Center for Career Exploration

SPRINT Summer Program Details

SPRINT Summer Programs are a family of programs that support experiential learning by providing students with access to funding and opportunities both on campus and around the world.

Breadcrumb

SPRINT Summer Program Details

SPRINT Summer Programs are a family of programs that support experiential learning by providing students with access to funding and opportunities both on campus and around the world.

The SPRINT program includes support for: 

  • domestic and international internship programs in select fields, such as community-based organizations, entrepreneurship, and media, through Signature Programs;
  • research and curricular development opportunities at Brown through the UTRA program;
  • unpaid and low-paid internships through the LINK program.

 

The goal of all these experiential learning opportunities is to enable students to:

  1. Gain and apply new skills, and deepen existing ones
  2. Engage in career exploration
  3. Develop mentoring relationships
  4. Contribute to positive outcomes for themselves and their communities

SPRINT Learning Objectives*
By engaging in a SPRINT experiential learning opportunity, students will develop the following core competencies:

  • Integrative Learning: Develop and apply theories, knowledge, and skills across disciplines to address pressing questions, including societal problems.
  • Written and Oral Communication: Clearly, effectively, and persuasively exchange information, ideas, and perspectives across contexts and various audiences. 
  • Self and Cultural Understanding and Humility: Demonstrate the capacity for ongoing self-reflection and to be transformed -- in knowledge, attitudes and behavior -- by exploring and engaging with multiple points of view, experiences and worldviews. 
  • Relationship-building and Collaboration: Build and maintain collaborative and authentic connections across various forms of difference that center reciprocity, respect the agency of partners, and work toward common goals. 

*Adapted from Swearer Center for Public Service learning outcomes, Western Oregon University program outcomes and the National Associate of Colleges and Employer Core Competencies.

February 1 | 12pm EST

Deadline for:
By March 31st Feb 1 applicants will be notified
April 9 | 12pm EST Second Deadline for  SPRINT LINK Awards for low-and unpaid internships
By early-May April 9 Applicants will be notified

SPRINT applications can be found on the UFUNDS site.

 
The application collects a series of information about your intended research/internship opportunity, your resumè and cover letter [if applicable]. It also asks you to provide short answers regarding the National Association of College and Employers' career readiness competencies.
UTRA

The UTRA program provides listed research and course development opportunities with Brown faculty. UTRA opportunities for summer 2024 can be found in this document or within the SPRINT summer 2024 search tool. 

Additionally, students can learn about Brown faculty research interests by searching the Brown's Research Directory. While it is not necessary to reach out to faculty regarding the opportunities published on the SPRINT summer 2024 search tool, this website provides useful information.

 

Signature Internship  Programs 

Many Signature internship programs provide listed internships with companies and organizations. In addition to searching for opportunities within the SPRINT summer 2024 search tool, interested undergraduates can view the following program lists of available internships for summer 2024:

LINK

Students applying for a LINK award must secure an internship or research opportunity outside of Brown in order to apply.  Resources to help students secure opportunities eligible for LINK include:

  • Meet with a Peer Career Advisor (PCA) or Career Counselor in the Center for Career Exploration to assist with your search.  
  • Search for internships and research opportunities in Handshake as well as BrownConnect, which provides special “Bruno Opportunities” posted by Brown alumni or parents.

 

  Students receiving Financial Aid Students not receiving Financial Aid
SPRINT is located in a US high cost of living city* or international location
 $3,500 $3,500
SPRINT is located in Providence or other US location (including remote.)
 $2,500 $2,500
Gap Award:

Gap Award for aided students with Parent Contribution/ Responsibility of $15,001 & above

Gap Award for aided students with Parent Contribution/ Responsibility of $15,000 & below

 

$2,000

 

$3,000

 N/A
High Cost of Living Adjustment:

Additional funding for aided students responsible for living expenses in a US high cost of living city*, Berlin and Stockholm.

 $1,500 N/A
*US high Cost of Living Cities:  Boston,
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco & Washington, DC

 

Additional Support:

  • Summer Earnings Waiver: Available to eligible students with University Scholarship funding once in their time at Brown.  For 2023-24, the Summer Earnings Waiver amount is $2,900.
     
  • Reduced-rate rooms in Brown's on-campus housing: Reduced-rate rooms will be available through Brown's on-campus housing for eligible students with Rhode Island-based SPRINT opportunities.  More information about on-campus summer housing rates will be available during the spring semester.

 

 

The SPRINT financial model was developed in order to reach the College’s goal of supporting and enabling experiential learning opportunities for all students while maximizing the support provided to our aided students, particularly students with the highest demonstrated financial need.

A student’s level of need is based on the calculated Parent Contribution, also referred to as Parent Responsibility, as determined by the Office of Financial Aid. The Parent Responsibility can be found in the Financial Aid Eligibility statement in Banner Self-Service (for the aid year prior to the summer experience). For additional information on the calculation that is used to determine Parent, Student, and overall Family Responsibility, see the Office of Financial Aid’s website. Students are not able to appeal the Parent Responsibility in order to increase their Gap Award funding.
 

