Internships

Fall 2008 Internship Openings

Start is currently offering for-credit, unpaid internships on several of its research projects. Internships are open to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Maryland. Undergraduates are eligible to receive academic credit for the experience through the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) Internship Program.

The Global Terrorism Database

The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) is an open-source database including information on terrorist events around the world since 1970 (currently updated through 2004). The database is maintained by researchers at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence. Unlike many other event databases, the GTD includes systematic data on international as well as domestic terrorist incidents that have occurred during this time period and now includes almost 80,000 cases. For each GTD incident, information is available on the date and location of the incident, the weapons used and nature of the target, the number of casualties, and, when identifiable, the identity of the perpetrator.

We are currently seeking graduate students and exceptional undergraduate students with an interest in terrorism, research, and public policy for a number of data analysis and data collection projects. In addition to the BSOS credits received, there are several advantages to be gained from this internship experience. Such advantages include acquiring knowledge regarding the problem of terrorism and the nature of global terrorist violence, utilizing advanced research techniques, and facilitating in the advancement of a large-scale database. Interns will also experience what it is like to be a member of a large, multi-year social science research project through working with a team of homeland security practitioners and researchers in a supportive working environment. GTD internships will also be advantageous for those future graduate school applicants or anyone interested in gaining employment in the United States Intelligence community (for example, the CIA or DHS).

In addition to the qualifications listed below regarding specific projects, applicants should be self-motivated and responsible; any regional expertise or language skills would be a definite asset. Applicants must also have a minimum of 60 credits, a record of academic achievement, a strong interest in research, and be willing to sign up for the BSOS internship program. Preference will be give to those in the terrorism minor program. Upon selection, interns will also be required to attend relevant training and bimonthly meetings, to commit 9-10 hours a week of their time to the project, and to communicate frequently with their assigned project manager.

To apply, please send a copy of your resume and unofficial transcripts as well as a cover letter outlining why you would like to work on the Global Terrorism Database, what particular project(s) you are interested in (from the list below), and what qualifications you hold specific to that particular project(s) to Jennifer Varriale at jvarriale@crim.umd.edu or to the address below by Monday, September 1st.

The Global Terrorism Database Internship
National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)
3300 Symons Hall, University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742

Download additional information on the GTD internship.

The Minorities at Risk (MAR) Project

The Minorities at Risk (MAR) Project is a research project that monitors and analyzes the status and conflicts of politically-active communal groups in all countries with a current population of at least 500,000. MAR currently tracks 284 politically-active ethnic groups throughout the world from 1945 -- identifying where they are, what they do, and what happens to them. MAR focuses specifically on ethnopolitical groups, non-state communal groups that have "political significance" in the contemporary world because of their status and political actions.

In 2005, MAR began a new project, MAROB (Minorities at Risk Organizational Behavior), which tracks organizations all over the world claiming to represent minorities. This project aims to answer some fundamental questions of interest to scholars, policy makers, and the general public about why organizations sometimes choose violence and/or terrorism as strategies to achieve their goals. If you become an intern with MAR, you will be working on and contributing directly to this MAROB project, a project which has already attracted interest from the U.S. government, other governments around the world, and international scholars.

MAR is currently seeking graduate students and exceptional undergraduate students with a particular interest in research, ethnic minorities, and violence. Applicants should be self-motivated and responsible with a particular interest in the Middle East or Europe. You will record information –- a process known as "coding" -– on a wide range of indicators that include everything from the type of leadership the organization has, to what type of international support the organization receives, to whether the organization uses political violence or engages in terrorism. There will be a training period at the start of the internship to ensure you feel comfortable with the process of coding. While background knowledge of the region is an advantage, it is not required.

Interns will be required to attend an all-day training session on Wednesday, August 27, 2008. Following the training session, interns will complete a training case, to be submitted no later than September 12, 2008. Interns will work a minimum of 150 hours over the course of the semester (or, an average of 10 hours/week). Training is included in these hours. While most of the work can be completed off-site, interns are expected to work in the office a minimum of 3 hours/week. There will also be periodic staff meetings that interns will be required to attend. Finally, interns will give a final presentation the week of December 15, 2008.

To apply for the MAR internship, please send a copy of your transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) as well as a one-page letter outlining why you would like to work with MAR and why you think you would make a good intern candidate to minpro@cidcm.umd or to the postal address listed below. The application deadline for a fall 2008 internship is August 15, 2008.

Minorities at Risk Project
Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM)
Center for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)
3300 Symons Hall, University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742

Download additional information on the MAR internship.

Guerrilla Insurgencies and Terrorism Internship Program

Professors Paul Huth and Mark Lichbach from the Government & Politics Department (GVPT) have recently started a new project that investigates the use of terrorism by guerrilla insurgencies during the period 1980-2007. There is substantial variation across insurgencies regarding patterns of terrorist attacks. For example, of the 79 civil wars insurgencies fought between 1980-2007, guerrilla organizations resorted to terrorist attacks in 53 (about 67%) but in the remaining 26 wars no terrorist attacks occurred. Among those civil wars where terrorist attacks were carried out, the number of attacks ranged from just a handful in many cases to a few wars in which hundreds and even thousands of attacks were launched. Given such varying patterns of behavior, Professors Huth and Lichbach seek to answer the following questions in this project:

• Why do some guerrilla insurgencies resort to terrorism while others do not?
• Why do some guerrilla organizations resort to terrorism on a massive scale while others engage in only sporadic attacks?
• How do factors such as the internal traits of the insurgency, regime military tactics, or external military ties influence the decisions by guerrilla organizations to carry out terrorist attacks?

Professors Huth and Lichbach are currently seeking graduate students and exceptional undergraduate students with a particular interest in conducting research and studying civil wars and the causes of terrorism. Applicants should be self-motivated, responsible, and attentive to detail. Student researchers will collect information from a variety of sources, including online news reporting services, data bases, as well as specialized books and articles, on political and military developments within civil wars as well as data on the characteristics of the states and guerrilla insurgencies that are fighting in the civil wars.

While general background knowledge of a country or region is helpful, it is not essential.

Interns will be expected to work a minimum of 150 hours over the course of the semester, or, an average of 10 hours per week and they will be expected to turn in short research reports on a regular basis and to maintain close contact with the Professors via email and office meetings. It is expected that the required research can be completed at the library or other locations on campus.

There are several advantages that interns will receive from this internship experience. They will learn a great deal about many civil wars, countries, and terrorist groups around the world; they will learn what it is like to be part of a social science basic research project, and they will improve their research and writing skills.

To apply for the this internship, students should send a copy of their transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) as well as a one-page letter (sent as a Word attachment) outlining why they would like to work on this project and why you think you would make a good intern candidate to Professor Paul Huth at phuth@gvpt.umd.edu. The application deadline for a fall 2008 internship is August 27, 2008.

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