ASEEES is pleased to announce the new Internship Grant Program. This program provides MA, PhD, and professional school students and recent graduates (i.e. those who have graduated no more than two years prior to the competition deadline) with grants that make it possible for them to accept unpaid or underpaid internships in areas directly related to Russian studies. The program promotes the entry of young scholars with considerable Russian studies expertise into sectors outside traditional academia, including not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations, business/trade councils, government, media, the arts, museums, publishers, and other sectors. These internships must be in the US and should be substantial in duration and responsibilities (at least 25 work hours per week), lasting two months for summer internships and four months for internships during a semester in the regular academic year. The grant offers $2,000 a month, to be paid directly to the grantee (intern) during their internship.
While we expect that, at the time of application, applicants will have some idea of what kind of internship they plan to do and the type of organization they plan to work with, we understand that many will not have confirmation of a specific position until somewhat later. Recipients of the Internship Grant, who will be notified of their status by late February, will be able to use the promise of funding to secure internships during the following summer or academic year. They may search for an existing internship, or work with an organization to create a new one.
Disbursal of funds to grantees will be contingent upon a thorough vetting process of proposed host organizations in the US to ensure that internships correspond with the project’s mission to support Russian studies beyond academia, as well as confirmation from host organizations that the internship exists and that the intern has reported for duty. In the case of underpaid internships, ASEEES will work with the host institutions and the grantees to make sure the grantee receives a combined stipend of $2,000 per month or has an extended duration for the internship.
Application Deadline: March 8, 2021, 11:59PM, Hawaii Time.
Eligibility:
In order to be eligible one must:
be a recent graduate (i.e. those who have graduated no more than two years prior to the competition deadline) or current graduate student in a degree-granting institution in the US or, if a US citizen, in a degree-granting institution anywhere in the world;
have specialized in Russian studies or be currently in a program specializing in Russian studies.
Undergraduates are not eligible.
ASEEES membership is not required at the time of application.
Application Requirements:
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Completed online application form
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Outline of career objectives (max. 500 words)
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Description of possible organization(s) for which you hope to work or have already secured an internship, and how your internship would relate to Russian studies (max. 500 words)
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Curriculum vitae and description of previous work, travel and educational experiences that have prepared you for the kind of internship you are proposing (max 2 pages)
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Graduate transcripts
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Two (2) letters of professional reference from individuals who can speak to your preparedness for the proposed internship and your background in Russian studies, such as an advisor or employer.
Application Instructions:
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Review the program website and the application form first to make sure you are eligible and that you have the necessary information and documents to upload.
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You can save an incomplete draft of the application and return to it later. However, once you hit “Submit”, you will not be able to edit.
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It is your responsibility to make sure that your reference letters are submitted by your referees. You should let them know that they will receive an email instruction once you submit your application. The deadline to submit the reference letters is March 15, 2021.
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The application deadline is firm. No late applications will be accepted.
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Do not send any applications to ASEEES via e-mail or mail. All documents must be uploaded on the online application site. Do not send your transcripts, proposals or other documents to the ASEEES office. They will be discarded.
Application Review:
All files are reviewed by a committee made up of ASEEES members and former diplomats in the ASEEES Diplomats Circle. Applicants will be notified of their status by mid-April 2021. At this time, grantees will be free to pursue unpaid or underpaid internships with this expected funding in hand.
Contact:
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Trevor Erlacher, ASEEES Program Coordinator, at aseeesgr@pitt.edu.