  • Aided students with a Parent Contribution/Responsibility of $15,000 or less (in the academic year prior to the summer experience) will receive a Summer Gap Award of $3,000 in addition to their base stipend.
  • Aided students with a Parent Contribution/Responsibility above $15,000 (in the academic year prior to the summer experience) will receive a Gap Award of $2,000 in addition to their base stipend.
  • Unaided students will not be eligible for a Gap Award in addition to their base stipend.
All Opportunities:
  • Summer 2024 opportunities should begin after Memorial Day weekend and conclude before Labor Day weekend.
  • Supervised by a professional in the employing organization (e.g. a Brown faculty member or non-Brown sponsor) who signs the SPRINT Sponsor statement. The opportunity is required to have a supervisor who will provide regular oversight and mentorship throughout the summer. The supervisor must  be a permanent employee of the organization and cannot be another student.
  • Internship/Research site: SPRINT will adhere to Brown's Travel Policies and High-Risk and Restricted Travel Policies. To receive funding, all eligible students participating in opportunities in-person and outside of Rhode Island must register travel plans in TravelSafe. (Sponsoring Department: Center for Career Exploration or Dean of the College; Purpose of Travel: Internship or Research). 
  • If a student’s program requires international travel, they will adhere to the University's travel policies, including registering their travel in TravelSafe and completing a Safety Plan for review and approval of High Risk travel, as applicable. If the location of their internship changes to High-Risk after they have started their program abroad, they may be asked to complete a Safety Plan or the internship program may be canceled and shifted to a remote experience, if possible.
  • Most experiences should be a student's primary summer engagement opportunity (usually full-time and last a minimum of 6-10 weeks).  Part-time experiences will be considered over longer periods of time (at least 10 weeks) if they are a student's primary summer engagement opportunity. For faculty partnerships, faculty and student collaborators should find a mutually agreeable period between the Tuesday following Commencement and at least one week before the beginning of the fall semester to engage fully with the project.
Additional LINK Criteria
  • Your summer internship or research experience is unpaid or pays $2,000 or less; and you will not receive additional funding from another source, including other fellowships, Brown departments, etc.
  • Research opportunities under LINK are only permitted at non-Brown affiliated institutions and with a non-Brown professor/sponsor. If you are unsure about an affiliation, please contact the SPRINT program at StudentExploration@brown.edu.
  • A member of a student's family cannot run or have a substantial management interest in a student's host organization nor serve as a student's sponsor directly or indirectly.
  • If you have previously interned at the same site for which you are currently applying for funding, you must clearly explain how the responsibilities of this new internship position are significantly different from your previous position. Funding is unlikely to be awarded for an internship that you have already engaged with.
  • It is highly preferred that students applying for a SPRINT LINK award have already accepted or have been offered an opportunity with an employer. 
Additional UTRA Criteria:
  • Research and curricular collaborations must be with Brown faculty including Lifespan/Clinical staff or with Brown faculty or research appointments.
 Additional Signature Programs Criteria:

Each Signature program has unique criteria for opportunities. Students are encouraged to research each program to understand the expectations, benefits and other program details.

The following opportunities are NOT ELIGIBLE for SPRINT funding:
  • Educational programs for credit, programs with fees to participate, and pay-to-participate internship placement programs coordinated through third-party vendors are not eligible for SPRINT funding. 
  • Projects with an organization involved with the use, production, testing, or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana are not eligible (as the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level and Brown University receives federal funds, we must comply with federal law).  
  • Camp counselors and tutoring positions are not considered internship opportunities and will not be eligible for SPRINT funding.
  • Opportunities with a Brown student club, organization, or class or experiences that are a continuation of work done with a Brown club or organization during the academic year.
  • Organizations and programs that expect their interns and employees to engage in fundraising through street solicitations or call centers.
  • Non-credit course or training programs that do not contain a professional, experiential learning components; thees includes programs where the main components include observing, shadowing, and attending lectures. 
  • Internship or project receiving Brown course credit (e.g. teaching requirement for teacher certification/education concentration)
  • All undergraduate applicants must enrolled during both the Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 semesters (students who take a leave of absence during the Spring 2024 semester, or plan to take a leave for the Fall 2024 semester will not be eligible to receive funding).  
  • Undergraduates may not be on a leave of absence from Brown either in the semester they are applying or in the period when they would receive SPRINT funding. 
  • Students studying abroad Fall 2024 are eligible to apply, but must maintain an active, registered status at Brown. 
  • Undergraduates who have received summer funding from SPRINT (LINK, UTRA, Signature Programs) in past years  may apply again.
  • Undergraduates who previously received SPRINT summer awards remain eligible to apply to SPRINT summer programs and at the same time priority will be given to students who have not previously received SPRINT summer awards.
  • Students may not simultaneously receive a SPRINT award and take summer classes at Brown or elsewhere.  Students who accept a SPRINT award will be required to confirm that they will not register for summer undergraduate courses at Brown or elsewhere.
  • The SPRINT program will work with Brown’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards to ensure that applicants are in compliance with conduct expectations.