Research and Teaching Internship at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

The Laurita Lab at Bates College seeks applicants for two (2) graduate (PhD) student
internships offering an opportunity to gain exposure to teaching and conducting research at a
primarily undergraduate institution (PUI). Interns in this program will

  • help develop and teach a 3 week course in the general area of inorganic chemistry at Bates College,
  • mentor undergraduate student researchers, and
  • conduct research in the area of solid state chemistry in consultation with Dr. Geneva Laurita in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Internships will be approximately 8-9 weeks from mid-April to mid-June, 2024 and will occur at
Bates College in Lewiston, ME during the 3-week short-term (May) semester and the following
summer month. Bates is a primarily undergraduate residential liberal arts college with
approximately 1800 students. As at similar institutions, Bates faculty engage in research
programs that often heavily involve undergraduate students in addition to their teaching
responsibilities. As such, this internship is an ideal opportunity for graduate students considering
a combined teaching/research career at a PUI and who are excited about making a difference in
the lives of undergraduate students.

Travel to and from Bates and on-campus housing for the internship period will be provided.
Funds are available to support graduate student stipend and tuition and fees during the
internship period via interpersonnel agreements with students’ home institutions.

Eligibility: Applicants must be a Ph. D. candidate by the start date of the internship and must be
enrolled in a graduate institution in the United States. For this program, priority consideration will
be given to graduate students who are within two years of completing their Ph.D. Bates College
requires all interns to complete a background check prior to the start of the internship.

How to Apply: Interested students should submit the following information and materials at the
provided link (click here for form):

  • Biographical and educational information (e.g.,CV). Please include an email address and phone number where you can be reached in January.
  • PUI teaching/mentoring statement (2 page maximum): Please address your interest in pursuing a career at a research-active PUI and any experience and/or interest you have in mentoring undergraduate students. Please also address any experiences and contributions to equity, inclusion, and diversity and how this informs your mentoring or teaching ideas and/or your approach to supporting students from underrepresented groups.
  • Research interests statement (2 page maximum): Please provide a summary of your research interests and experience. Please include a statement about how you anticipate research in the Laurita lab will complement or enhance your current graduate research or your future research program.
  • Contact information for References (up to 3)
  • Letter of agreement signed by your current research advisor. Please use the following language on lab or institutional letterhead:
    • “I, [Advisor’s name], attest that [Student’s Name] is a graduate student in my research lab. If [Student’s Name] is offered the Research and Teaching at a PUI Internship at Bates College, I understand he/she/they will be absent from my lab for approximately 9 weeks in May-June, 2024. I agree to release him/her/them from laboratory and teaching duties at my institution during this time.
    • I further understand that funds are available to support [Student’s Name]’s graduate research stipend and tuition and fees, and agree to provide to Bates College the contact information for an official at my institution who can assist with arranging necessary contracts and agreements to facilitate transfer of these funds.”

Important Dates: Applications are open until November 30, 2023; However, we will review
applications until positions are filled. Participants will be notified of selection by January 1st.
Contact Information and questions should be addressed to: glaurita@bates.edu

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2240813 – CAREER:
Confluence of magnetic and electric dipoles on the pyrochlore lattice, PI: Geneva Laurita, PhD.
Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.