FAQs

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.

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.

You may apply to up to three positions across SURGH, I-SURGH, and Internships.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Please submit a complete application in CARAT for each site. If, for example, you are applying to two ISURGH sites, you will submit a complete application for each. CARAT will allow multiple submissions in the same category.

(We know this may seem inefficient, but each application is saved in CARAT as a single PDF file that can be forwarded in its entirety to the host organization for review. Keeping the applications separate in CARAT ensures that each site receives the proper cover sheet, personal statement, letter of recommendation, etc.)

Independent Funding applications are the only applications that require a letter of recommendation. All other programs (SURGH, ISURGH, and Internships) only require that applicants provide the names and contact information for two references, who may be contacted if the applicant is a finalist for a position.

If you are applying for Independent Funding, the letter  is due by the same date as the application deadline. We recommend completing the recommendation request section of CARAT as soon as you know you’re going to apply. Once you do this, CARAT will send an email to your recommender with instructions and the deadline.

Ask people who knows you well, and can comment in detail about your positive skills and traits in a context similar to the internship or research placement you are seeking. Organizations are more interested in hearing from someone who knows you well rather than a CEO, politician, or famous professor who is not familiar with your skills and strengths. Pick people who you feel will provide the strongest and most compelling reference on your behalf.

It is crucial to tailor each Personal Statement to the individual internship or research placement. If you are applying to more than one opportunity, there is no need to completely rewrite your statement each time, but make sure your letter is customized for each organization.

Lead with why are you interested in this particular position, and then explain the skills and experience you have that make you a good fit. If you are lacking in skills and/or experience, it is best not to explicitly point that out. The Personal Statement is a chance to teach the reader about you; do not waste time educating the reader about the organization, or even about public/global health concepts. (If you are selected as a finalist, someone from the organization will read your application and they already know those things.) A good litmus test is this: does the sentence or paragraph relate to you personally, and does it impart information the reader would not otherwise know? If the answer is no, it shouldn’t be in your Personal Statement.

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.

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

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.

• Be professional! Please remember that every communication, even a simple email, is a writing sample. At this stage of the process, you should maintain a professional demeanor.
• If you are contacted for an interview, be prepared to verbally explain anything that is on your resume or in your application. If you need practice with this, OCS has some helpful resources: https://ocs.fas.harvard.edu/interviewing.
• During your interview, this is your chance to ASK QUESTIONS! Dig deep. Often it may be too early to know the exact details of what you will be working on over the summer, but you can definitely get a sense for what the internship will be like and what projects will be available. It will be disappointing for you if the internship is not a good match for your interests, so be honest about what you are hoping to learn from the experience.
• Be sure to send a thank you note after the interview! An email is sufficient.

Below is an outline of requirements. A comprehensive checklist with instructions will be provided to accepted students.

Requirements for all students:

• Enroll in direct deposit
• Accept Terms and Conditions
• Attend a pre-departure orientation in April

Additional Requirements for internationally-bound interns:

• Obtain Health Clearance with University Health Services or another physician
• Watch the Harvard College Online Pre-Departure Orientation
• Register your trip in the Harvard Travel Registry
• Complete and submit the appropriate Assumption of Risk & Release form
• Ensure your passport is valid for the dates of your internship and obtain a visa if needed
• Discuss start dates with your host and complete any trainings they require
• Make housing and travel arrangements
• Show proof of international health insurance coverage
• If traveling to an Elevated-Risk country or region, you must also:
  • Complete an Elevated-Risk Travel Safety Questionnaire
  • Attended one elevated risk pre-departure orientation

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.

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.

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.

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.

Staff is here to assist you, but it is important to note that obtaining a passport, visa, and vaccinations are ultimately your responsibility. You can find information on the requirements for different countries on the US Department of State’s website here, and you will be given more details regarding requirements after you have been accepted to the program.

Keeping you healthy and safe during your internship is extremely important. There will be a mandatory training in the spring conducted by Harvard’s International Safety and Security Offices for all students going abroad. Before departure, you will be required to complete a travel registry and to keep it updated throughout your time abroad. You are also required to have health insurance that covers medical treatment abroad; before you leave, you should verify your international coverage options with your insurance provider. During your internship, you will have 24/7 access to Harvard Travel Assist, which provides global medical and security support and evacuation services.

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.

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.