Student Funding & Internships

Summer Internship Opportunities

Internships offer students the opportunity to work with nonprofits, NGOs, and other organizations on the cutting edge of global health and health policy. Some internships are field-based, while others are office-based. Sites can also be domestic or international.

Students receive a stipend to cover travel expenses to and from their site, living expenses, and local transportation. All returning Harvard College undergraduates are eligible to apply for internships.

Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health

Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (SURGH) research positions offer students the opportunity to research critical issues in global health under the direction of a Harvard faculty or affiliate mentor while living on-campus. Residential programming and financial support are meant to enable SURGH fellows to form a close-knit community with each other and with the Undergraduate Research Village, including PRISE, BLISS, PRIMO, and SHARP students. Therefore, fellows are expected to participate and contribute to the community of scholars throughout the duration of the program. House tutors and deans are asked for input on candidates during the selection process. The working dates for SURGH are usually the first week in June through the second week in August.

SURGH consists of the following components:

• Research experience: The intent of the program is to provide a ten-week formative and substantive full-time research experience on a global health research topic.
• Residential life: SURGH fellows will live with the Undergraduate Research Village in one of the Harvard College River Houses for the duration of the program. Weekday evening meal service, as well as a weekday breakfast cart, will be available. A modest stipend will be available to cover other expenses, including food for weekend meals and weekday lunches.
• Mandatory programming: Every Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 throughout the summer, SURGH members will participate in a small group seminar to learn about and discuss global health topics with experts in the field. The goals of the seminars are to:
  • Expose interns to a broad number of academic topics in global and domestic health
  • Introduce interns potential career paths in global and domestic health
  • Deepen interns’ experiences by allowing them to share research and learn from each other
• Deliverables: At the end of the program, students present their research findings at a poster session.
• Recreational and social programs: SURGH fellows are eligible to register for free use of Harvard athletic facilities (including the Malkin Athletic Center, Hemenway Gymnasium, and Blodgett Pool). A calendar of activities will include a range of opportunities to socialize and take advantage of Boston's cultural and recreational summer offerings, including a variety of excursions, Red Sox games, and Fellow-initiated community events sponsored by URAF for the College-affiliated research programs.
• Outside activities: Individuals taking summer school courses or engaging in regular paid work or public service commitments during the summer are not eligible to participate.

SURGH offers a variety of benefits:

• Free lodging in designated Harvard housing
• A partial boarding (dining) plan
• A stipend to cover additional meals and transportation for the 10-week program

All returning undergraduate students are welcome to apply, though preference will be given to individuals who have not yet participated in a Research Village program. Please see the Application Instructions for further details.

International Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health

International Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (I-SURGH) research positions offer students the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge global health research in an international setting. Throughout the summer, students work with a Harvard faculty member or affiliate on their research projects and have a local mentor who supervises their daily work.

Students in I-SURGH receive a stipend to cover travel costs to and from their site, living expenses, and local transportation. While all returning Harvard College undergraduates are eligible to apply, preference is given to sophomores and juniors.

Funding for Independent Projects and Internships

HGHI may have limited funding available for independent, student-arranged research projects and internships. This funding could be applied towards a faculty-mentored project in health research or towards an internship at a health-focused organization. Proposals can be made for domestic or international work, and funding for travel and living expenses would be assessed accordingly. An example of an independent project would be examining the impact of mobile clinics and electronic health records on the quality of maternal health care in Tanzania. An examples of a student-arranged internship would be working with a health equity nonprofit.

Please see the Application Instructions for further details. Students who have applied, but have not yet been accepted, to an outside organization should still apply for funding from HGHI before the application deadline. Funding can be awarded contingent upon acceptance.