Researching Reality Internship

Researching Reality is an annual two-month internship program (7 June to 30 July 2021) that offers intensive training in policy-relevant research to undergraduate and graduate students of various disciplines. In the course of the internship, the interns frame a research question, analyse the data collected through primary and secondary sources, and author a research paper.

While research-guides steer their projects and train them, various experts, academics and practitioners working in the field of public policy provide their knowledge and insights.

One of the country's premier research internship programs, 2021 marks the twenty-first edition of Researching Reality Internship.

Eligibility

Researching Reality is a full-time two-month intensive internship

To be considered for the internship program, a candidate must satisfy one of the following;

• Current student enrolled in an undergraduate/ postgraduate course in any academic or professional discipline
• Working Professionals/ Graduates / Researchers

A candidate must demonstrate;

1. Interest in the public policy domain
2. Inquisitive and adept with basic research skills - data collection, inference and analysis
3. Be open to fun, open and respectable environment
4. Be a team player, have strong analytical skills and ability to meet deadlines

The Internship is open to both Domestic and International applicants. We offer assistance for visa applications in 'Volunteer Category' for International Students (if necessary).

There is no registration fee to apply for the program.

There is no stipend paid to Interns for the duration. However, reimbursements approved on actuals by the requisite guide/ coordinator for the purpose of research are provided. Interns are requested to make their own living arrangements in New Delhi (if needed).

Application Procedure

1. Complete the Online Application Form; the form additionally consists of two sections dealing with a Statement of Purpose and essays as a writing sample to be considered for the Interview Round
2. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed through video calls if in-person interviews are not possible; In special circumstances, we do conduct interviews over the phone..
3. A weighted proportion score of the Essays and Personal Interview will be used to determine the final list of selected candidates
4. A second-list based on contingency is generated for wait-listed candidates

Please Note:

Applications can be submitted through the online portal alone. Applications via eM or post are not considered.

Any attempt to influence the application decision leads to disqualification of the candidate.

Important Post-Pandemic Changes

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, we have made a few alterations to the format of the internship. They are as follows:

Any attempt to influence the application decision leads to disqualification of the candidate.

• The internship will primarily be conducted remotely and only a few candidates will be required to spend two-months at the Delhi office. (This will be discussed in the interview round as per the availability of the person)
• The candidates will still be expected to commit to the internship full time for 8 weeks and part-time post that on the review of the research papers.
• There will be no change to the dates of the internship. (7 June to 30 July 2021)

We are always looking for the best possible path to go ahead with, while still maintaining the core principles and takeaways of the Researching Reality Internship. These changes have been made keeping in mind the challenges that our applicants face with respect to their personal/professional commitments

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Researching Reality Internship?
The researching reality internship is a two-month full-time internship that enables the interns to conduct holistic research culminating in working papers on citizen-centric thematic issues.

What is the format of the Internship?
The internship spans over two-months, is full-time and cannot be completed in a part-time format. The internship will be conducted from 7 June to 30 July 2021. The intern must commit to the duration of the project solely to the Internship. The interns would be working 8½ hours Monday to Friday.

What facilities will be available to me?
Yes, we do provide research guides to each intern team to help and supervise the research. In addition to the Research Guide, there is also a Research Director, a Research Associate and a Research Coordinator to assist the interns on any issues that may arise.

Does CCS offer a stipend for the internship period?
No stipend is provided to the interns. Reimbursements approved by the guide/coordinator are reimbursed on actuals with prior approval for any project related task.

Does CCS offer accommodation for outstation applicants?
Interns are requested to make their own living arrangements in New Delhi for the Internship Period. We offer assistance with accommodations in the city.

How would I be benefited by the internship program?
Interns benefit from:

• Training in research, analysis, documenting and coming out with your own research paper.

• Interaction with academia, media experts and eminent scholars.

• Learning in communication through field based research.

• Chance for publication in newspapers, magazines and CCS books.

• Certificate on successful completion of internship.

Will CCS provide Research guide?
Research Guides are experts who provide supervision and experience from their niche expertise in their domain of research specialization. They are the ones who have already worked on the issue and have sufficient knowledge of research methodologies. People like academicians and scholars are appointed as Research Guides.

Who are Research Guides?
Research Guides are the people with competence of supervision and experience in the domain of the research. They are the ones who have already worked on the issue and have sufficient knowledge research. People like academicians and scholars are appointed as Research Guides.

Will I be working in a group or individually?
In the summer internship, all interns work on group projects. The groups range from 2-3 interns. Group projects are an opportunity to produce more intensive, in-depth and holistic papers, thus giving more depth and scope to the final output produced.

Is CCS flexible with timeline of the Internship?
The summer internship is a very structured program with around 15 candidates interning at the same time. It will not be possible to change the timeline for any of the participants. We suggest applying for a non-summer internship for those who can't join the Researching Reality internship. The timings are more flexible for non-summer internships. You can do this anytime for two months between October and March

Click here to know more about internships for RR-2021