Summer Internship Grant

In support of campus equity and inclusion goals, the Rausser College of Natural Resources is excited to provide the Summer Internship Grant. This grant will provide an opportunity for undergraduates who face financial, cultural, and other barriers to participate in summer internships that advance their career or academic interests. Internships are encouraged from any field or discipline. A personal statement including a description of how the work contributes to fostering greater social equity and inclusion will be required.

Olga Rozmarynowska (left) and a coworker participate in a tree-planting program jointly facilitated by Schneider Electric and the Cavite provincial government's Environment and Natural Resources Office.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Olga Rozmarynowska

 

Grants will range from a few hundred dollars to a maximum of $3000, depending on a student’s need and proposed budget.

This competitive grant is meant to help students meet basic living expenses and to make it possible for students to pursue internships that might be unpaid or low-paid. Students are responsible for finding an internship and covering expenses beyond the value of the grant.

Applications for the Summer grant cycle opens March 13th and closes at 11:59pm on April 14th.

All applicants will be notified of their status by the end of the Spring semester. Funds are usually disbursed by the end of May.

• Open to Rausser College students who received need-based financial aid during the current academic year.


• Student's expected graduation term (EGT) must be no earlier than the Fall semester following their summer internship.


• Summer internships must last at least 10 hours a week for four weeks. Internships can be paid or unpaid.


• Students must submit a personal statement, resume, and required budget template for consideration.


• If selected to receive a grant, students may be required to submit a signed letter from their internship stating that the student's internship participation is compliant with county, state, and/or international COVID-19-related recommendations or orders, in order to receive the grant.

Upon finishing the internship, students must complete a survey, join Rausser CNR’s LinkedIn network, activate their Career Services Handshake account, and must participate in the Summer Internship Grant Panel in the Fall. Grant recipients should also expect to participate in other events in fall and/or spring semesters (depending on EGT) to talk about their internship experience if asked.

Students ineligible for Federal Financial Aid may apply if they can demostrate financial need, but may only be awarded on a funding available basis.

APPLY HERE: The application period opens March 13th and closes at 11:59pm on April 14th.

Your grant proposal consists of three (3) parts described below. Please prepare your grant proposal before you begin completing the online application form. You will be asked to upload these items together as a single file in the order listed. Acceptable formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG. 

1. Personal Statement: 

• Your personal statement should describe the purpose of this internship (2 page max). In addition to identifying your internship and what you will be doing, please also address the following: What do you hope to learn from this experience, and how does it relate to your academic/career goals? What makes you a good candidate for this grant? How does your proposal fit the goal of fostering equity and inclusion?

2. Resume:

• 1 page preferred (2 pages max)
• Resume resources at the UC Berkeley Career Center: https://career.berkeley.edu/Tools/Resume

3. Detailed Budget: 

• Please submit a budget that details how much funding you are requesting and how the funds will be allocated. You can include items such as housing costs, internship related travel/commuting expenses, meals, and other necessary living expenses. Make sure also to account for any other salary, awards, grants, or stipends you might be receiving for this internship.
• Required Budget Template

In addition to the proposal outlined above, you will also need to provide information about the internship including the name of the institution/organization, their location, the name of your supervisor and their contact information, start and end dates of the internship, internship hours per week, and any other funding you may be receiving for the internship.

Questions? Email cnr.grants@berkeley.edu.

See the grant recipients from Summer 2021 talk about their internship experiences!

View 2020 Summer Internship Grant Panel