RA Internship: Community College Student Portal

Welcome to the Stanford IRiSS Social Science Research Assistant Internship Program offered by the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS), Stanford University in collaboration with Foothill College Internship Office & Dean of Business & Social Sciences, and Mission College Social Sciences.

About

The Stanford IRiSS Social Science Research Assistant Internship Program matches community college students interested in social science research and careers with volunteer internships at social science research labs at Stanford University. You will serve as a research intern with graduate and postdoctoral researchers in psychology, sociology, psychophysiology, education, communications, or another social science related discipline.

Minimum requirements:

  1. Be 18 years of age or older.
  2. Ability to dedicate a minimum of 3 hours per week to a maximum of 15 hours per week by mutual agreement with your internship supervisor. Finals week and college holidays are excluded. For summer internships, a minimum of 6 hours per week is required.
  3. Ability to provide your own transportation to the internship. (Please note: parking fees may be required.)
  4. Ability to participate for three consecutive quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring) for the Academic Year Internship, or 9 weeks for the Summer Internship.
  5. Be enrolled in a San Francisco Bay Area college during the internship period (Summer Quarter enrollment is not required for those enrolled the previous Spring).
  6. Course Requirements: EITHER Option 1 or Option 2.

Option 1 

(Foothill College or Mission College) – Successful completion of one quarter of participation in the Stanford IRiSS Research Experience Program (REP) in a participating community college psychology or sociology class.

The following instructors offer the Research Experience Program (REP) in some of their classes.

  • Eta Lin (Psychology)
  • Florina Petcu (Psychology)
  • Ben Stefonik (Psychology)
  • Justin Gauthier (Psychology)
  • Sarah Strader (Psychology)
  • Patricia Gibbs (Sociology)
  •  Mark Bauermeister (Sociology)
  • Jeff Cormier (Sociology & Psychology)
  • Jen Constantin (Psychology)
  • Karen Gee (Psychology)
  • Ian Richardson (Psychology)

Option 2 

(Foothill College) – Complete one course from Group A and one from Group B, with a grade of C or better.

Group A:

Poli 1 (Amer Gov)
Poli 9 or Econ 9 (Political Economy) – or 9H
Poli 15 (International Relations) – or 15H
Econ 1A (Principles of Macroeconomics)
Econ 1B (Principles of Microeconomics)

Group B:

Math 10 (Elementary Statistics)
Psyc 7 or Soc 7 (Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences)
Psych 10 or Soc 10 (Research Methods & Designs)
CS3A (Object-oriented Programming Methodologies in Python)

Application Packet:

Please include your name in the document title, and at the top of each document. Please do not submit multiple screenshots or other multiple documents. Applications that are missing one of the following four items will not be considered. It is your responsibility to follow up with your faculty recommender to ensure the form was submitted.

Submit your application here: RA Intern Application (Link will be active only during the application period; see below.)

  1. A current résumé with all work experience, volunteer experience, formal education and training (PDF Format)
  2. A paragraph describing your research interests in social science, and stating the number of hours per week you can volunteer
  3. Unofficial transcripts for completed courses (PDF or scanned, READABLE image - ONE DOCUMENT). Foothill students, get your transcript from MyPortal
  4. One faculty recommendation (name and email address ONLY). Faculty will receive an emailed link to their Faculty Recommendation Form.

Timeline of Application Process

Academic Year 2024-25 – Apply in October 2024

Applications open September 23, and are due Thursday, October 10, 2024, by 11:59 pm. Interviews will take place between October 14 – October 19. Offers must be accepted by Tuesday, October 22. Academic Year Internships run from November 4, 2024 - May 23, 2025.

Academic Year Internships may be extended into the following Summer Quarter.

Application Tips

Do I have to finish my class requiring REP  before applying?

You must have completed REP in a previous quarter to apply during the Fall application period. During the Spring application period, you qualify if you completed REP in a previous quarter, or if you are enrolled in a course requiring REP during Spring Quarter. In all cases, you must successfully complete REP before starting your internship.

Who should I ask for a recommendation?

Faculty recommenders can be any faculty member—it does not have to be a social science faculty member or someone from a particular college.

May I attach additional recommendation letters/other materials?

Please do not provide additional documentation beyond what is requested. It will not be reviewed.

What should I put on my résumé?

Please be sure to put your name at the top of each document.

Résumé examples and assistance may be provide at your college library. It is fine to list relevant courses and volunteer experiences. We do not require you to have extensive work experience.

What should I put in my research interest statement?

Please be specific in your research interests paragraph. It's helpful for us to know if you have broad interests, but please give at least one specific example as well.

I haven't heard back yet, what should I do?

Please note that some researchers have specific requirements for their research project. Therefore, if you do not receive an interview, it is not a reflection on your ability, but can be due to the quirks of the particular research projects being undertaken that year.

If you do not hear from a research supervisor by the notification date, you will not be interviewed. We appreciate your interest in the program. Please try again next year if you will still be enrolled at the community college.

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