Summer internship application open for 2021
This upcoming summer, the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation will hold its third annual Summer Autism Internship Program. This will include a cohort of research interns and student volunteers, all of whom are neurodivergent. You may apply to be a research intern if you are currently completing or have just completed your bachelor’s degree. You may apply to be a student volunteer if you are a young adult (at least 18 yrs old) on the autism spectrum with no college experience and an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Mentor interns will be compensated and given a housing/travel stipend. The program is free for the student volunteers who are selected.
The mentorship/internship program, which was designed to be similar to the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), is now sponsored by Vanderbilt University. It is funded by an HHMI professor grant to Frist Center Director and Stevenson Professor of Physics and Astronomy Keivan Stassun.
Frist Center Associate Director Dave Caudel, PhD’17, works year-round to make the Summer Autism Internship a reality. Caudel, who received his doctorate in physics from Vanderbilt, has been consistently impressed with interns’ accomplishments. Former graduates of the Frist Center and Currey Ingram Academy’s Workforce Readiness and Preparation (WRaP) camp are especially encouraged to apply as participants. WRaP is a program designed to assess the talents of teens on the autism spectrum and teach them job skills.
While the Frist Center hopes to have the Summer 2021 internship in person at Vanderbilt University, there remains a chance that it will have to be virtual. If you are interested in being a mentor intern, fill out this application by Monday, March 1, 2021. If you would like to be a student volunteer, there is currently no deadline. You may complete the application at any time, though space is limited!