The Graduate Student Career Exploration Grant awards a small grant ($1,000 or $1,500) to help graduate students cover the cost of completing a one-month underfunded domestic internship over IAP in a career field they would like to explore further. Underfunded opportunities are defined as opportunities paying less than $2,000 over the one-month IAP.
Example industry areas can include but are not limited to: non-profit, local government, startups, communication, creative fields, education or sustainability. Since the objective of the grant is to promote career exploration, priority will be given to applications where the proposed opportunity extends beyond the scope of their current academic research trajectory and enables the applicant to make meaningful connections in industry.
Reasons to apply
- Leverage an opportunity to complete short term experiential learning opportunities outside of academia
- Explore potential jobs in industry, build your professional network, and develop professionally
- Develop the skills you’ll need to find a job once you’ve completed your degree
Funding
$1,000 or $1,500 based on student need
Funds can be used to offset expenses students incurred by completing the experience. Examples of expenses includes, travel, transportation, housing , food or other living expenses. Grants are to be used to enable an internship during the current academic year’s IAP and cannot be used to reimburse expenses incurred during a previous time period. Funding cannot be used for trainings, classes, or experiences outside of the US. MBA students are not eligible for this grant.
What do you need to apply?
- Offer letter from a host organization for an experience over IAP
- Answers to short answer questions
- Resume
Review application details and this training module offering resources to help you secure an internship
Application deadline (updated): Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds have been allocated or until Dec. 1, whichever comes first. If you would like to apply for the grant after November 15th, contact Tavi Sookhoo (tsookhoo@mit.edu).
If you are in the process of securing an internship but have not received an offer letter yet, we encourage you to submit an application. In your short answer responses, please indicate that you are in the process of attaining an offer letter and when you expect to receive it.
Attention International Students: You are strongly encouraged to review this Guidance for International Students to determine your eligibility, prior to beginning the application process.
Grant Requirements
Before the experience
- CAPD will work with you to verify that you are not receiving other funding from or through MIT during the internship period that would prevent you from receiving the grant.
- Review MIT’s conflict of interest and conflict of commitment guidelines to ensure the internship experience is in accordance with these guidelines .
- Verification that there are no academic, research, or funding sponsorship requirements that would prevent you from participating in the planned off-campus internship activity.
- If your application is accepted, CAPD will reach out to the Graduate Academic Admin within your academic department to confirm your eligibility to receive the funds, prior to their dispersal.
- Signed participation agreement, liability waiver, and required MIT travel forms
During the experience
- Grant recipients and their supervisors complete a pre-experience plan and an end of experience evaluation where they identify 1-2 professional development competencies practiced during the experience.
After the experience
- Submit a short reflection about the experience
