Introducing the Research Fellowship Supplement Program
September 22, 2022
Undergraduate Research and Enrichment Programs and the Steinbright Career Development Center are excited to announce a new pilot program to enhance Drexel students’ access to research opportunities abroad. The Research Fellowship Supplement Program will enable students to better align external fellowships for summer research with their co-op requirements, allowing more students to pursue these advanced opportunities.
The Opportunity: DAAD Research Internships for Science and Engineering (RISE)
DAAD RISE is a summer internship program for students attending undergraduate institutions in North America, Great Britain, and Ireland in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, and engineering. Supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), RISE matches undergraduate interns with doctoral student mentors in research groups at universities and top research institutions across Germany. For a period of 2 to 3 months during the summer, RISE interns collaborate with their mentors on research projects in their field of study. No prior knowledge of German is required, as the working language of the program is English. RISE provides interns with a monthly stipend, insurance, and assistance with international travel costs.
While RISE might seem like an ideal way to fulfill the co-op requirement of many Drexel degree programs, the award’s application timeline has historically made RISE difficult to align with co-op in practice. While many Drexel students have benefited from RISE in the past, they often have not been able to complete the program for co-op credit. Some students have had to decline the opportunity or take a leave of absence in order to participate.
The Solution: The Research Fellowship Supplement Program
The Research Fellowship Supplement Program provides additional funding to students applying for DAAD RISE. This funding allows them to conduct faculty-mentored research for co-op credit. Students who are accepted to RISE use their supplement to fund a full-time research co-op position with their faculty mentor during the spring term, before they depart for Germany. Students who participate in the supplement program but are not accepted to RISE still receive their supplement funding to support a part-time research co-op during both spring and summer terms. They can also choose to participate in co-op C-Round or apply to other summer-only internship or research experiences.
Students interested in applying for RISE can attend one of UREP’s upcoming RISE info sessions or contact fellowships@drexel.edu for more information. Students interested in participating in the Research Fellowship Supplement Program must communicate their interest to UREP by Monday, October 24 by completing the RFSP Interest Form.
More details on how to apply for both RISE and the Research Fellowship Supplement Program can also be found on UREP’s Applicant Resource Site.