Internship Position
Science Policy & Technology Research
British Consulate-General Houston Spring 2012
The Science & Innovation Section at the British Consulate-General in Houston seeks to fill a spring semester (January - May 2012) internship position for Science and Policy Research. This internship presents a unique opportunity for students to work alongside the Science & Innovation team, learn new skills and acquire valuable mentoring and experience.
The position will require about 10 hours of work per week between January and May 2012 (exact dates negotiable) at our office in downtown Houston, Texas.
Junior or senior year college students and graduate students are eligible to apply.
The position is unpaid, but we can participate in campus work-study and academic credit programs (if applicable). We can also pay a stipend towards travel to our office downtown and cover expenses for attending events as part of the internship. If agreed by the Consulate and the intern, the internship period may be extended through the summer.
Background of the Organization
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a network of full-time Science and Innovation (S&I) attaches based at British Embassies and Consulates around the world. The S&I team objectives are to report on science policy developments, strategy and emerging priorities; to promote the UK's science and technology achievements; and to encourage science and technology collaborations between US and UK scientists and strategic partnerships between institutions. The Houston S&I team includes Dr. May Akrawi (H.M. Consul, Head of Science & Innovation) and Catherine Santamaria (Science Officer) and covers the following states: Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mississippi.
The Work
The internship over spring 2012 will cover a wide-range of topics of interest to our team. These may include (but not be limited to) science and innovation policy, climate science, low carbon energy technologies, nanotechnology, stem cell research and regenerative medicine, space science, global health and cancer research, amongst others.
The work will include (but not be limited to):
· Researching and reporting on key research areas, as well as outreach and public engagement
· Reporting on regional strengths in scientific research, innovation and policy (done mainly through internet research and phone interviews)
· Laying the framework for S&I events and programs; helping organise and implement our events (workshops, visits, conferences)
· Contributing to quarterly reports on a wide range of S&I topics determined by UK stakeholders, feeding directly to UK Science policy making.
· Researching and reporting on city and state public and private institutions and their research highlights
· Tracking regional and federal funding streams for science and technology institutions and federal labs
· Additional work may include research into other priority areas, if needed
· Administrative tasks as needed
The intern may have the opportunity to represent the team at local events relating to science work and report back. They will also experience the day-to-day work of the UK's Foreign Office and learn about work in the diplomatic corps through the working of our section and interaction with other consulate teams (Consular, Press, Public & Political Affairs, Trade & Investment). Work done by the intern may be distributed to the wider UK Science Network in the US and the UK, as well as UK Government Departments.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate is a self-starter; responsible and creative; has strong writing, analytical, research and organisational skills; and has an enthusiasm for the topics and work. Interest and experience in science, environment and innovation policy is desirable.
Under US State Department requirements, the Embassy/Consulate may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or A or J1 Visa holders. If you hold a Visa other than an A or J1 Visa you are not currently eligible to work at the Consulate. All successful candidates will be subject to security clearances and background checks, which will be carried out once they have been offered the position.
To Apply
· Submit cover letter and resume via email to vacancies.houston@fco.gov.uk (subject line: "Science & Innovation Summer Internship" by November 30th, 2011
· Please include a current writing sample (no more than two pages); the topic does not have to be science-related, but rather should showcase your writing skills.
· Please send documents, less than 2MB, in PDF or Word format. Please note your dates of availability for the spring (start and end date)
· Please note in your cover letter how you heard about this opportunity (university, friend, public listing, etc.)
· Suitable candidates will have to pass our security clearance to enable them to work at the Consulate.
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