FSI Field Research in Mexico - Summer 2011
FSI Field Research in Mexico - Summer 2011
FSI Field Research in Mexico - Summer 2011
Informational Session on FSI Undergraduate Summer Research Internships Informational meeting for undergraduates will be held on February 15, 2011, at 4 PM in Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall. Discussion and Q&A with faculty program directors, members of the research teams, and former interns. Refreshments will be served.
Overview
FSI is seeking applications from undergraduates for three paid internships to join a research team in Mexico to carry out fieldwork in the Chiapas and Oaxaca regions. The undergraduate research team will spend approximately two weeks in Mexico in August to carry out a project of its own design under the supervision of Beatriz Magaloni, professor of political science, and director of Poverty and Governance in Latin America, a program within FSI's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL). Magaloni will serve as principal investigator for this project.
About the Program
The program, Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy in Latin America, conducts social science research and comparative policy analysis to understand the relationships between and among democratic politics, socioeconomic inequality, and poverty reduction. Questions we seek to answer include: What types of policies and institutions are effective at improving conditions of the poor? What are the risks to political stability when governments fail to address extreme poverty and inequality? What kinds of public good and services do governments need to deliver to nurture equality and democratic institutions and behavior?
The curriculum for this internship is designed to be deeply immersive, with direct exposure to experimental research methodology, conditions of chronic poverty, and the languages and culture of Mexico. Note: Preference will be given to current sophomores and juniors with strong Spanish ability.
Eligibility and Application
The program is open to Stanford sophomores and juniors with a minimum GPA of 3.3. Applicants will be required to provide:
- statement of interest (one page maximum)
- curriculum vitae or resume
- copy of transcript (unofficial copy acceptable)
- faculty letter of reference to be sent directly from the referee to FSI (can be brief)
Send the application materials to Veronica Marian (vmarian@stanford.edu) at FSI, and ask your faculty referee to send the letter of reference directly to FSI. Preference will be given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to poverty alleviation, global development, and service learning. The selection committee will strive to assemble a team of students reflecting divergent academic interests, ideally one from each of the social, natural, and applied sciences.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FEBRUARY 22, 2011.
Project Requirements
Interns on the Mexico research team will be expected to work collaboratively with peers and mentors to:
- Develop a research proposal that relates to current work being done by the program, Poverty and Governance in Latin America;
- Carry out the proposed research plan over a two-week period on site under the supervision of Beatriz Magaloni and her designees;
- Create a team blog and photo journal to record impressions;
- Prepare a presentation and written report on the team's research findings to deliver to the research team and its partners;
- Create a poster on your research project that will be displayed at FSI's fall 2011 open house.
Schedule
In addition to time spent working in Mexico, interns should expect to spend another 60-100 hours planning and completing the project at home. The team will need to meet regularly before and after the visit abroad, as practicable, using the web and other meeting formats to develop a research plan, then to finalize the work by the end of the quarter.
- Spring quarter 2011 (U.S.)- Interns will launch the first phase of the research project with a planning meeting with Magaloni and other members of the Mexico research team. During the planning phase, the team will create, discuss, and refine a research question and develop a project plan. The plan will include a discussion of the problem, objectives of the research project, approach used in conducting the research, and how results will be communicated. Students will also be expected to plan their own travel, with a budget for per diem expenses, and draft a research itinerary for the two weeks in Mexico. Planning and preparation will also include learning exercises and briefings on the cultural, historical, clinical, scientific, and public policy contexts of the region and the developing world generally.
- Summer quarter 2011 (expected dates: mid-August)- Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico - Two weeks in the southern, predominately indigenous region of Mexico. The team will carry out its work in schools, family homes, and community gathering places. There also will be nightly briefings, lectures by experts and members of the research team, roundtable discussions, reflections, guided research, and weekend visits to sites of cultural and historical interest.
- Summer quarter 2011 (U.S.) - Students will use the remainder of the summer, connecting with one another remotely, to complete the final report and preparing a poster and presentation or workshop.
A detailed itinerary will be developed over the course of the spring quarter.
