The goal of Whitman-Walker Institute’s Research Internship Program is to provide mutually beneficial research placements for undergraduate and graduate students working in public health and similar research-oriented educational programs. The program is designed to be mutually beneficial, fulfilling Whitman-Walker’s commitment to education and training of the next generation of researchers and providing support for our research activities.
Process: Students who are actively enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in the DMV area will have two opportunities per year to apply for year-long research internships beginning around the start of the fall or spring semesters of most universities, with a commitment of at least 10 hours per week. Institute managers who are interested in working with an intern on a pre-defined project will be involved in interviewing and selecting candidates who will be matched with them as their local supervisor. The Institute will work to establish any necessary agreements with the student’s academic institution such that the student may earn institutional course credits or fulfill other degree requirements, where applicable. Students wishing to use Whitman-Walker data for any projects will be required to complete the first 6 months of the internship program before such requests will be reviewed, and there is no guarantee that such requests will be accepted.
Benefits to Whitman-Walker:
- Interns will provide an opportunity for the Institute to fulfill its training and education mission while simultaneously serving the local communities by supporting the development of the next generation of researchers
- The internship program will provide Institute staff with opportunities to engage in mentorship, a critical professional development opportunity
- Research interns will provide support in targeted areas identified as benefitting from student involvement
- The internship program will further Whitman-Walker’s strategic partnerships with local academic institutions
- Research interns will gain valuable real-world experience in conducting community-centered health research
- The internship program will provide mentorship, training, and networking opportunities that will promote career advancement
- Students will be able to earn academic credit toward completion of degree requirements, where available at their institution
- Interns will have the opportunity to propose and conduct research projects or engage in dissemination activities in partnership with Whitman-Walker based investigators
