INNOVATIVE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
The goals of the METRO Innovative Internship Program are to fund otherwise unpaid internships, reward and encourage innovative projects for graduate students, recent grads, and individuals in career transition, and support and foster innovative work within METRO-member institutions.
The program allows students or supervisors to apply for funding. Projects currently underway and projects yet-to-begin are both welcome to apply.
Details on past awards, including intern final reports, can be found on METRO'sInternships & Fellowships page.
APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED
DEADLINE JANUARY 17, 2014
Please read trhough the below requirements and guidelines prior to submitting an application.
The application form can be found on this webpage: http://bit.ly/innovative-internship
Details on past awards, including intern final reports, can be found on METRO'sInternships & Fellowships page.
APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED
DEADLINE JANUARY 17, 2014
Please read trhough the below requirements and guidelines prior to submitting an application.
The application form can be found on this webpage: http://bit.ly/innovative-internship
Eligibility
- Only otherwise unpaid internships are eligible for funding.
- Internships must be performed at METRO member institutions. Please check the online member directory for a full list of METRO members.
- Current graduate students, recent grads, or individuals in career transition are eligible to apply.
- Intern and project managers at METRO members can also apply.
Award Details
- The Innovative Internships Program will award at least 2 interns or projects per semester for the fall and spring academic semesters.
- Interns will receive $1500 in funding.
- If the host institution agrees to match the award with $500 or more, then the Innovative Internships Program will pay the intern(s)/project(s) $1750 in addition to the institution funding.
- Applicants are required to commit to the matching funds as part of the application, i.e. before the awards are determined. Whether an application is matching or not-matching has no influence on application evaluation.
- Interns should confirm a matching agreement with their host institution prior to their application.
- Students applying must already be working on, or selected for, an unpaid internship project.
- Projects with multiple interns (2 maximum) are eligible to apply but arerequired to meet the $500 minimum match.
- The money will be paid directly to the intern(s), half at the midpoint and half at the end of the internship.
Requirements
- The internship must entail at least 120 hours of work over the course of a semester to qualify for funding. Intern supervisors will be expected to confirm hours worked.
- Award recipients will be expected to write a brief update at the midway point of their internship and an 800-1500 word summary of their internship project at the conclusion of their internship. This final report should not duplicate any work turned in for course credit and will be published by METRO (see prior examples). Alternate forms of project outcomes may be acceptable.
Defining Innovative
METRO is open-minded about defining what constitutes an innovative project within libraries, archives, museums, and non-profits. Surprise us. But if you require guidance, examples of innovative projects include but are not limited to those involving:
- Novel initiatives around public services, advocacy, and outreach
- New modes of access, exhibition, or publication of institution resources
- Inventive strategies for collecting or acquisition
- Digital preservation, curation, or data management
- New technologies and approaches to description and/or metadata
- Creative methods of education, instruction, or community engagement
- Researching and/or instituting new workflows, process, or policies
