NIH 2019 High School Internship program Policy

Attachment 2
NIH 2019 High School Internship Program Policy

2019 High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP) Policy
A. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
• Each IC that wishes to host summer interns (appointed as IRTAs or as
Special Volunteers) must designate a High School Internship Coordinator (IC
Coordinator) who will work with OITE to track and support high school interns
and IC high school internship programs.
• No high school intern may work in an IC where a parent or guardian works.*
• NIH PIs, lab, or administrative staff must abide by the prohibition of
advocating for particular applicants as described in the NIH Policy Manual
Chapter 2300-310-1: Nepotism
• All high school interns will apply through the OITE online application system.
• The selection of high school interns will be centralized within the IC and not
delegated to individual PIs. Each IC shall designate a selection committee
and develop standard selection criteria that are consistent with applicable law.
ICs are encouraged to recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds for
potential participation in IC programs.
• The IC Coordinator and AOs who complete FPS entries for high school
summer interns will ensure that the interns meet all eligibility criteria (below).
B. ELIGIBILITY
• High school students must meet ALL of the following eligibility requirements
to participate in the NIH HS-SIP:
o must be a junior or senior at the time of application
o must be 17 years of age by June 15 of the internship year
o must reside within 40 miles of their NIH worksite at the time of
application if they will not be 18 years of age by June 15.**
C. NIH HIGH SCHOOL – SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM EXPERIENCE
•

•
•

The OITE will offer a set of orientations and workshops for high school
students. An IC may choose to join this trans-NIH effort or may develop its
own program that is comparable to and consistent with the OITE program. IC
programs are subject to OITE approval. In either case, the following
expectations should be met:
o All high school interns will be part of a cohort experience with a full
orientation at the start of the program. Interns may not report to their
research group before attending orientation. [NOTE: the current plan is to
offer two or three orientations in June.]
o High school interns should participate in weekly/bi-weekly workshops that
discuss college and career readiness with a focus on STEM careers.
The IC Coordinator will arrange regular individual meetings and check-ins
with all high school students and will facilitate IC-specific peer and near-peer
networking opportunities.
The IC Coordinator will assess lab climate with careful attention to whether
the environment is appropriate for high school students through site visits
and/or exit interviews.

NOTE: OITE Mentor training will be offered regularly and is highly recommended for all
labs sponsoring high school students. For purposes of high school internship programs,
a mentor is defined as the intern’s day-to-day supervisor.
_____________________________
*Subject to waiver on appeal to the DDIR, for example, for isolated campuses like RML
or NIEHS.
**Subject to waiver on appeal to the DDIR. Potential reasons for waiving this
requirement are discussed in the FAQs for HS-SIP.

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