The Center for Life Beyond Reed

Economics Internship Awards

The Department of Economics Internship Awards offer funding to support economics-related unpaid internship opportunities. This award is administered by the Center for Life Beyond Reed on behalf of the Economics department.

An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.

This award offers funding to support unpaid (and underpaid) economics-related internship opportunities: public sector, not-for-profit, or other unpaid summer internships. Applications for support at for-profit/private sector businesses are generally not funded unless the application demonstrates that the internship will comply with this guidance from the Department of Labor. Applications for support at for-profit businesses must address this guidance in the application. The Economics Internship Awards offer the opportunity to gain valuable experience relevant to career development, but do not support research.

  • Award amounts for 2022 recipients will be up to $4,982 for a minimum of 320 hours over 8-10 weeks.
  • Both in-person and remote opportunities will be considered.

Application Deadline

Wednesday, April 19th 2023 at 12 PM noon PDT

Eligibility

  • All currently enrolled Economics majors or students who have taken at least three economics courses.
  • Must be in good academic standing.
  • Students may only be funded once by the Economics Internship Awards in their time at Reed.

Criteria

Eligible proposals will be judged on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

  • Connection to field of study or career goals
  • Some experience or qualifications or preparation to be successful in the internship
  • Carefulness, quality, and thoughtfulness of plan and adherence to all Economics Internship Award guidelines
  • Articulation of learning outcomes of the internship, and how the internship host will support learning

To Apply

All applications will be submitted in Handshake. The application consists of uploading documents, as well as filling out a Handshake survey. A letter or email of confirmation from your internship will also be required if you are selected for funding.

There are three documents to upload: A one page resume, a cover letter, and a budget. Please include your name in the file name and upload all documents as pdfs.

Resume

An up-to-date one page copy of your resume summarizing any work and volunteer experiences relevant to the opportunity for which you are applying.

Cover Letter

Upload a pdf document of no more than 1,000 words with the following components:

  • One-paragraph introduction that succinctly summarizes your proposed internship and the benefits to you.
  • Description of the mission and purpose of your host organization.
  • Description of the work/project/activities you anticipate doing as well as a description of your motivation and interest in this area.
  • Summary of the skills, knowledge, or other relevant preparation you will bring to this position.
  • Outline of the desired educational outcomes of this experience and how they apply to your goals.
  • Contact information (names, telephone numbers, and email addresses) for your host organization contacts.

Other Document - Detailed Budget

Upload an itemized budget of your expenses and an explanation of how you will cover any expenses that exceed the award amount. Please use our budget template.

Apply in Handshake

Next Steps

The selection committee will begin reviewing applications after the deadline. Selection decisions and notifications will occur in late April.

If you are selected as an awardee, you must take these steps in order to receive funding:

  • submit a letter of confirmation from your organization acknowledging your internship agreement. This can be a scanned letter or email from your organization, sent to clbrfellowships@reed.edu. Forwarding a letter/email is permissible.
  • fill out the Internship Award Recipient Agreement form (sent to you as a google form).
  • create a LinkedIn profile, if you do not already have one.
  • follow any other directions in your award email.

During, and after, the internship you agree to:

  • participate in the reflection process over the summer as requested by the Center for Life Beyond Reed. This includes graduated seniors, and will include an orientation before the internship begins. The orientation will likely be online and asynchronous.

Travel Restrictions

Reed College does not permit college-funded travel to other countries that are categorized as level 4 (do not travel). Travel to countries on a level 3 advisory warning might be allowed on a case-by-case basis, but there would need to be a strong case made in the application for why the travel is necessary to the project, and how it can be done safely.

Intended travel countries must not be restricted at the time of application. If a travel country becomes restricted after you are awarded funds, we will work with you to find alternative plans. If alternative plans don't work out, it could be possible that you would be required to return some or all of the funding.

Questions? Much of the content in our Summer Internship Awards FAQ also applies to this award. Contact the Center for Life Beyond Reed at clbrfellowships@reed.edu with any other questions.