The Embedded Scholars program provides opportunities for students at various levels and from various disciplines to work in International IDEA’s Latin American offices. Students support a variety of ongoing democracy assistance programs and engage in original research.
Scope of Work: The fellows work and conduct research in one or more areas of International IDEA’s mandate, which include but are not limited to: (a) Electoral assistance; (b) Constitution building; (c) Peace building; (d) Gender equality; (e) Political participation and representation; and (f) Democracy assessments and applied research.
The work involves: (a) Democratic assistance projects: Research fellows contribute to one of International IDEA’s specific projects, primarily through research, data collection and analysis, and reports (such as situation analysis, legal research, fact sheets, and aide mémoires). (b) Constitutional research projects: Research fellows also conduct research on constitutional projects developed by the Comparative Constitutions Project (CCP). (c) Joint research projects: Researchers at UT, International IDEA, and CCP may also engage fellows in joint research projects on issues relating to democratic governance.
Location: The fellows are based at International IDEA’s Latin America offices in Panama and sometimes other countries. The specific location is determined based on IDEA’s projects and fellows’ experience.
Dates: The 2024 fellowship dates on-site will be a minimum of six weeks from June 1-July 14, 2024. Fellows can stay in country longer, depending on their availability and funding. Fellows can also continue their work remotely after their time in country, depending on their availability and specific projects with IDEA.
Eligibility: This fellowship is open to all students of any major. Students should be proficient in Spanish and have a GPA of at least 3.5. A demonstrated interest in democracy and/or Latin American politics and society is key. Students must be able to take a 3-hour course in Spring 2024 to prepare for their fieldwork.
Spring Course: Students are required to take, and complete in good standing, a 3-hour Spring course on Democratic and Constitutional Development to prepare for their work and research in the field. The course covers current democratic and constitutional trends globally, goals and tools of democracy assistance, and applicable research methods.
Summer Credit: Students remain enrolled at UT during the summer either by enrolling in Independent Study and Research (ISR) or in another class. This program is credit-eligible and can be connected to an internship course for credit at UT. For questions about receiving credit, reach out to Stephanie Cushey.
Funding: Students will be automatically eligible for a scholarship of $4,000. Students can obtain additional funding by applying to the International Education Fee (IEF) Scholarship or other institutional or national scholarships. For a full list of funding opportunities, visit the Texas Global pages on Funding Resources and Funding for Internships Abroad. Please note especially the funding opportunities through the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies.
Housing and Transportation: Students are responsible for securing their own housing and transportation but will receive guidance from program staff.
Estimated Budget: The total estimate for a 6-week program is $4,424, with estimated costs detailed below.
Supervision: Fellows will be supervised by staff at IDEA and the program directors at UT Austin. Fellows and their supervisors will complete a learning agreement that will state the expectations and objectives of the internship. This agreement will be submitted to Dr. Elkins, Dr. Moran, and Ms. Cushey. They will provide guidance and support for students throughout the process.
More Information: For more information, download the 2024 Fellowship Flyer.