Summer Internship Program

CUNY Dominican Studies Institute
2024 Summer Internship Program

The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for our 2024 Summer Internship Program.

Application closed for the 2024 Summer Internship program.

Applicants will be notified about the status of their application on or shortly after April 30, 2024.

CUNY DSI’s Summer Internship Program provides graduate and undergraduate students with meaningful research experience in the field of Dominican Studies. Whether training in the humanities/social sciences, or STEM, selected participants will have the opportunity to work collaboratively and under the guidance of CUNY DSI’s one-of-a-kind specialists in the Research Unit, Dominican Library, and Dominican Archives. The Institute also offers the opportunity to connect with an impressive cadre of affiliated university faculty from around the country and abroad, who may provide mentorship to program participants as they develop research projects at CUNY DSI.

While at CUNY DSI, summer interns immerse themselves in foundational Dominican Studies texts, develop an independent research agenda, and refine a comprehensive research project currently underway at the Institute. Throughout their time at the Institute, participants will have access to our specialized library catalog and unique archival collections, as well as the support of our expert staff in the Dominican Library and Archives. While developing their research project, summer interns receive guidance and feedback from an array of researchers whose work focuses on Dominican/Latino Studies. These experts are trained in fields including sociology, economics, political science, anthropology, philosophy, statistics, history, etc. Among those that students can expect to work with are: Director and Professor, Dr. Ramona Hernández; Chief Librarian, Prof. Sarah Aponte; Archivist, Jessy Perez; Associate Director Dr. Pierre Losson; Dominican Studies Research Fellow, Dr. Gregory Morton; and Senior Researcher Dr. Pedro Ortega Espinal.

General Information

Dates: June to August 2024

Setting: Fully in-person

Location: The City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031

Application deadline: April 15, 2024, by 11:59 PM

Notification date: On or shortly after April 30, 2024. 

The Summer Internship Program begins in June and ends in August, with flexibility to meet the needs and requirements of students and their home institutions. All interns must commit to at least four weeks and cannot exceed 35 work hours per week.

International students are welcome to apply, with the understanding that they must make their own visa and travel arrangements.

Application process

1. Complete online application
2. Upload your resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
3. Explain your interest in the Summer Internship program at CUNY DSI, what you hope to learn or achieve, and the kind of research you are interested in pursuing.

Since 2021, CUNY DSI has been expanding its flagship Summer Internship Program to include partnerships at our home institution of The City College of New York, and beyond. Beginning with Brown University, and most recently incorporating Rutgers University, interested students now count on a larger pool of opportunities and places available to intern.

Additional Summer Opportunity 1: Opening the Archives, Dominican Republic

This year, two applicants will be selected to participate in the Opening the Archives: Dominican Republic program (OTA-DR), a collaborative project co-managed by Brown University and the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute. This program brings together students from both institutions to spend 4 to 6 weeks during the summer at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. While there, students will learn about the rules and procedures of the Archives, contribute to the creation of a digital archive that makes rare archival materials available to the public, and expand their knowledge about U.S. diplomacy in Latin America.

If you are interested in the OTA-DR program, please indicate so on the last question of the online application form.

Additional Summer Opportunity 2: Puerto Rico Archival Collaboration

CUNY DSI is pleased to announce its participation in the Puerto Rico Archival Collaboration, founded by Dr. Aldo Lauria Santiago, Professor of History and Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Rutgers University. This new partnership offers one applicant to our Summer Internship Program the opportunity to work at the Archivo General de Puerto Rico or in the Colección Puertorriqueña of the Universidad de Puerto Rico Library organizing and/or digitizing important collections under the supervision of senior staff at the partner institutions. The participant will work three days a week for five weeks and have the other two days a week to pursue their own research projects with the mentoring of Prof. Lauria Santiago and the growing team of supporters and participants, including who will offer formal introductions and guidance for research in Puerto Rico.

The program will run from June 10 to July 19, 2024. If you are interested in the Puerto Rico Archival Collaboration program, please indicate so on the last question of the online application form.

Additional Summer Opportunity 3: Creating Digital Projects on Manifold

Students will have the opportunity to create a digital project from their summer research on Manifold, CUNY's digital publishing platform. Under the guidance of Robin Miller, Open Educational Technologist at the Graduate Center Digital Initiatives, students will explore the Manifold platform and learn about best practices of digital publishing, including how to build a Manifold project, create an accessible text, and add multimedia elements such as audio, video, and images to their projects.

If you are interested in the Creating Digital Projects on Manifold program, please indicate so on the last question of the online application form.

Inquiries

For any questions regarding the Summer Internship Program, please email Pierre Losson at plosson@ccny.cuny.edu

Financial aid

CUNY DSI has a limited number of scholarships available to participants of the Summer Internship Program. Students who are thinking of applying are highly encouraged to pursue outside funding such as scholarships, fellowships, and Federal Work Study. Students eligible for Federal Work Study may bring this funding to the Institute by informing CUNY DSI and the financial aid office at their home institution. We will work with you and your school to complete the necessary paperwork. Those who will be considered for financial aid demonstrate that they have attempted to secure funding at their universities or elsewhere and have been unsuccessful in doing so.

Please note that students enrolled at The Colin Powell School at the City College of New York are eligible for funding from the School and should notify CUNY DSI of this affiliation at the time of application.