European Parliament Internship Grant
Purpose: The European Parliament Internship Grant offers undergraduate students an opportunity to work in the office of Mario Mauro, one of the Vice Presidents of the European Parliament. The position is based in Brussels from June to mid-July. Students will support Mr. Mauro’s secretariat; the responsibilities involved will vary from light office duties to more serious projects, including writing projects. Students will also be required to attend a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, for which they will be reimbursed. Overall, the internship gives students an inside look at the European Union, the chance to witness European politics in action, and the opportunity to sharpen their Italian-language skills. The funding provided would cover transportation to/from Brussels as well as modest living expenses for up to six weeks.
Deadline: February 25, 2013
Maximum Award: $4500. Funds are typically paid as a one-time stipend.
Number of Awards: One. The internship will be awarded based on the merit of the applicant as demonstrated through his/her application and proposed budget.
Eligibility: Applicants must currently be enrolled as undergraduate sophomores or juniors at the University of Notre Dame and scheduled to return for the next academic year. Since Mr. Mauro is an Italian member of the European Parliament, fluency in Italian is preferable, though not necessary. Ideal applicants will have a strong interest in international politics—particularly those of the European Union—and the promotion and defense of human rights and religious liberties.
Download the Full Guidelines (PDF)
Apply at the Common Application Form
All Undergraduate Grants now use the Common Application Form found online at https://urapply.nd.edu/. Please familiarize yourself with our full guidelines before logging into the application.
You must provide the CORRECT email address AND NetID for your FACULTY RECOMMENDER in the application form. PLEASE NOTE: Email addresses and the Net IDs are not always the same, and both are needed and must be correct in order for your recommender to upload his/her letter.
Adobe Acrobat is the recommended program for our forms and downloads. Visit the Adobe website for your free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Contact Jen Fulton, our Student Coordinator, at jfulton@nd.edu.
Application Guidelines
All applicants must use the Common Application Form at https://urapply.nd.edu. We recommend that you collect all necessary materials before logging into the application. You will receive instruction on how to upload material once you have logged in.
A complete application consists of the following distinct parts:
• a two- to three-page personal statement
• a detailed budget statement
• a current curriculum vitae or résumé
• a letter of recommendation
• a letter of language qualification (optional)
The personal statement should address and demonstrate the applicant’s interest in working for this Vice President of the European Parliament. In addition, applicants should detail how their prior educational and personal experiences are aligned with the internship’s purpose and provide a clear rationale for how it will help them achieve their future academic and professional goals.
The budget statement should detail the living costs to be incurred over the period of the internship and should list the sources used to determine those costs. All amounts should be listed in U.S. dollars (USD) and accompanied by the exchange rate(s) used.
The letter of language qualification is optional but beneficial, and should be from a faculty member in the Department of Italian Studies. It should identify the applicant’s Italian language level of competency. The letter of recommendation should be from a different faculty member who is familiar with the student’s academic work and future aspirations.
Complete applications, including all letters of recommendation, should be submitted to the Common Application Form no later than 11:59pm on the deadline day. Letters of recommendation may be submitted to the Student Coordinator of the Nanovic Institute directly, if desired.
Failure to submit all required materials promptly may result in the application being excluded from consideration. Complete applications will be considered by the institute’s associate director, and decisions will be announced in writing within six weeks of the submission deadline. Please note that application materials will not be returned.
Terms & Conditions: The grant recipient is required to obtain the proper permission for international travel from the Office of International Studies prior to payment of the stipend. Grant recipients are also required to submit a complete Health Questionnaire and to attend all required orientations. The Nanovic Institute will handle the arrangements with European Parliament and will establish communication between the chosen intern and the contact at the parliament. The recipient will then be responsible for arranging his/her transportation and living situation.
Once awarded, the funding must be used to complete the arranged internship. Additional funding from other organizations may not be sought for this same internship. The recipients must return any paid funds if he/she decides not to complete the internship and must repay any non-refundable expenses incurred by the Nanovic Institute (i.e. airfare directly paid) if cancellation is not due to illness or another justifying circumstance. In this event, the Nanovic Institute may or may not decide—at its discretion—to award the internship to another applicant.
After completing the internship, the recipient must provide the Nanovic Institute with a 500-1000 word report about the internship and its outcome, as well as at least one digital photograph of himself/herself on location in Brussels (or at European Parliament). The report and photograph must be emailed to the Student Coordinator of the Nanovic Institute by the deadline communicated at the time of award. Unless permission is expressly denied, the Nanovic Institute will share this report and photo with its supporters.
