Monday, April 30	Deadline for submitting required paperwork and contact information

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Application Checklist

We need a complete application packet to consider you for a Fellowship, so please make sure we receive all of the following application materials:

• Complete the online cover page
• 1 Letter of commitment from your project supervisor
• 3 hard copies of your project proposal to the MIT PSC, 4-104
• 3 hard copies of your  resume to the MIT PSC, 4-104
• 1 email attachment of project proposal (as a Microsoft Word or PDF document) to fellowships-staff@mit.edu
• 1 email attachment of resume (as a Microsoft Word or PDF document) to fellowships-staff@mit.edu
• 1 Letter of recommendation from MIT faculty or staff member

Save and attach your proposal and resume files using the naming formula fullname_proposal and fullname_resume. For instance, John Doe’s documents would be named johndoe_proposal.doc and johndoe_resume.doc.

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Please Read Before Writing Your Application:
Be specific in your application. Don’t just tell us what you are going to achieve – show us how you’re going to do it. There are suggested limits on your answer length, so make each word count.  Provide concrete examples and clear connections between your work plan and your goals. And remember, we are probably not be technical experts in your field, so write in clear language anyone would be able to understand.

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(length limits are suggestions)

Project Abstract

200 words
Summarize your application. Be clear, specific, and jargon-free. Pretend that a friend who knows little about your project asks you to explain your proposed work. How would you describe it to them? Include the name of the community or organization you will be serving and its location (specifically country, state, village, etc). How much funding are you requesting from the PSC?

Community Needs

Half a page
Identify the community you will be serving and the organization or people you will be working with. Describe the community need that you intend to address and explain why it’s significant. What do you think are the biggest opportunities and challenges for the community you are serving? Tell us about the lives of the people who will benefit from your service. Keep in mind that we (the readers) may not know the population and location you are serving so help us to understand the need for your project.

The rest of your application must explain how you are going to address the community needs you describe, so focus on the local rather than global scale. For instance, it is not relevant to know that 2 billion people world wide lack clean drinking water but it is relevant for us to know that you plan to provide clean drinking water to 30 households that currently lack it.

Supervisor

Half a page
Who is your intended supervisor and what is his/her role within the community or organization you will be serving? Describe his/her role in your project. What support will you need from your supervisor?

Work plan

1 page
Essentially, this is your plan of attack. Imagine you are describing your work plan to someone who needs to implement it without you. What are your goals? What steps will you need to take and in what sequence in order to accomplish those goals? What is the timeline for this work? How will you evaluate your success in meeting your goals? Roughly, how will your time be organized and spent? What preparation do you need to do? Describe your plan primarily in words, not charts.

Include the length of time you plan on spending on your project at the location specified, in terms of number of weeks. Will you be working part-time or full-time and how will this shape your work plan?

If you are applying with other people, outline each person’s role in the project and how you will work together.

Community impact

Half a page
As specifically as possible, describe the impact you intend your project to have on the community. How will the community be different because of your work? What are the sustainable benefits of your project? Who will benefit?

Safety

Half a page
Outline your safety considerations for the project. What are the main safety issues in the location you will be working in? What steps will you take to prioritize your safety and what resources have you identified to help you stay safe? Does your project have any safety implications for the community you are serving and how will you address these?

Qualifications

Half a page
What qualifies you personally to make a success of this project? Describe what you bring to this project in terms of directly applicable skills, knowledge, first-hand experience, job experience, hobbies, etc. What, if any, courses have you taken will provide particular background for your project (4 courses max)? We will also read your resume, but we want you to explain how your skills will help you to do the proposed work.

Language Fluency

List the languages you know that may help you in the community you will be serving. Give the skill level (fluent/intermediate/beginner) for both written and oral competencies for each language you list.

Teamwork

Half a page, if relevant
If you will be working with other people on this project, list each team member and their MIT affiliation (if any) even if the other people are not applying for a Fellowship through the PSC. If any of the team members are applying for a Public Service Fellowship or other PSC funding, indicate this.

