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Paid Summer Opportunities

If you are a Macalester student, please view the possibilities that require student applications and have a conversation with a faculty or staff advisor to discuss how to maximize such experiential learning opportunities during your time at Macalester. The links provide detailed information about the application and selection processes for each program. Address questions about specific program to the listed contact person.

Many projects result in the opportunity to present findings on campus and at regional or national conferences; some students also the get the opportunity to publish their results. You can also highlight your experiences in the different programs on the  Summer Showcase webpage.  The Summer Showcase of research, internships, projects, and entrepreneurial endeavors celebrates the depth and breadth of Macalester students’ summer experiences and their close collaboration with faculty, staff, and community partners.

Faculty or staff seeking information about required paperwork can find that information here.

Program NameApplication Deadline for 2023Contact Person or Office
Davis Projects for Peace. Proposals for community-based projects from individual, or groups of Macalester students, that build towards sustainable peace are reviewed by a Macalester committee. The top two projects are forwarded to the national Davis UWC Scholars Office for selection of 1-2 annual awards.  Support for projects is $10,000; student stipends are not provided other than living expenses. Can also be completed the summer following graduation. January 10 Ann Minnick
LiveIt ProgramThe Live it Dream it program provides funding for entrepreneurial projects with awards ranging from $500-$2000 in J-Term, followed by an opportunity to apply for summer funding of up to $10,000. 2023 Entrepreneurship
On-campus Olin-Rice summer research. This link provides information about projects that Olin-Rice faculty members will offer students in 2023 and allows students to express their interest in working on project(s). Openings listed in HandshakeLiz Jansen, Olin-Rice Hub
MacNest. MacNest is a summer internship program where students receive funding for unpaid internships with Twin Cities startups. Students will receive $5,500 to work 35 hours a week, receive free on-campus housing, and attend Thursday morning career development workshops to connect the internship experience to vocation.March 6 Entrepreneurship
Olin-Rice Hub coordinated opportunties.
  • Off-campus for Macalester students only These projects leverage connections with alumni or Twin Cities partners to provide unique research opportunties for Macalester students.
  • Taylor Shadowing Fellowship provides stipend of $500 for students to shadow health care professionals (e.g., medical doctors, nurses, midwives, physician assistants, veterinarians, dentists, physical therapists, etc.) in clinical settings for 50 hours during the summer.
  • Taylor Public Health Fellowship provides a stipend of $2500 to cover 9-10 weeks of half-time work in a public health environment. Students have worked in research (e.g., epidemiology), governmental agencies (e.g., state departments of health), non-profit organizations (e.g., Planned Parenthood) and others.
  • Young Researcher Program
  • Jan Serie Fellowship. Supports a student doing full time research during the summer in any area of science or math. Research may take place at Macalester or another site, but all proposals and projects require a Macalester faculty mentor/sponsor who will participate and/or advise the student during the research experience.
Applications open January 19 on HandshakeLiz Jansen,

 

