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Unconventional Weapons and Technology (UWT) Advanced Research Internship - Fall 2020

*NOTE: you must submit an application through START's Website. Applications submitted via Handshake only will NOT be considered.*
Designed for highly motivated, high-performing students, Advanced Research Interns (ARIs) participate in high-level substantive research on topics relevant to national security in collaboration with the UWT Director; topics relevant to multi-domain challenges (e.g. influence operations, cyber-physical/operational attacks on critical infrastructure, interactive database design and construction, etc.); or research in the area of ARIs’ own design. Examples of past ARI works include contributing to the development of violent non-state actor behavior model; development of AWS cloud-based violent non-state actor unconventional weapons use database prototype; and development of weapons of mass destruction intent to use assessment tool. This opportunity provides an opportunity for extremely capable students to engage in research in a manner that is akin to a START faculty researcher, and provides greater levels of independence, responsibility, and participation in projects with real-world impact than most other internships. ARIs may be involved in multiple projects simultaneously and have an opportunity to help transition research into a variety of mediums such as development of applications or co-authored publications.
Supervisor: Dr. Steve Sin (sinss@umd.edu)
Deadline: Sunday, June 28th, 2020
US Citizenship Required: Yes
Team Meeting Times: Wednesday – Meeting time flexible but most likely during middle of the day
Required/Minimum Qualifications:
  • Passion and an inherent capacity to learn quickly are more important than existing knowledge / skills, but the following are the minimum requirements:
  • Strong research background through coursework or internship/jobs
  • Flexibility and ability to multitask
  • Self-driven
  • Superior writing skills
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Graduate students or extremely qualified undergraduates are strongly preferred
  • Intermediate to advanced statistics or modeling skillset is useful
  • Web development skills highly desirable
  • Database/AWS development experience highly desirable
  • Background in international security, terrorism, unconventional weapons, or influence operations a plus
General Information for all START Internships
Location:
START Headquarters is located in the Discovery District in College Park, MD. Our exact address will be provided upon being invited for an interview.
Schedule Requirements:
Orientation Date: Thursday, August 20th, 2020. All interns are required to attend orientation. You may be required to attend an additional day of orientation on Friday, August 21st, 2020. Your supervisor will inform you if you are required to attend both days.
Internship Duration: Thursday, August 20th, 2020 to Friday, December 4th, 2020. All interns must be able to commit to the duration of the whole program.
Work Hours: All interns must work at least 10 hours per week during the fall 2020 program. Work hours are scheduled from Monday to Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm. Interns may not work longer than 8-hour or shorter than 2 hour shifts.
Other Information:
  • All internships are UNPAID and START is unable to provide travel stipends or housing arrangements. However, the University of Maryland has several opportunities for students to apply for unpaid internship stipends. Please note START is not involved in the application or review process for these stipends.
  • https://careers.umd.edu/students/internships/how-financially-support-your-internship
  • The Ammerman Foundation Student Veteran Professional Development Fund: http://sagiving.umd.edu/ammermanvetsfund/index.html
  • We strongly encourage and recommend that interns seek academic credit for their internship through their home institution or department, if possible.
  • If undertaking the internship for credit, you must indicate this on your application form. Be sure to notify your internship supervisor if you need to work more than 10 hours per work for this reason.
  • Applicants interested in applying for an internship for any semester other than or in addition to fall 2020, must submit a separate application for each semester with the correct application form for that semester.
How to Apply for START Internships:
START is currently accepting applications for the fall 2020 semester. Please make sure you check the dates for the projects you’re interested in to make sure they’re available during the semester you intend to apply. The fall application form will be open until 11:59pm on Sunday, June 28th, 2020. However, some projects for the fall semester require the application be submitted by the priority deadline (Sunday, June 14th at 11:59pm) so please be sure to note the deadlines in the project descriptions. Late, incomplete, or applications not submitted correctly will not be considered. To access the application: click here.
Notes:
  • Applicants must pay close attention to the requirements of each internship they are applying for, including attendance to team meetings and minimum time commitment. Inability to attend compulsory meetings or work the minimum required hours will result in the revocation of any offer made.
  • Address your cover letter to the internship supervisor of your first choice project.
  • Failure to complete the application form in full, including the selection of 1-3 internship preferences could result in your application being rejected without further consideration.
  • Failure to submit the proper materials according to the directions provided in the project description could result in your application being rejected without further consideration.
  • Due to the high volume of applicants, only top candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
  • Applicants may be asked to attend more than one interview.
  • Any successful candidate will be asked to respond with a firm acceptance within 48 hours of the offer being made. Failure to respond could result in the vacancy passed to another candidate.
  • Any questions regarding the specific requirements for the internship vacancy should be directed to the supervisor(s) listed for the project.
  • Any questions regarding the application process should be directed to the START Education Team at internships-start@umd.edu.
Application Materials:
All internship applicants must submit all materials in one .pdf file using the file name format:
LastName, FirstName_InternCandidate.pdf or .doc.
 The internship application packet should include the following documents in the following order:
  • One page cover letter
  • One page resume
  • Official or unofficial transcript(s)
  • Two-page writing sample (Communications applicants must submit two writing samples.)
Note for International Students:
START welcomes applications from international students for all of our internships where US citizenship is not a requirement (see the qualifications listed for each project for details).
It is, however, the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that their visa or immigration status permits them to undertake an unpaid internship. It is also the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all proper paperwork, like documented approval from your home institution, is available and processed in time for the start of the internship. Failure to comply with these stipulations, or provide the paperwork required to verify your status, will result in your internship offer being rescinded without further consideration. START is unable to sponsor visas for non-US Citizens due to the short timeline of our program and the lengthy processing time for visas. Unfortunately, this largely limits our ability to accept anything other than F-1 visas on regular, not OPT, status.
START recognizes and abides by the Department of Labor regulations regarding unpaid internships. Not only does START encourage students to seek college credit for their internships, but START ensures that the internship experience is exceptional. START interns make a positive contribution to vital, real-world research that directly supports the work of policy makers and other shareholders. START interns do not perform administrative tasks - they work alongside our researchers and receive mentorship and guidance. START interns are also able to participate in an enrichment program throughout the semester with roughly 2-3 training sessions, lectures, book talks, career profile sessions, or research round table events per week. More information on the Department of Labor regulations can be found here: https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm.