Summer AASRC Internship

African American Studies and Research Center Undergraduate Summer Research Internship

Benefits: Up to $6,000 to cover housing, summer research stipend, and Summer Stay tuition.

The African American Studies and Research Center (AASRC) and Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) are currently recruiting Purdue students for a new summer research initiative in Black Studies. The African American Studies and Research Center Undergraduate Summer Research Internship is a 6-8 week program that places up to 5 students into paid internships. Students will work with staff professionals to explore, process, and organize expanding collections detailing all facets of black life and history. Students will also use these collections and experiences to produce their own independent research projects that they will present at conferences on and off-campus in the following Fall and Spring semesters.

Students interested in this program may submit applications for multiple available projects. The program supervisors will meet with candidates to discuss specific project specifics and extend offers. Students selected for the internship will earn up to $6,000 to cover housing, summer research stipend, and summer stay tuition.

Applications are no longer being accepted. Current applications are being reviewed.

Available research internship sites - see available positions below:

African American Museum – Philadelphia, PA
Heinz History Center – Pittsburgh, PA
Indiana Historical Society – Indianapolis, IN
Museum Conservation Institute (Smithsonian) – Washington, DC
National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian) – Washington, DC
National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian) – Washington, DC
National Postal Museum (Smithsonian) – Washington, DC
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center – Cincinnati, OH
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center - Edgewater, MD
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives – Washington, DC
Smithsonian Office of Sponsored Projects - Washington, DC
Western Reserve Historical Society – Cleveland, OH

Curriculum Development

Sites: Underground Railroad Museum, Western Reserve Historical Society, & Heinz History Center

Work with museum staff and education professionals to develop teaching tools and other curricular resources using archives and artifacts from museum collections to teach about African American history, culture, and experiences. These curricular materials will be used to enhance the experiences of patrons visiting the museum, support educational outreach to schools and community centers, and broaden online teaching tools for the museum.

Business Processes

Site: Smithsonian Office of Sponsored Projects

Work with Smithsonian business and administrative professionals on research funding opportunities; developing presentations on policy and business processes, program guidelines, and federal regulations related to grants; help develop research security disclosures and manage database information for about 700 employees; financial analysis projects; and benchmarking with other organizations to identify outreach ideas/opportunities used by university-sponsored programs offices to engage faculty researchers.

Environmental and Material Science

Sites: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Natural History, & Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute

Work with Smithsonian researchers on environmental preservation and conservation around the Chesapeake Bay focusing specifically on environmental impacts on communities of color in Baltimore, MD; or, work with material scientists testing environmental impacts on historical artifacts, considering things like the effects of light, humidity, and bacteria on pottery, fabrics, paints, and other materials to ensure proper preservation.

Preservation & Collections

Sites: US Olympic and Paralympic Museum, Underground Railroad Museum, Western Reserve Historical Society, Indiana Historical Society, Heinz History Center, African American Museum in Philadelphia, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, National Postal Museum, & National Museum of Natural History

Work with museum specialists and archivists to process raw manuscript collection some of which have never been publicly viewed. Interns will write biographical and informational sketches for key subjects or items in the collections, write content sketches for collection folders, organize and catalogue photographs and other artifacts in collection, and write collection guides for researchers and others to use to understand the contents contained in each collection.

Research

Sites: All Internship Sites

Participate in conducting original research in relevant subject matter areas.

Exhibits

Sites: US Olympic and Paralympic Museum, Underground Railroad Museum, Western Reserve Historical Society, Indiana Historical Society, Heinz History Center, African American Museum in Philadelphia, National Portrait Gallery, National Postal Museum, & National Museum of Natural History

Work with museum staff to research, develop, and build subject matter-related content for museum exhibits and, in some instances, assist in expanding museums’ digital platforms using manuscripts, archives, and artifacts to develop new digital content.