Describe each person’s roles and responsibilities. How will your jobs intersect and support each other? Would you consider doing the project if not all members of the team receive funding? Tell us what sort of role you prefer to take in a team, and what sort of people you do and do not enjoy working with on a team. 

Note: If you are applying with other people for a group Fellowship, each group member MUST write and submit individual applications. We will not accept group Fellowship applications that include text that has been "cut and pasted" from one application to another. Please note that the selection committee will award Fellowships based on applicants' individual merits, so there is no guarantee that people who apply together will be selected together.

Motivation

Paragraph
Tell us why you want to do this work, and why you want to do it now. What is driving you to take on this challenge? Do you have previous experience working on this issue or in the particular community in which you have proposed this project?

Personal Outcomes

Half a page
What are your personal expectations and goals for this Fellowship? What do you want to learn or experience? Will the work advance your personal or professional career?

Personality type

Paragraph
Tell us briefly about your own personality. How would others describe you? How does your personality suit you to the work you are proposing? If you are planning to work in a group, how would you describe your ability to work with the other people in the group?

Cultural impact

Half a page
Help us to understand how the cultural context will affect your project. Tell us about any experience you have living and/or working with other cultures. How might you prepare yourself for living in the cultural context relevant to the project you are applying for?

Funding

To help us understand your financial position relative to your proposal, and to assist you in your planning, include a project budget listing your expenses and income for the project. Itemize your expenses as accurately as possible.
Tell us:

1. What you need funding for (include any taxes and shipping costs)
2. How much each item will cost
3. What funds you have for the project so far (including your own money if you can contribute any), other sources you have applied for and intend to apply for, and how much you are requesting from the PSC. If any of these funds can only be spent on certain types of expenses, note this.

If you receive funding from other sources after applying to the Fellowships program, we require that you notify us of this and we may make appropriate funding modifications in consultation with you.

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Baker Fellows only:

Put the words “Baker Fellowship” at the top left of the first page of your application.

Include a Faculty Involvement section in your project proposal. Tell us your faculty advisor’s name and position at MIT. Describe how you will interact with your advisor and what additional benefits this relationship will bring to your project and to your personal development.

Your faculty advisor needs to submit a letter of commitment that explains why they are supporting you in this project and how they will advise you. This letter can also function as your MIT recommendation letter.

Letter of Commitment from Supervisor

Email, fax or hard copy
The letter of commitment must be from your supervisor supporting your application. This letter should outline the project idea, describe how the Fellow and supervisor plan to work together, show the supervisor’s commitment to supporting the student with project advice and useful local knowledge where appropriate, and acknowledge that the Fellow has ownership of the project. Click here for the Letter of Commitment information and format we would like your supervisor to follow.

Letter of Recommendation from MIT faculty or staff member

Email, fax or hard copy
The letter of recommendation must be from an MIT faculty or staff member (professor, advisor, coach, work supervisor). This person should be in a position to vouch for your achievements, abilities, character, and motivation. Their comments must be pertinent to your ability to carry out the project(s) you are applying for, so you must provide your reference with at least your project abstract well in advance of the deadline. The more information you can provide the better. Click here for the Letter of Recommendation information and format we would like your recommender to follow.

All letters should be directed to Alison Hynd. The recommendations are confidential – your recommender may choose to send you a copy, but you should not request one. Emailed recommendations must be sent directly to fellowships-staff@mit.edu, faxes to 617-258-9357. Hardcopy letters should be marked “Fellowship recommendation” and sent to Room 4-104, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. We don not need hardcopies of recommendations that have been sent by email.)

Note: If you are applying for a group Fellowship, each applicant needs a separate MIT faculty reference. The group may submit a single letter of support from your community partner as long as this letter mentions each group member by name and shows awareness of the full scope of the project.