The Harvard Global Health Institute equips Harvard undergraduates to tackle diverse global health challenges through critical thinking and active engagement. Collaborating with university departments and global partners, HGHI provides unique learning opportunities, fostering a global community through coursework, research, internships, and workshops, preparing the next generation of global health practitioners and leaders.
Student Engagement
Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (SURGH)
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 date for SURGH are usually the first week in June through the second week in August.
If you have questions about our Summer Internships, please email HGHI_StudentEngagement@harvard.edu.
Timeline
| December | Application opens. Positions are posted |
| Early February | Application deadline |
| Late February | All applicants will be notified if they are a finalist or not |
| February – March | Finalists interview with hosts |
| March – April | Finalists notified about offers or denials on a rolling basis |
| April – May | Pre-departure orientations and requirements are due |
| June – August | Students engage in research |
Examples of Partner Organizations
Ariadne Labs, Mental Health for All, MGH Enterics Lab*
*Please note: these are examples of partners, and their participation in the program is not guaranteed every year.
Application Details
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 week 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
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
Eligibility
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.
FAQs
Are these internships and research placements paid?
Yes, these opportunities are fully funded. The stipend covers travel expenses to and from your site (if applicable), food, lodging, and other basic necessities for the 10 week duration of the internship or research placement.
Can freshmen apply for these opportunities?
All returning Harvard College undergraduates are eligible to apply for the opportunities unless it specifically states a different requirement in the internship description. Preference is given to sophomores and juniors for I-SURGH, but all applications will be evaluated.
How many summer internships and/or research placements can I apply for?
You may apply to up to three positions across SURGH, I-SURGH, and Internships.
Do I need to be a Global Health & Health Policy secondary field student to apply?
You do not need to be a GHHP secondary field student to apply. These internships are funded through Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) and any returning Harvard undergraduates in good standing may apply.
What does it mean that an internship is “co-sponsored”?
The Harvard Global Health Institute works in partnership with other centers at Harvard, such as the Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship (CPSES) and the Institute of Politics (IOP), to offer some internships. Funding for these co-sponsored internships comes from two institutions at Harvard. There will be a primary and secondary affiliation. The primary institute will be the point of contact during the application and internship onboarding process, and applications for this placement will be processed by that institution. Please refer to the primary institution’s application instructions to ensure you meet all the requirements. The intern selected for a co-sponsored internship will have the benefits and obligations of an intern in both of programs.
Can I apply if I am on leave?
You are welcome to apply for internships while you are on leave as long as you are in good standing, are planning to return in the fall and receive Ad Board approval. Here’s a link to more information about the petition process.
If I have received funding from HGHI in the past, am I still eligible to apply for another internship or research placement?
Yes, you are still eligible to apply for another placement even if you have received funding in the past. However, you cannot receive funding for the same internship you have done previously, and you cannot receive funding for an internship co-funded with IOP if you have already received funding from the IOP previously.
Whom do I contact if I get an error message in CARAT or have a technical issue with my application?
If you encounter a technical problem in CARAT, please contact HUIT Support at ithelp@harvard.edu or call them at 617-495-7777 for assistance.
Can I contact the host organization with questions or send them an application directly?
The organizations hosting internships try to predict to the best of their ability what project you will be working on before you apply. Please keep in mind, though, that the specifics of a project may change between the time you apply and the time the internship starts in the summer. The information provided is the best that is currently available, so unless the site description specifically states that you may contact the host organization, refrain from doing so. You can direct questions to HGHI_StudentEngagement@harvard.edu. If we are unable to answer the question for you, we are happy to reach out to the host organization for you or connect you with a previous intern. Do NOT submit application materials to the host sites directly. Doing so could jeopardize your application. In order to be considered for an internship funded through HGHI, you must submit the application in CARAT.
How are finalists selected?
Each application is read by a committee that makes the first round of decisions and narrows the pool to the top candidates. Generally there are about 5 finalists for each internship, and you will be notified if you are a finalist or not. If you are a finalist, the host organization will review your application and may contact you for an in-person or phone interview. Each organization has their own internal selection process at this point, which means you may not be called for an interview, even if you are a finalist. Some applicants may also be contacted for interviews with HGHI. We would love to be able to meet everyone, but unfortunately due to the high volume of applications we receive and limited number of staff, it impossible for us to interview all the finalists.
How long are the internships and how do I know when it will begin/end?
Internships are 10 weeks long. If you are participating in SURGH, the start date will be determined in advance; it will begin in early June and end in mid August. For most other itnernships, you can determine the precise start and end dates in the spring with your host institution. Please note that the stipend will not increase if you elect to do your internship for longer than 10 weeks. Internships should be continuous, so not 5 weeks in June and 5 weeks in August.
Will housing be arranged for me?
If you are participating in the SURGH program, housing is provided in the summer undergraduate research village at Harvard. For most other international internships, housing is not provided unless it states this in the site description. Your host site and staff are available to provide advice, but ultimately you are responsible for finding your own housing.
Can I take courses or have another job while I am in SURGH?
No, if you are accepted to SURGH, you cannot take summer school courses or be otherwise employed for the duration of the 10-week program.
Can I receive additional funding?
HGHI and other funding centers at Harvard aim to distribute summer funding across the undergraduate community. Therefore, students who receive HGHI funding may not accept any additional funding for their internship or research project. Students are prohibited from accepting more than one substantial Harvard-funded summer opportunity each summer. Students must disclose if they are receiving Harvard funding for any other projects at any point throughout the summer, the amount of the award, and the dates of the other project as soon as possible. HGHI reserves the right to modify awards accordingly. Failure to promptly report other Harvard-funded summer activities may be reported to the Administrative Board.
Am I eligible to apply for independent funding for a volunteer position or an opportunity that is shorter than 8 weeks?
All independent funding proposals should be for projects that are a minimum of 8 weeks long. If you would like to apply for independent funding for a volunteer opportunity or independent experiences related to Global Health that is less than 8 weeks long, please email HGHI_StudentEngagement@harvard.edu before submitting an application.
Are there restrictions regarding where I can travel for an independent project?
There are rules governing which countries students can travel to with Harvard funding. Here is a link to Harvard’s Global Support Services (GSS) page with the rules, and the country rankings are available here. Funding cannot be provided for “High Risk” countries, and while travel is not prohibited to “Elevated Risk” countries, there are extra precautions that you would need to take before traveling.
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