Internship guidelines 2010
This programme funds SCCS delegates from developing countries and eastern Europe to spend up to one month after the conference working on a conservation research project with a UK-based NGO, agency or university department. It will not fund delegates who are settled in or on a scholarship in Western Europe, North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or any developed country regardless of their country of origin. Interns must attend the conference.
- To apply, applicants need to have an agreed host organisation and an outline of the work they will do during their internship period, submitted by 31 October 2009.
Project scope
- Applicants must present an outline of the project or piece of work they intend to do during their month at the host organisation. Eligible projects include:
- analysing data
- writing a research proposal
- detailed library research, provided it has clear aims and outputs
- preparing a policy document
- learning a new technique
- attending a training course
- producing a paper for publication
It is important that visiting the UK host organisation should significantly enhance the intern's work - for example because it enables access to advice, training or resources. Eligible hosts include any conservation-oriented NGOs or agencies, or university-based conservation research groups, anywhere in the UK - what's important for us is that the host is as committed as you are to making the project succeed.
Commitments
- The SCCS internship will cover:
- the intern's costs of return travel to the UK, including visa costs, from their home country and attending the conference;
- an allowance of £250 per week for accommodation and food for up to 4 weeks;
- travel costs within the UK to the internship location. If other costs are incurred by the intern, additional funding should be sought by the intern or the host organisation;
The SCCS will help coordinate logistic arrangements.
- Host organisations are expected to:
- provide assistance with finding suitable accommodation;
- provide facilities;
- provide advice or supervision needed;
- help with any expenses not covered by the internship, (see above);
SCCS will not pay overhead costs of hosts. Interns are expected to submit a brief report on their project within one month of the end of the internship. Interns and hosts are also asked to complete a brief feedback form.
Application procedure
Contact a UK-based conservation organisation or research group you would like to be hosted by. Discuss your project with them, agree on its aims and what it is likely to achieve. You will need a contact person at the host organisation who is responsible for your internship. Look at the questions in the internship section of the application form and draft the answers. Discuss these with the contact person at your host organisation and finalise all of the answers with them. Only when you have done this and have the full agreement of the host should you complete the application form, answering all questions. Once you have submitted your application, we will ask the contact person at your host organisation whether they support it. We need to have received both your application and the host organisation's support by 31 October 2009. Please submit your application in sufficient time in advance of this deadline and make sure that your contact person is able to support your application by that date. Please provide only ONE host name and ONE email address. Applications which falsely claim to have the agreement of the host organisation will be rejected.
Your internship application will only be considered if you apply to attend the conference as well, using the conference application forms. If you are eligible for the SCCS bursary scheme you may apply for a bursary on the same form. In the event that your internship application is unsuccessful, it may still be that you are awarded a bursary to attend the conference.
Remember - the only information we have for judging your internship application is what you write on your form, so make sure that your application form describes clearly what you want to do, why you want to do it, and your experience and interests.
As with the general conference applications, we will inform everyone about their internship application in late-November.
