Investment into Industrial Internships for Chemists Program

There are all types of internships with some not involving any financial compensation at all for the participants. In these examples, the experience gained by the intern and the potential future financial gain are viewed as sufficient, but this may prevent some well-qualified applicants from pursuing if they come from a socioeconomically disadvantaged household.

The chemical enterprise is the broad and encompassing industry that is focused around the understanding of the physical world at the molecular level and its subsequent development for the betterment of society. This covers academic, industrial, governmental, and non-traditional organizations related to the scientific field of chemistry. The I4C program supports internships in industrial and non-traditional organizations.

An education in chemistry provides people with a wide range of skills that allow them to be successful in a variety of careers that go beyond the laboratory. Chemists and chemical engineers often become technical managers, intellectual property lawyers, scientific writers, consultants, market managers, chief technical officers, product stewards, safety officers, financial analysts, administrators, directors, and many more careers related to chemistry.

Non-laboratory internships are those where the primary responsibilities do not include conducting chemical experiments in the laboratory or computational chemical research. Examples include, but are not limited to: marketing or product support, financial analysis or due diligence, environmental and safety assessments, etc. Internships where conducting chemical experiments are a minor aspect of the assignment will be acceptable to meet the requirements of the I4C program.

Yes, graduate students and post-doctoral scholars are eligible for the I4C program. It is important for these candidates to have full support from their academic advisors and supervisors. This support may serve as the basis of the required supporting letter submitted as part of the nomination package.

Bridging funds are defined as the costs associated with transporting you and your necessary belongings to the location of the internship. Examples include, but are not limited to: moving costs, fees for establishing residency, airline or rail tickets, etc.

Applicants who are already planning on completing a non-laboratory internship within the chemical enterprise are encouraged to apply if additional mentoring and financial assistance would be helpful in their career goals.

I4C Scholars will be paired with mentors that will provide guidance, career counseling, and support to help in the process of finding and securing a non-laboratory internship. The majority of the effort is expected to be owned by the I4C Scholar, but the I4C Mentors will be highly motivated to help their assigned I4C Scholar to be successful in securing a non-laboratory internship.

In the unlikely chance that an I4C Scholar cannot secure a non-laboratory internship, the I4C Scholar may continue to engage with their I4C Mentor to develop a career development plan that may include pursuing an internship, but no supplementary financial assistance will be provided unless an internship is secured in calendar year of the program. The financial assistance cannot be deferred, and an applicant must re-apply if they wish to be considered for the program in the next calendar year.

The I4C Scholar’s personal statement will be used to identify potential affinities within the I4C Mentor pool by the I4C Program Committee. So, don’t hesitate to share personal experiences and challenges that would help us match you. The I4C Mentor pool is composed of experienced chemical professionals that are committed to the success of the next generation of leaders of the chemical enterprise.

I4C Scholars will have a minimum expectation to work with their assigned I4C Mentor to establish a meeting schedule that provides the appropriate frequency, duration, and depth to successfully obtain and thrive in their non-laboratory internship.