Internship Scholarship Program

Provide scholarship funding for undergraduate students to work as interns with small companies in the State of Michigan on projects that are both beneficial to the company and academically relevant to the student.

• Companies must have a significant business operation located in the State of Michigan such that professional supervision and direction is available to the student on site at the company
• Companies must have less than 500 employees.

• Awards will be given to companies whose internship goals are consistent with the students educational objectives and the internship demonstrates intellectual merit
• Internship will occur in the summer of 2009 for 10-12 weeks
• The University will provide a stipend to each student for approximately 15 hours per week.  The work that the student accomplishes during this time must be academically relevant to the student.   The stipend will be paid from the University directly to the student.
• It is expected that the company will employ the student between 15-25 additional hours per week to work on tasks assigned by the company and agreed to by the student.   The wage from the company will be paid from the company to the student, separate from the University.
• The University will enter into agreements with the selected companies that are consistent with the following guidelines:
  • The results of the internship will be of educational value and may lead to an extension of knowledge or increase effectiveness in teaching and/or research; and the students' involvement is appropriate to their academic experience.
  • The circumstances under which the students can use the experience/results of the internship are clearly delineated.
  • Participating students are allowed to communicate the results of the experience in such a way and in sufficient detail to fulfill any academic requirements of the university program in which they are registered.
  • The obligation of the University and student to maintain confidentiality of information provided by the Company may be for as long as necessary and reasonable under the circumstances to afford protection for the Company without posing an exceptional risk of liability for the University or the student.
  • Prior to approval by the University, any request from the Company to review and limit the publication of results obtained in the conduct of the internship shall be reviewed to determine whether such measures are necessary and reasonable under the circumstances to ensure the protection of the Company’s proprietary interest and whether the restrictions are consistent with the expectations of and concurred in by the Associate Dean and participating students.
  • Participating students shall be provided with an explanation of any requirements for confidentiality or any post-internship restrictions on the activities of the students. The University will not accept conditions in internship agreements that may restrict future employment opportunities for participating students.

Companies may submit letters of interest to:

Amy Klinke
Center for Entrepreneurship, College of Engineering,
amyklink@umich.edu
734.647.7071
251 Chrysler Center
2121 Bonisteel Blvd
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2092

The letter shall address the following points: (no longer than 2 pages)

1. Brief Company Description     
2. Educational Project Description         
3. A short description of the project problems and/or goals to be addressed by the intern
4. Project Deliverables     
5. Company Project Liaison(s)    
6. Title          
   1. Division/Department    
   2. Phone     
   3. Fax          
   4. Email       
7. Project Location
8. Description of the work the student will be employed to do, including rate of payment for the work, number of hours per week, location and supervisor (if different from the stipend portion of the internship described in point 3.)
9.  Whether students will able to describe their activities to the general public.
10. Whether students will be required to assign patent rights to the Company and for what compensation.   
11. Whether students will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
12. Letters must be received no later than March 18, 2009.   Decisions will be made and Companies will notified by March 25, 2009. Internships are expected to begin April 18, 2009.