Student-Identified Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowships

Eligibility Requirements and Funding Information

Doctoral students who wish to receive Rackham funding for an internship they have secured must meet the general eligibility criteria for the Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program below. Please read carefully, as the eligibility varies by term.

Only doctoral students enrolled in Rackham programs of study are eligible to receive funding. Please check your eligibility before applying.

Student Eligibility Applicable to all Terms

• Students must be in good academic standing. Students on academic probation or on a leave of absence are ineligible.
• Students must obtain approval from their director of graduate studies (DGS) or primary advisor to apply (done through the application portal—see instructions below).
• International students may participate in the program, but will need appropriate work authorization to do so. For internships off-campus, international students should consult with the International Center to discuss what work authorization and CPT course enrollment may be needed in order to participate in an internship well in advance of applying. Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowships must be relevant to the student’s program of study and career goals. No additional work authorization is typically required for on-campus internship sites, but if international students hold other on-campus positions while completing an internship, they may still need curricular practical training (CPT). International students should consult with the International Center to discuss their specific circumstances.
• A student may only receive one Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship of any kind during their course of study at U-M. This includes RDIFs with host organizations and Student-Identified intern fellowships.
• Students may only be funded for the same internship for one academic term (fall, winter, or spring/summer). Co-op experiences lasting longer than 12 weeks or one academic term are only eligible for up to one term of support from the Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program.
• Students may not hold other Rackham or departmental fellowships, GSI, GSSA, or GSI positions while completing a Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship. Students with other Spring/Summer fellowships should consult with their department (or other source of the funding) to discuss deferring other Spring/Summer support to a future date if they are awarded a Rackham Spring/Summer Doctoral Intern Fellowship.

Internship Scope

A student-identified doctoral internship must provide clear evidence that it will:

• include substantive opportunities to broaden and extend beyond the student’s academic experience and research,
• offer significant opportunities for developing career readiness and professional preparation that include experience with specific competency areas such as advanced skill development, research collaboration, communication, leadership, management, and policy,
• enable the student to develop new networks of professionals and knowledge of allied businesses, organizations, agencies, and institutions that can support further career development,
• involve ongoing mentoring to enrich, inform, and advance the internship experience and career preparation of the doctoral student,
• not be meant to financially support a traditional research assistantship or GSRA position, but include additional professional and career development components,
• not have a faculty (including clinical faculty, lecturers, etc.) supervisor, but rather must have a supervisor working in a staff role beyond the professoriate
• be undertaken at an organization where the Ph.D. advisor does not have a financial interest, conflict of interest, and/or a formal research collaboration relationship, and
• not be at an entirely volunteer-run organization.

Students selected for a Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship:

• will submit short internship reflection survey prompts to Rackham staff three times during the semester during which funding is awarded.
• have the option to join monthly online professional development meetings with other Rackham students who have Doctoral Intern Fellowships in a given semester.

Fall and Winter Term Additional Criteria and Funding Information

Only students who have achieved doctoral candidacy are eligible to apply.

Spring/Summer Term Additional Criteria and Funding Information

• Doctoral pre-candidates and candidates are eligible.
• Students must be enrolled during the winter term and continuing their studies in the fall term to be eligible.
• Students must be doctoral students who have completed at least two academic terms.
• In line with Rackham’s new 12-month funding plan for doctoral students, all Spring/Summer Rackham Doctoral Internships will now offer a full doctoral stipend (currently $12,028).
• As with other Rackham fellowships, students may work up to 10 hours per week in addition to completing their Rackham Doctoral Internship.

Students with questions about the criteria and guidelines should contact Rackham’s Professional Development and Engagement team.

Funding Options

Please read the application instructions carefully. Applicants can apply for any combination of internship support awards:

Full Fellowship Support

Students who have secured an unpaid internship are eligible to apply for the full fellowship support. This includes an award of the current Rackham stipend rate, tuition waiver, and GradCare.

Partial Fellowship Support

Students who have secured an internship that is offering a stipend below the current Rackham stipend rate are eligible for a partial fellowship. This includes a partial fellowship award up to the current Rackham stipend rate, tuition waiver, and GradCare.

Tuition Support

Students who have secured an internship that is offering a stipend above the current Rackham stipend rate are eligible for the tuition support option. This does not include an additional award from Rackham.

GradCare Support

Students who have secured an internship that is funded except for health insurance may apply for GradCare coverage for the term during which they are completing an internship.

Relocation Support

Students participating in an internship that requires relocating can apply for up to $1,000 in relocation support.