Internships

START is currently offering unpaid internships on several of its research projects. Internships are open to undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates are eligible to receive academic credit for the experience through the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) Internship Program. More information about START itself can be found here.

Summer 2012 Internship Opportunities

Communications

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland is seeking two student communication interns for summer 2012.

START communications interns will report to the director of communications. For both internships, responsibilities will include:

• Writing and editing press releases
• Planning and attending events
• Writing and publishing feature stories
• Creating media kits
• Developing and tracking media lists
• Monitoring social media
• Assisting with strategic planning and implementation
• Engaging in START's educational enrichment program

Qualifications:

• Junior or senior majoring in journalism, communication or a related field
• Interest in media relations, strategic planning and public relations
• Excellent writing and verbal skills
• Knowledge of AP style
• Computer skills: Microsoft Office Suite (required), Adobe Creative Suite

For more information about Communications internships at START please contact Jessica Rivinius: rivinius@umd.edu.

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The Global Terrorism Database

The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) is an open source, unclassified database including information on terrorist events around the world since 1970 (currently updated through 2010). 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 domestic as well as international terrorist incidents that have occurred during this time period and now includes over 98,000 cases.

The Internship

We are currently seeking graduate students and exceptional undergraduate students with an interest in terrorism research and public policy for a number of projects. These projects include the use of improvised explosive devices (IED) in terrorist incidents, geo-spatial patterns and terrorism, situational determinants of maritime security, terrorism in India, terrorist organization data collection, and historic and contemporary terrorism data verification. In addition to the BSOS credits received, there are several advantages to be gained from this internship experience including acquiring knowledge regarding the problem of terrorism and the nature of global terrorist violence, working with students and faculty who specialize in the study of terrorism, and directly participating in research that is having a policy impact. 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 relevant for those planning graduate school applications in related social and behavioral science fields or anyone interested in gaining employment in the United States homeland security, defense, law enforcement or intelligence communities.

In addition to the qualifications regarding specific projects, applicants should be self-motivated and responsible; any regional expertise, language skills, or prior research experience would be a definite asset. Applicants must also have a minimum of 60 university credits, a record of academic achievement, and a strong interest in research. Upon selection, interns will be required to attend relevant training and biweekly meetings (every other Monday 1:30-3pm), to commit 20 hours a week of their time to projects, and to communicate frequently with their assigned project manager.

Summer 2012 Semester Projects:

• Understanding the Patterns and Use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)
  Project Manager: Michael Distler
  Tasks: Coding of data on improvised explosive device (IED) incidents. Researching cases to gather more detailed information on whether they fit the definition of IED.
  Qualifications: General interest in terrorism, attention to detail, proficient with Excel and use of the internet.

• Geo-Spatial Patterns and Terrorism
  Project Manager: Brandon Behlendorf
  Tasks: Geocoding, spatial analysis, data organizing and finalizing.
  Qualifications: Attention to detail, willingness to learn new skills, familiarity with Excel and use of the internet, Geography or other related discipline, and familiarity with ArcGIS

• The Situational Determinants of Maritime Security
  Project Manager: Brandon Behlendorf
  Tasks: Data coding, collection, research on international law regarding piracy and armed robbery at sea
  Qualifications: Interest in maritime piracy, attention to detail, willingness to learn new skills, familiarity with Excel and Access and use of the internet

• Understanding the Dynamics of Terrorism in India
  Project Manager: Sumit Kumar
  Tasks: Researching individual terrorist events, collecting original source data on terrorism and coding events where needed, reviewing previous research on patterns of terrorist activity in India
  Qualifications: : Attention to detail, familiarity with accessing multiple types of information resources (including texts, journal articles, media sources, web sites, etc.), ability to work independently but to ask questions

• Attack and Perpetrator Investigation Project
  Project Manager: Erin Miller
  Tasks: Systematically investigating errors or inconsistencies in the historical data (particularly as they are identified by analysts), proofreading text in the GTD and correcting typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors, and researching individual terrorist events as needed to verify data.
  Qualifications: Interest in maintenance and improvement of large databases, attention to detail, excellent spelling and grammar skills, familiarity with accessing multiple types of information resources (including texts, journal articles, media sources, web sites, etc.)

• Global Terrorism Database Intern At Large (Generalist)
  Project Manager: Erin Miller
  Tasks: Assisting with a variety of assignments involving the Global Terrorism Database, including supplemental work on existing internship projects, researching specific incidents of terrorism, and supporting ongoing data collection as needed.
  Qualifications: Interest in data collection, attention to detail, excellent spelling and grammar skills, familiarity with accessing multiple types of information resources (including texts, journal articles, media sources, web sites, etc.), insatiable curiosity.

For more information about GTD internships please contact Michael Distler: mdistler@start.umd.edu

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Book Project -- Completion of book manuscript entitled Managing Conflicts while Managing Reputations: India's Responses to Insurgent Movements, under contract with Georgetown University Press

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will be expected to assist Dr. Bidisha Biswas in the completion of the book project. This will include the following activities:

• Preparation of timelines for each conflict explored in the book (Punjab, Kashmir, Maoist insurgency)
• Fact-checking dates and names of relevant actors involved in each conflict
• Assistance with preparation of charts and illustrations (familiarity with Excel required)
• Other research and editorial functions, as required.

