The 2008 Wellman Hill
Political Science Internship Grants Competition
November 16, 2007
Wellman Hill Political Science Internship Grants are made possible by a
generous gift from Elizabeth Hill (B.A. 1997) to honor her grandfather,
Wellman Hill. They are intended to enable Political Science majors to
accept public service summer internships that financial limitations might
otherwise force them to decline. The 2008 selection committee is prepared
to give five students up to $4000 each. In devising the competition rules,
the committee made a few modifications to previously published statements
about the grants. So please read the following paragraphs carefully.
Eligibility: The grants competition is open to undergraduate
students majoring in Political Science who have completed two semesters of
coursework at CWRU and will not graduate earlier than the December after
the internship period. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in Political
Science at CWRU.
Application Process: Candidates must submit a short application
(see Application Form) consisting of a list of public
service internships to which they have applied or intend to apply, a
personal statement, and a letter of reference from a CWRU faculty member.
(See Guidelines for Reference Writers.) The application deadline is February 15, 2008. The selection committee
will notify grant winners and alternates no later than April 18, 2008.
After notification, winners will have until May 15, 2008 to receive one of
their listed internships or, if necessary, one subsequently approved. The
selection committee will determine grant amounts only after recipients
receive an internship.
Appropriate Internships: Internships must comply with a few basic
requirements. First and foremost, internships must be public service
oriented. Second, they must be related to politics or policy. Third, they
must take place during the summer. Finally, the selection committee
expects most internships to run between seven and ten weeks and will not
consider giving grants for internships that last fewer than six weeks.
Public service internships can be found in all levels of government,
public-interest and non-profit advocacy organizations and public and
private schools, to give some of the obvious examples. Not all public
service internships are appropriate for Wellman Hill grants. Internships
without a policy or politics focus, for example, would not qualify. The
selection committee will not give grants for paid internships with large,
established think tanks or corporations. If you have questions about the
appropriateness of a particular internship, please contact the internship
coordinator, Prof. Elliot Posner. For help with finding internships,
please see the Finding Summer Internships section of this
website.
Selection Criteria: The selection committee will select grant
recipients largely on the basis of two criteria: the extent to which the
internships on the applicant's list meet the program's public service
goals; and the extent to which an applicant's interests, goals and
qualifications match his/her proposal to serve the public through a summer
internship.
Additional Notes to Students: We expect the IRS to treat the award
amount as taxable, and CWRU will provide a Form 1099 for the amount of the
award. Students can use the award either for expenses necessitated by the
internship, such as travel to and accommodations in the location of the
internship, or for income. How they report the grants and in what ways
they may try to deduct expenses is a matter for the students, their
parents or guardians, and any financial advisers. We urge that they be
careful to comply with the law, and neither the department nor the
university will presume to give advice about any individual situation.
Application Form (To
open, left click. To download, right click and hit "save target as.")
Finding Summer Internships
Guidelines for Reference Writers
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