Application Process
Click here to view our iSTEP video and learn more about past students' experiences with this internship.
Feel free to contact us at info@techbridgeworld.org or call +1-412-268-1289 with any questions on this program, our application process, or your application status if you applied for iSTEP 2012.
iSTEP 2012 Program Application Timeline
- Sunday, November 6, 2011 - Deadline for student applications (11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time). No late applications will be accepted.
- Sunday, November 13, 2011 - Deadline for completed recommendation forms
(11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time). No late forms will be accepted. - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - Email notification of semi-finalists selected for interviews and notification to applicants not selected as semi-finalists.
- Thursday, November 17 - Sunday, December 4 - Semi-finalist interviews. Please see our interview policy.
- Monday, December 12, 2011 - Notification of final selection of interns.
- Friday, December 23, 2011 - Deadline for selected interns to confirm their acceptance of our internship offer (5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time).
The application system is now closed and the applications are being reviewed. Thank you to the CMU students who applied for iSTEP 2012.
Selection Criteria
iSTEP is a rigorous, competitive and rewarding internship program, which requires the involvement of students with high levels of dedication, team work, cross-cultural adaptability, initiative and academic achievement. Students who have participated in iSTEP have exhibited tremendous personal and professional growth as a result of their real-world experiences conducting research in developing community settings.
Eligibility
- Students from ALL academic disciplines from the Pittsburgh and Doha campuses of Carnegie Mellon University are welcome to apply. If you are from another Carnegie Mellon campus and are really interested in this program please contact us in advance of the application deadline with your resume and a brief statement with your reasons for wanting to apply.
- Students from universities other than Carnegie Mellon are NOT eligible to apply.
- Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for this program. Graduating students are welcome to apply. Juniors, seniors and graduate students are preferred. First year undergraduates are not eligible for this program. We will consider exceptional sophomores.
- Students are welcome to apply regardless of nationality or ability to travel.
Requirements
- Selected interns must be able to commit to full-time work from late-May through early August 2012.
- Selected interns must enroll in a mandatory mini course (6 units) in the Spring 2012 1st mini. The course is entitled “iSTEP Technology Field Research in Developing Communities” (15-302A3 in Pittsburgh and 15-302W3 in Doha). The mini course runs from January to March on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Pittsburgh time (4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Doha time). Click here to see the iSTEP 2011 mini course website.
- Selected interns must enroll in a mandatory independent study (6 units) in the Spring 2012 2nd mini (15-302A4 in Pittsburgh and 15-302W4 in Doha) to continue their preparatory work related to their projects and their individual role in the internship team. The independent study runs from March to April and meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Pittsburgh time (4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Doha time). The independent study includes logistical preparation sessions that go over travel, health, safety, legal and financial topics.
- Confirmed iSTEP interns will be asked to complete a variety of paperwork in order to facilitate logistics associated with their participation in the program. During the spring semester we will require students to complete forms related to payroll and applicable taxes, travel booking, emergency contact information, health insurance, intellectual property ownership, research compliance, etc. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to know more specifics about these required forms before applying to the program.
- Students must verify through the online form that they are in good academic and conduct standing with Carnegie Mellon University and that the program organizers have their permission to check their academic and disciplinary records for any violation of community standards as part of the application process.
Other Criteria
- Involvement with other TechBridgeWorld activities or past experience with technology and development work will be a strong factor in the selection process.
- We prefer to select some students who will be returning to campus to continue their studies after their summer work so that they can share their experiences and help recruit future participants for the program.
Application Procedure
Before applying to this program, consider any personal or academic commitments that will affect your involvement in the summer internship and the spring preparations leading up to the summer program. Take into consideration any constraints related to your research obligations, family commitments, health issues, etc. as you decide whether to apply for this opportunity and whether you would like to submit your application for either the Ghana or on-campus positions, or both. See our Current iSTEP page for details about our specific projects and example roles for iSTEP 2012.
To apply for iSTEP 2012, students must do the following by the specified deadlines:
- Complete an online application form.
- Upload supporting documents through the online application form. You can e-mail documents that have failed to upload to our online application system to info 'AT' techbridgeworld.org.
- Have references submit completed reference forms. Click here to see an example reference form.
We will select a group of semi-finalists who will participate in an interview process before we make our final selection of the team. Once we have notified students of their selection, they will have 10 business days to commit to our internship offer. We will also notify students if they are being considered as a back-up for a team role. Once we have notified back-ups, they will have 5 business days to commit to our internship offer.
Interview Policy
If an applicant is late on the day of the interview:
- The applicant should contact the interviewer ASAP using the contact information provided when the interview was scheduled.
- If tardiness is a mistake made by the applicant (e.g. sleeping in), he or she will be allowed to finish his or her interview during the remaining time of the designated timeslot. No extra time will given to the tardy applicant.
- If applicant does not show up at all during the designated interview time slot and has made no attempt to contact the interviewers, he or she will no longer be considered for iSTEP 2012.
- In the event of an emergency or if the applicant has a valid reason for missing the interview (e.g. situation beyond their control), the applicant should contact the interviewers at his or her earliest convenience. We will do our best to reschedule the applicant's interview.
- If it is the interviewers' mistake, the applicant's interview will be rescheduled.
If you have any questions on any of these details please feel free to contact us.