Number of Interns: 1-3
Location: Independent Living Research Utilization Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann, 1333 Moursund Steet, Houston TX
Duration of internship: TEN to twelve weeks during the timeframe June 3 to August 16, 2019
Stipend: from $4,000 (10 weeks) to $4,800 (12 weeks). No health or other benefits are included.
The Independent Living Research Utilization program at the TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center in Houston, Texas, is seeking applicants for its 2019 summer undergraduate internship program. Interns will learn research methodology and approaches and receive a thorough grounding in the Affordable Care Act, disability laws and policy, and disability and independent living history and philosophy. Interns will assist in conducting research, including surveys of centers for independent living; in doing so they will apply what they have learned about research techniques and approaches. The interns will be supervised by UTHealth Professor Lex Frieden and Center Director Richard Petty at ILRU and will be mentored by other researchers in the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living.
Interns may have the option of accompanying Petty to the annual conference of the National Council on Independent Living where they will gain additional exposure to disability issues, policy and the disability movement. Their experience there will be organized and structured to further the learning in which they are engaged throughout the summer. Interns will assist in conducting “town hall” meetings to secure perspectives of a large sample of centers for independent living. Interns will participate in formal and informal opportunities to meet with and learn from disability leaders about the disability field and community and about the intersection of health care and disability. The interns will visit federal agencies and meet with federal officials in the disability field, the schedules and availability of those officials permitting.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter expressing their interest and availability, an up-to-date transcript, their resume or CV, and a letter of recommendation to Roxy Funchess with the Subject line: “ILRU Summer Intern 2019” by Friday, March 29, 2019, for consideration. Academic performance, previous research experience, writing ability, experience with disability, experience in health care, and interest in the field will all be factors in the selection process. Applicants should be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree-granting program.
ILRU operates in fully accessible facilities, ensures all training and technical assistance activities are accessible to all participants, and promotes significant participation in training and research of individuals who have been historically under-represented in educational and employment settings, including individuals with disabilities. As an organization run by people with disabilities and as the operator of many federally-funded projects, including the NIDILRR-funded Southwest ADA Center, ILRU achieves exemplary access by complying fully with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other disability access legislation.
A majority of ILRU’s staff are individuals with disabilities and reasonable accommodations are provided (such as screen readers, accessible office furniture, chemical-free workspaces, emergency evacuation chairs, flashing alarms, etc.). ILRU’s offices, parking, paths of travel, equipment and furniture are physically accessible and convenient for access of staff and visitors with disabilities. ILRU is equipped with text telephones (TTYs) and all staff is trained in their use, as well as use of telecommunications relay services. Meetings and conferences are held in fully accessible facilities and Interpreters and Communication Access Realtime Translation are provided.