Award Description
The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) Internship Award provides financial support for graduate students preparing for a career in visual resources and image management. The award grants $4,000 to support a period of internship in archives, libraries, museums, visual resources collections in academic institutions, or other appropriate contexts. The recipient will receive a stipend of $3,000 for 200 hours completed at the host site. A professional development component of $1,000 supports conference attendance or attendance at the Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management. The recipient will receive a one-year complimentary student membership in the Visual Resources Association.
Who May Apply
Students currently enrolled in, or having completed within the last 12 months, a graduate program in library or information science, art history, architectural history, architecture, visual or studio art, museum studies, or other applicable field of study may apply for this award. Applicants must have completed at least 10 credits of their graduate coursework before the application deadline, or demonstrate an equivalent combination of coursework and relevant experience.
Internship Description
Only one VRAF Internship is awarded per year. Priority will be given to applicants who submit projects that support art historical research and scholarship. Although the award recipient need not hold US citizenship or be a permanent resident of the US, the recipient must select an institution in the United States to act as host for the internship. This institution must be approved by the VRAF Internship Award Committee. VRAF and VRA are not responsible for matching candidates with a host institution, but will gladly assist with the process. An up to date list of host institutions can be found here.
This Internship Award will be granted for the 2016-2017 academic year. The intern is required to work on site at their chosen host institution for a minimum of 200 hours. The intern will choose to initiate their internship in the fall of 2016 or the winter or spring of 2017. The internship must begin within 30 days of the official beginning of the selected academic session of the participant’s home institution and be completed within one academic semester or two academic quarters. Exceptions are allowed by agreement between the selected intern and the VRAF Internship Awards Committee. In all cases, the internship must be completed within twelve months of the recipient being notified of the award.
The intern and the internship supervisor will complete brief evaluations of the internship experience. This report must be received by the VRAF Internship Committee by March 1, 2017.
The VRAF Internship Award will provide a stipend of $3,000 to the intern. Half of the award will be granted prior to the internship, with the remainder granted upon completion of the internship and receipt of a letter to the Chair of the VRAF Internship Committee signed by the internship supervisor and the intern stating that the 200 hours have been completed. If the recipient is not a US citizen, the VRAF is required by the IRS to withhold a percentage of this award.
A professional development component of $1,000 is available to support attendance at the national VRA conference, other appropriate conferences, or the Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management. The recipient will be reimbursed upon submission of receipts and documentation. The award recipient will be formally recognized during the Awards ceremony at the VRA conference.
The recipient will receive a one-year complimentary student membership in the Visual Resources Association.
Interns may have the option of receiving academic credit for the internship as part of their graduate course work but will be responsible for making those arrangements themselves.
How to Apply
To apply for the award, please submit the following:
- A current resume.
- A current transcript [this does not need to be issued directly from the institution].
- An essay of up to 400 words addressing the applicant’s professional goals, learning expectations of the internship experience, and any skills or background that might benefit visual resources. A brief clear description of the proposed project is required.
- The names of two professional or scholastic references with address, telephone numbers, and email addresses.
- Host institution and contact information of internship supervisor.
- Application materials in electronic form are preferred and should be submitted as a single PDF file to:
Margaret Webster
Visual Resources Consultant
Phone: 607-257-3365
Email: mnw3@cornell.edu
Host Institutions
Responsibility for institutional selection will remain with the award recipients rather than the VRAF. The Internship Award Committee is not responsible for matching candidates with a host institution but will gladly assist in the process. To help with this process, VRA’s Visual Resources Emerging Professionals and Students (VREPS) have compiled an ongoing list of institutions willing to host an intern.
Note to potential host institutions: You are invited to add your information to the VREPS Internship Award Host Sites by sending an email to Amy Lazet (alazet@COLLEGEFORCREATIVESTUDIES.EDU) with the following information: institution name, contact person, address, telephone, email, URL, and a brief description of the internship.
Deadlines for 2016-2017
- July 31, 2016: Deadline for submission of applications to the VRAF Internship Award Committee.
- August 21, 2016: VRAF Internship Award Committee announces the award recipient for 2016-2017.
The deadline for submission of evaluation forms and documents by the intern and the host institution will be within 30 days of the completion of the internship. The evaluation reports for a recipient who elects to complete the internship during the spring semester or quarter must be received by March 1, 2017. The remaining documents verifying the completion of the internship may be submitted later.
Monies from the Internship Award may not be used to cover indirect costs at institutions.
Additional Information
For additional information please contact the Committee Chair:
Margaret Webster
Visual Resources Consultant
Phone: 607-257-3365
Email: mnw3@cornell.edu
Full post: http://vrafoundation.org.s119319.gridserver.com/index.php/grants/internship_award