Summer 2014 Paid Internship- Junior Fellow Program

Are you considering a summer internship? Do you want to work for a Federal agency? Do you have an interest in research and data collection? If so, the Junior Fellow Program through the Joint Program in Survey Methodology might be for you!

A Highly Competitive Program for a Select FewThe JPSM junior fellow program is a cooperative venture of the Inter agency Council on Statistical Policy and the Joint Program in Survey Methodology.  This is a unique internship experience that gives you a paid research assistantship, plus educational benefits that can expand your horizons of what you can do in your career. Summer housing is also provided.The Work ExperienceDuring the day you will work as an intern in one of the Federal statistical agencies below:  

• Bureau of the Census

• Bureau of Economic Analysis

• Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Bureau of Justice Statistics

• Bureau of Transportation Statistics

• Economic Research Service

• Energy Information Administration

• Environmental Protection Agency

• Internal Revenue Service, Surveys of Income

• National Agricultural Statistics Service

• National Center for Education Statistics

• National Center for Health Statistics

• National Science Foundation, Science Resources Studies

You'll work with staff whose job it is to report to the nation about its health and welfare.  You'll watch how they do it and you'll learn about what's needed to devise modern complex information systems.The Educational ExperienceThe JPSM will mount a junior fellow seminar during the summer months.  It will provide you an introduction to how large scale surveys are designed, collected, and analyzed.  You'll have contact with graduate faculty who direct the programs of the Joint Program as well as be enrolled in mini-courses about key components of complex surveys.  In addition, you'll have contact with key technical leaders of the Federal statistical system, to provide you a sense of what work goes on in various agencies of the system.  Finally, you'll participate in discussions about which undergraduate courses offer strong preparation for a career in the field and for graduate programs.Do you have the "Right Stuff"?The JPSM junior fellow internship is not for everyone.  As you think about applying, you should be able to answer “yes” to the following questions:  

• Do you like to learn things about current trends in what people are thinking, what problems they face, how employers grow over time, how retail sales vary over time, and a host of other topics?

• Are you good in math?  Do you like to play with numbers as a way of learning about the world?

• Do you have a strong academic record so far in college?

• Would you like to learn more about a career in survey methodology and large social and economic information systems?

Program DatesAlthough specific program dates are not yet set, the program usually runs for 10 weeks starting at the end of May/beginning of June and goes through the first week of August. Specific dates will be posted in the spring.

Salary InformationA salary of approximately $24,000 (full-time annual equivalent, which is $4,500-$5,000 for 10 weeks).  Several Federal statistical agencies participate in the JPSM Junior Fellow program. Regardless of which agency interns work at, all interns are paid a salary approximately equivalent to a Level 3, Step 4 within the Federal pay system's General Schedule. However, individual hourly rates may vary slightly across agencies.

HousingDouble rooms in apartment style dormitories at the George Washington University will be provided at no cost to the Junior Fellows. Members of the JPSM Fellows group will be housed together in suites with kitchens.

TransportationEmployment will be at one of several Federal agencies. Students can bring cars, or rely on the Washington D.C. metro system.

Application Information and DeadlineThe deadline to submit your application is December 30, 2013 at 5pm EST. You can read more about the program and find a link to the application by visitinghttp://jpsm.umd.edu/undergraduate/topic/junior-fellow-program.