IPD Fellowship Program and FAQs – FAll 2024

The IPD lab will be launching the inaugural IPD Fellows Program during the fall semester of 2024. Please read below for important dates, program details, and the reasons for this change.

IPD Fellows Program Overview

The IPD leadership team is excited to announce a shift from our current model to a one-year undergraduate and masters’ student research fellowship program with a focus on training, collaboration, and mentorship for students with interest and experience in global policy research. This paid fellowship will offer rich mentorship opportunities with faculty and graduate team leads, as well as valuable networking experiences with fellow researchers. Fellows will be selected via application and interview process which will look for fit with the program, including past research experience and students’ research and professional development objectives.

Each selected fellow will each receive a $1000 stipend per semester,1 for a total of two semesters. (contingent on a successful performance review conducted at the end of the fall semester). Additionally, fellows will gain access to advanced data science and professional development training. Our hope is to foster a close-knit, high-impact community of global policy scholars who are deeply engaged and committed to the collaborative research mission.

Expectations for Fellows

Each selected IPD fellow will be expected to fulfill the following obligations:

  • Attendance at and/or assistance with biweekly data science and professional development trainings. These trainings will take place on Thursday evenings once or twice per month. These sessions are meant to provided advanced-level data science trainings and professional development resources to fellows. In addition, these sessions will be open to other students in the IPD lab who are participating through the Government Research Practicum or University- sponsored research internship program such as the University Leadership Network, Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, etc.
  • Completion of 5 hours of work* on delegated research tasks each week, as assigned by your faculty research director and task team leader.
  • Attendance of biweekly research colloquium meetings and faculty research seminars (1-2 per month). These meetings will all take place on Tuesdays at 12:15 PM in the IPD lab. NOTE: Because the fellowship program is intended to build a close-knit community, attendance at the above events is mandatory. If you have class scheduling conflicts that cannot be resolved, please do not apply for the Fall 2024 fellowship program. *This fellowship amount is equivalent to a paid undergraduate student research associate position of 5 hours / week.

Compensation and Benefits

Each fellow will receive a $1000 stipend at the beginning of the semester. The stipend is meant to aid fellows in research expenses, travel funds for conferences, or be used to support the fellows’ academic expenses (including tuition and living costs while enrolled at UT). Fellows may select for the award to be paid out as a one-time fellowship or as hourly position, paid out on a biweekly basis, dependent on each student’s particular financial aid needs and requirements.

Application Process

Before you apply, please ensure:

  • You will be a registered, in-residence UT student during the Fall 2024 and Spring 2024 semesters.
  • You will be available to attend trainings (Thursday evenings), the biweekly research colloquium, and faculty research seminars (Tuesday afternoons).
  • You are able to complete 5 hours of research tasks each week.

    The application will be posted to the IPD website and sent to the IPD listserv over email on Tuesday, July 23rd and close on August 19th. Before you apply, please be prepared to submit:

    • A cover letter detailing your research interests, your past research experience, and how the mentorship and training of the fellowship will aid you in your future global policy research endeavors. Please keep in mind that the IPD lab is an interdisciplinary global policy research lab exploring a wide range of topics including peace and conflict, climate change, local government responsiveness, political economy and trade, and more. You can read about our current research projects at www.ipdutexas.org for more information.
    • An updated resume.
    • Contact information for two (preferably academic) references.

    The application will be open from July 23rd — August 19th. Interviews and application review will take place throughout the end of August and beginning of September, and the program will begin in earnest on or around September 10th.

     

     

     

    Selection Criteria

    This fellowship is intended to benefit undergraduate students who have experience and a demonstrated interest in global policy research. It aims to provide advanced training to further develop their expertise. Applicants should have a solid background and/or strong interest in quickly developing research skills in relevant research areas, as this program is designed for those seeking to deepen their skills and impact in the field of global policy. This experience might include (but is not limited to) prior participation in the IPD practicum, an independent research project, or previous work on an IPD research team.

    FAQs

    How many fellowships will there be?

    The number of fellows will vary per team. We will likely be accepting between 16-18 fellows this fall.

    What if I can’t apply or am not selected to be a fellow this year? How can I get involved in IPD?

    Although IPD will be moving away from its volunteer-based research assistant model, there are several ways to be involved beyond the fellowship.

    • Practicum (GOV335D) students will still complete their research hours on IPD teams, but the additional training sessions or research colloquiums will be voluntary (not required).
    • Students in programs with an internship/research/experiential learning component (i.e. BDP or ULN) are welcome to approach faculty research directors about contributing to their teams. Faculty may offer student ad hoc appointments at IPD on a paid or unpaid position, contingent on research needs and prior skills.

    What if I’m currently taking or about to take the practicum course? Can I still be in IPD?

    If you are currently taking the practicum, you will be assigned to an IPD team. You can also apply for the fellowship, but your required weekly hours will be 10 (5 for the fellowship and 5 for the practicum).

     

    What if I don’t have the time, or am not selected for, the fellowship program or practicum?

    IPD maintains its commitment to providing a space on campus where students can access free research and professional development training. While we can no longer accommodate all interested students with respect to placement on IPD research teams, we encourage non-IPD students to take advantage of IPD”s professional development and research training workshops, which will be listed on our website at http://www.ipdutexas.org. This is the best way to remain engaged and make yourself competitive in future fellowship selection rounds.