Knowledge Community on Children in India Internship Program
Background:
UNICEF India Country Office invites applications for a full-time Internship program from May 31st to August 3rd 2010. Conceived as part of a broader initiative to build a Knowledge Community on Children in India (“KCCI”), UNICEF India partners with research and academic institutions to encourage young students and scholars from around the world to engage in development issues pertaining to India’s children and women. The internship offers an opportunity to explore issues related to child rights in India across a variety of areas: child protection, health, nutrition, education, HIV/AIDS and water and sanitation. The assignment involves a combination of desk and field work at the district or village level, with interns being grouped into teams that are based in field offices, and work under the supervision of selected research institutions/non-governmental organizations.
Expected Outputs:
The expected output from each team is a 30-page research paper along a pre-determined thematic research framework.
Eligibility:
Applicants should be enrolled in a Masters-level graduate program or a higher degree program, in one of the following disciplines: anthropology, child psychology, demography, economics, education, engineering, human rights, international development, journalism, legal studies, public health, sociology, statistics, rural development, social work or any other relevant area. Those who have completed their Masters level graduate programs in 2009 are also eligible to apply. Applicants are expected to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships with individuals from different backgrounds. Applicants should have excellent command of English, both written and spoken. Short-listed applicants whose English is not the first language may be subject to a telephone interview.
Location:
Selected interns will be placed in research institutions across states where UNICEF has a presence. Possible locations include Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Patna (Bihar), Ranchi (Jharkand), Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Bhubhaneswar (Orissa), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Kolkata (West Bengal), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and New Delhi. Selected interns must be willing to go to any of the locations mentioned. Interns will report to New Delhi for an initial orientation before traveling to their assigned duty stations where they will be based and from where they will be expected to travel to village / district field sites. Applicants need to bear in mind that the fieldwork of 10-15 days will entail time spent in challenging situations such as remote villages with basic amenities.
Support:
All interns are expected to cover costs such as travel from home to duty station and back, as well as accommodation and food for the entire duration of the internship program. However, UNICEF will provide Rs. 20,000 as partial support to all interns for the two-month period. UNICEF India will also meet the expenses incurred on the following: (a) travel from Delhi to the assigned state capital after the orientation workshop; (b) field trips from the state capital to the field; and, (c) travel from state capital to Delhi for the closing workshop at the end of the internship program.
Insurance:
UNICEF does not accept responsibility for medical insurance. Interns must ensure that they carry appropriate medical and life insurance coverage for the entire period of the internship, and provide proof of this prior to the start of the program, without which they will not be able to participate.
Application:
Interested and eligible students should submit the following:
- A completed application form (To be downloaded from http://www.unicef.org/india/KCCI_Application_2010.doc)
- A ‘Statement of Purpose’ indicating your area of interest, relevant skills, experience and motivation for applying to this programme. This should not be more than 500 words.
- An up-to-date official university transcript
- Two letters of recommendation that assess your suitability for research and fieldwork
- A writing sample of no more than 5 pages
- The dates of this program are non-negotiable; interns are expected to attend the entire duration of the program and to work full-time on the internship.
Due Date:
Completed applications should be sent to internshipkcci@unicef.org by January 22, 2010. Please write “KCCI Internship Application 2010/DevNetJobs” in the subject of your email. UNICEF India will contact only short-listed candidates. Final selection will take place by 15 March 2010.