Information For:

Brown LINK Award Program– Linking Internships and Knowledge



 

 

Formerly Brown Internship Award Program, BIAP

What’s new this year?  Increased award amounts and nearly double the number of awards!  Looking for funding for your unpaid or low-paying summer internship?  Brown LINK can help!

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Each year, Brown awards financial assistance to students pursuing unpaid or low-paying summer internships. These awards allow students to explore career options and engage in experiential learning activities outside the classroom. Students must apply for or secure an internship that is unpaid or that pays less than $1,000 before applying for funds. Priority is given to rising juniors and seniors, but all Brown undergraduates are encouraged to apply.  The Brown LINK Award Program is funded by Brown alums and parents, employers, and Brown’s Office of Financial Aid and administered by the Center for Careers and Life After Brown.

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES

All registered Brown undergraduate students, who are returning to Brown in September 2012, are eligible to apply. Graduating seniors (May '12) are not eligible. Preference is given to rising juniors and seniors.  Students are not eligible to receive more than one Brown LINK award during their time at Brown. However, students on financial aid are eligible to receive one Brown LINK award and one SEW award, either in the same year or separate years while an undergraduate student.

You can apply if you meet ALL of the following criteria:

  • You are an active Brown undergraduate student
  • You have applied for or secured an unpaid summer internship or one that pays less than $1,000
  • You are returning to study at Brown in the fall term following the proposed internships
  • You have not already received a BIAP award.
  • You have not received other funding for the proposed internship (except payment of less than $1,000)

ELIGIBLE INTERNSHIPS

  • Unpaid or low-paying internship ($1,000 or less including stipend and/or housing, transportation, etc)
  • Minimum of 240 hours of supervised work (equivalent of 6 weeks/40 hours/week)
  • Offered during the summer and completed by August 31
  • Supervised by a professional in the organization who agrees to guidelines

INELIGIBLE INTERNSHIPS

  • Projects that fulfill the criteria of the Brown University UTRA (Undergraduate Teaching and Research Assistantships) Program
  • Pre-thesis research at Brown or elsewhere without significant experiential learning component
  • Program fees (funding will not cover fees to participate in study abroad or domestically, volunteer/service, exchange or other similar programs)
  • Tuition-based summer programs including those with an internship component
  • Internship or project receiving Brown course credit (e.g. teaching requirement for teacher certification/education concentration; summer school course)
  • Non-credit course or training program
  • Students may not accept a Brown LINK award if they have received funding from Swearer Center, Watson Institute, UTRA, etc. in the same year.

PROGRAM CRITERIA

The internship must address specific learning goals that relate to enhancing academic skills developed at Brown and furthering career exploration such as:

  • Exploring career options and understanding possible career pathways
  • Developing knowledge specific to a career or work setting
  • Expanding work specific skills relating to communication, teamwork, time management, interpersonal skills, goal setting, etc.
  • Understanding cross-cultural, social awareness and the ability to work in diverse environments
  • Applying academic skills and growing intellectually

The organization must provide a description outlining the following:

  • How the internship will advance the core mission of the organization
  • The potential impact of the intern’s work
  • Extent of the organization’s engagement, supervision and support of the intern

AWARD TYPES

The program includes two types of awards—one open to all Brown undergraduate students and one specifically for students on financial aid.

Brown LINK Award (formerly BIAP) is open to students regardless of financial aid status.  The awards provide funding, up to $3,000, for career exploration in a wide variety of fields

Summer Earnings Waivers (SEW) make it possible for students who are required to contribute towards their educational costs to gain valuable work experience.  The awards are open to financial recipients who are eligible for University Scholarship.  The award waives the annual summer earnings requirement up to $2,900.  The award is contingent upon the student's continued eligibility for University Scholarship in the 2012-13 award year.

GENERAL AWARDS for internships in any career field are made possible from generous donations by Brown alums, parents and anonymous donors including:

  • Barrett Hazeltine Award
  • Fisher Family Endowed Award
  • Goldman Sachs Award
  • Barclays Capital Award
  • Brown Link Award

INTERNATIONAL AWARD  Funded by the Office of International Affairs to support students participating in internships abroad in any career field.

CAREER SPECIFIC AWARDS include funding from the following sources:

  • Peter G. and Paul G. Hanoian Memorial Award Assists students in labor relations, social justice and work in organizations that strive to impact the lives of working people.
  • Careers in the Common Good Award Funding provided anonymously to support students in socially responsible internships that connect personal values and professional problem solving in the non-profit, private and government sectors.
  • Robert Krauskopf Award Assists students in print journalism focusing on community affairs and social issues.
  • Richard Lee Internship Fund Assists students interested in career fields relating to film, video or the entertainment industry.
  • Timory Hyde Class of 1997 Memorabubble Award Assists students on financial aid in the career fields of creative arts and music.
  • Brown-Marine Biological Laboratory Partnership Award Funding provided by Charles and Phyllis Rosenthal to support internships in the laboratories of faculty members at the Marine Biological Laboratory or Brown University who conduct research within the Brown-MBL Partnership. These laboratories cut across a wide range of fields, including cell biology, microbiology and ecology and pathobiology and involve collaborations between MBL and Brown faculty. Students should contact potential MBL or Brown faculty members who are active in the Brown-MBL program to discuss potential internship opportunities. The list of MBL faculty and collaborating Brown departments can be found on the Brown-MBL website.

HOW TO APPLY

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 23, 2012 at 5pm.

  • NO exceptions
  • NO extensions
  • Only completed applications, including an uploaded resume and signed supervisor statement form, submitted by the deadline will be accepted and reviewed by the selection committees.
  • Students may submit one Brown LINK application and one SEW application for the same internship opportunty.  Multiple applications will not be considered.

SELECTION PROCESS

Review committees are established for each award at the beginning of the spring semester.  Committees are comprised of a wide array of staff and faculty members from the Brown Community.  Applications are reviewed independently during the last week of March.  Committees convene as a group the following week to finalize selections. Applicants receive notification by late April.

All awards are made based on the extent to which the experience is likely to integrate professional and academic development, the likelihood that the experience will promote achievement of the student's ultimate career goals, and associated cost burdens, i.e., travel, food and housing.