Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life (IPE)
Summer Ethics Undergraduate Internship Program, 2024

The Ethics Internship Program is a very important part of the Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life’s (IPE) overall program for undergraduate students. These internships were started with funds from the Donchian Foundation and maintained with support from the Casscells-Hamby Ethics Internship Award, the Oleda Casscells Undergraduate Internship Fund, the John Allen and Patricia Hollingsworth family, and others, as a way to integrate ethical theory and practice, the real-world and the academy.

Student interns combine their summer experience with preparatory courses and post-internship narrative and analytic reports and discussions. Previous interns have had a variety of placements in private (both for-profit and not-for-profit) and governmental contexts in both domestic and international settings, involving service, learning, research, or some combination thereof.

Internship Program: The IPE sponsors and provides funds for several summer internships, which are awarded on a competitive basis. The Institute expects to fund ~10 summer internships for Summer 2024.

Expectations: Those who receive awards will be expected to spend at least eight weeks in an internship (approved by the IPE), to meet with faculty at the IPE (and perhaps with other interns) to discuss aspects of their internship before it starts, to prepare, at the end of the summer, an 8-10 page narrative and analysis of the internship, with particular attention to questions and issues of ethics (broadly conceived), and to meet, in the fall semester, with other interns and IPE faculty to discuss their experiences.

Nature of Internship: Internships take a variety of forms:

• Service
• Learning
• Research
• Some combination of the above three

Stipend: The IPE will usually provide a stipend of $3000 toward students’ unpaid internships. All stipends will be paid to students through Student Financial Services (SFS).

Identification of Internship Possibilities: Students can identify and secure internships, then apply for the internship funding. Additionally, the Career Center or IPE can offer support on recommending organization organizations and persons who might have or know of possibilities.

Additional Information: For questions related to the Handshake application process, please contact David Lapinski.
For more information on the program or IPE, contact Willis Jenkins or Rebecca Stangl.

Application Process and Restrictions: Applications are due in Handshake by April 7th at 11:59PM.
Students must submit:

1. Resume – submitted via Handshake. 
   Note: If you are experiencing accessibility barriers while using the Handshake application please email us for an alternative solution.
2. Personal Statement
3. Completion of the Career Center form

Notification of Awards: The IPE expects to announce the awards by early-mid April 2024

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Preference is given any and all class year or majors. Students must have secured an internship in order to apply.
The following are required components of the internship:

• 30-40 hours per week for 8-10 weeks
• Enrollment at UVA at least one semester after the end of the internship
• Completion of an online journal throughout the internship (3 entries including final evaluation)
• Written evaluation of the completed internship highlighting accomplishments, personal growth, and impact of the internship on future career considerations (part of final journal entry)

This grant program applies to unpaid internships only - not summer research positions or formal placement programs requiring you to pay to complete the internship.