Olin-Rice Hub

Mac//STARTUP. MacStartups is a 10-week fully-immersive summer incubator program open to current Macalester students. Working in a team of 2-3, students spend the summer using their creativity and super-powers to tackle a problem they’re passionate about solving while connecting with the Twin Cities entrepreneurship community. March 20 Entrepreneurship
Graduate School Exploration Fellowship (GSEF). This program provides underrepresented students the opportunity to  consider graduate study, research, and/or teaching careers. In addition to mentoring by a Macalester faculty member, selected participants are eligible for a paid summer research opportunity following their junior year at a Big Ten Academic Alliance institution or the University of Chicago. In addition, participants are eligible for graduate school visit assistance funds during their senior year (up to $1,000.00 per Fellow) and assistance for scholarly-related activities (up to $250.00 per Fellow) This program is on hold 
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF). This program provides underrepresented students the opportunity to  consider graduate study, research, and/or teaching careers in approved humanities fields. Participants conduct an individual research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor during their junior and senior years. During the year, students meet weekly as a cohort to share their research and to learn about the graduate school application process. Over the summer, students  enroll in a weekly two-credit seminar led by the MMUF faculty coordinator.  Participants also receive travel support to attend an annual regional conference.  Fellows also receive continued support as they pursue a doctorate through a targeted series of grants and seminars, beginning with the early stages of graduate school and continuing through the post-Ph.D. years.March 6Karin Velez
Macalester Summer Internship Grants (MSIG). Summer internships offer invaluable work-integrated learning for students to explore and advance their academic interests and careers. MSIG 2023 will provide grants to students to do 10-week unpaid internships anywhere in the world. Applications will open in January 2023 and the student application deadline will be March 6, 2023.  Grant levels are $6,000 for full-time internships (35-40 hours per week) and $3,000 for half-time internships (~20 hours per week).March 6[email protected]
Amy Ostermeier Human Rights Fellowship.  Up to two fellowships are awarded to support unpaid internships, anywhere in the world, related to human rights.  Applications to support students who have secured human rights-related internships at the United States Department of State are preferred, but students with any human rights-related internships are encouraged to apply.

 

*note: applications for this funding source require answers to an additional short answer question and should be submitted using the MSIG process 

 Wendy Weber, Political Science
Chuck Green Program.October 2022 
Departmental Supported Summer Awards.varies. 
  • In addition, Macalester faculty also have the opportunity to apply for Collaborative Summer Research (CSR) funds that supports student-faculty collaborative research during the summer. Faculty can contact Dennis Cao ([email protected]), Chemistry, for more information.
  • Examples of Past Projects

2023 Summer Research/Opportunities Hiring Process

Below are action steps for hiring and paying Macalester students

  • to do research with a Macalester faculty member on campus as part of an internal or external grant or other source of funding such as Faculty Travel and Research funds;
  • to do research at another institution but where the student is paid by Macalester;
  • to participate in a program such as the Charles Green Fellowship, Mellon Mays Fellowship, etc.;
  • to participate in an internship off campus but funded by Macalester;
  • to participate in a program coordinated by the Macalester Entrepreneurship Office such as MacNest, Mac Startups, etc;
  • to participate in any other type of summer opportunity where the student will be paid by Macalester College.

Summer Student Hiring Process

The steps below must be completed before a student may begin working in their summer position

  • Action Item #1: Summer Research/Oppportunities Google Form
    • Faculty or staff member should submit the form by May 5, 2023 or 2 weeks before the position start date
    • If it is determined that the student’s payment will be through Accounts Payable (AP), AP will send an email to complete the required check requests and worksheet.
  • Action Item #2: Responsible Conduct of Research Module
    • Students must complete this training before they begin their research. Academic Programs will provide students with instructions on how to complete the module.
  • Action Item #3: New Hire Paperwork
    • If a student has not worked on campus before, they will need to complete hiring paperwork (I-9, W-2, Direct Deposit, Confidentiality Agreement) with the Student Employment office before their first day of work. Students can email the Student Employment office to complete these forms.

Once these action items are complete and the student’s position is set up, the Student Employment office will send a confirmation email out to both faculty/ staff and student.

Please note, if you are hiring a student for an hourly summer position, such as an office assistant, this is completed through JobX. Contact the Student Employment office for more information. Because research is considered full time, students cannot hold a research stipend position and an hourly position on campus at the same time.

Additional Resources/ Information

  • On-campus housing for students
    • The college will cover the cost of a residence hall room (up to 10 weeks) for students who are participating in an on-campus research position with a Macalester faculty member.  Summer housing/dining dates are May 23 through July 28. Students who choose to live on-campus during the summer are:
      • required to purchase a meal plan
      • apply for a room through Residential Life
    • Please note that room availability is not guaranteed. Most of the rooms do not have air conditioning. The monetary value of housing is considered taxable income for students who receive this benefit. Macalester does not pay for or contribute to the cost of off-campus housing. For questions about whether a student is eligible for housing, contact Brenda Piatz, [email protected].