Qualifications:

• Preference will be given to graduate students, exceptional undergraduates will also be considered
• Degree should be in the field of political science
• Some familiarity with the Indian political environment .

Special Notes:

• This positions is 10-15 hours per week
• Supervisor is off campus, intern should still expect to complete the bulk of their work hours on campus at UMD
• Intern will meet with supervisor regularly via teleconference and will be available during specified work hours to discuss tasks.

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Special Projects Internship

START Special Project Interns will be supervised by Gary Ackerman, John Sawyer, and Lauren Pinson; however, depending on the project, interns may also work directly with another researcher, including Brandon Behlendorf or Suzzette Abbasciano. All special projects interns participate in the Red Team Project: Create a detailed hypothetical attack plan for the use of radiological and/or nuclear weapons against the United States. This project supports an ongoing research project on the pursuit of radiological and nuclear (RN) weapons by non-state adversaries and the potential ways in which they would use such weapons.

Summer 2012 Projects:

• Advanced Research Internship
  Provide assistance in substantive research and analysis in a variety of short-term and long-term Special Projects. Tasking will be extremely varied and will often involve quick turnaround. Advanced Research Interns will be involved in multiple projects and have the opportunity to help transition projects into a variety of mediums and publications. May be opportunity for co-publications.
  Desired qualifications: Strong research background through coursework or internships/jobs; must be able to learn on the job; flexibility and ability to handle multitasking; and, self-driven. Graduate students or extremely qualified undergraduates strongly preferred.

• Anatomizing Chemical and Biological Non-State Adversaries Project
  Provide research support for a mixed-methods project analyzing the characteristics and behaviors of chemical and biological adversaries.
  Desired qualifications: Background or interest in chemical and biological security and/or proliferation and/or terrorist group decision making.

• CBRN Terrorism Research Project
  Provide research and quantitative coding of CBRN events, along with assisting in research for and writing of CBRN event case studies focused on group decision making. The CBRN Terrorism Research Project is creating a database of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) terrorist events including plots, acquisitions, and attacks. The project also encompasses coding longitudinal organizational and weapons information.
  Desired qualifications: Willingness to use internet research skills and learn analysis skills; background or interest in CBRN security and/or proliferation; and, experience in or desire to learn social science research methods and/or coding techniques.

• CBRN Event Profile Project
  Assess and write case summaries of CBRN events. This project complements the CBRN Terrorism Coding Project.
  Desired qualifications: Strong writing skills needed.

• GIS Analytical Project
  Roadway network analysis, terrain integration, and geostatistical analysis of a large-scale environment.
  Desired qualifications: Interns should have substantial experience using GIS, including work on remote sensing, geoprocessing, and geodatabases. Applicants will have to show mastery of GIS concepts and applications. Experience programming inside ArcGIS (including VBScript and Python) is also strongly preferred, but not required.

• Influencing Violent Extremist Organizations Project
  Assist on research and drafting of literature reviews and case studies on influencing violent extremist organizations. This project may also focus on a specific region or nonstate actors triggering international crises.
  Desired qualifications: Background or interest in the study of terrorism and/or political violence; will gain knowledge of researching and utilizing academic journal articles; and, attention to detail and editing skills helpful.

• Islamic Radicalization Project
  Identify and develop in-depth profiles of individuals who have radicalized to the point of jihadist violence. This project includes updating a dataset of all known jihadists in North America, expansion of this dataset to other regions, and assessing individuals' change in radicalization over time.
  Desired qualifications: Experience in or desire to learn social science research methods and/or coding techniques; and, attention to detail.

• Nuclear Security Project
  Research platforms, legal proceedings, and relevant material on nuclear security within the European Context. Interns will be tasked to research and identify the existing civil and military nuclear security context within each country, as well as regional security frameworks.
  Desired qualifications: Previous experience working on a research project is required; and, fluency in a European language is also strongly preferred, but not required.

• Nuclear Smuggling Project
  This project will require interns to conduct background research on nuclear smuggling cases within the European context and write case studies regarding individual smuggling incidents.
  Desired qualifications: Interns should have excellent research and writing skills, and the ability to work independently as part of a larger research team. Fluency in Russian, Arabic, Turkish, or any European language is a plus.

• Organized Criminal Intelligence Project
  Research, review, and code a variety of activities by transnational criminal organizations within the Central American and Caribbean region. Interns will work with open source material to identify specific actions from over 155 organizations, including arrest, drug production, trafficking routes, and violent activities.
  Desired qualifications: Fluency in English is required; fluency in Spanish or Portuguese is also strongly preferred but not required.

• Open Source Intelligence Project
  Utilize open source information (media, social media, web-based searches) to gather unclassified intelligence on a variety of criminal and terrorist groups operating within the European context. Interns will research specific groups, write summaries of their activities, and identify new or emerging patterns relevant to national security interests.
  Desired Qualification: Previous experience in a research environment and fluency in Russian, Arabic, Turkish, or any European language is preferred, but not required.

• Central American Trafficking Project (summer only)
  Provide research support for 1- an overview of the illegal antiquities market in Central America and the Caribbean, 2- identifying common types of antiquities trafficked and the major players involved, 3- analyze countertrafficking and overall connections to RN smuggling and/or 1- assisting in research and analysis on La Familia Michoacana and smuggling.
  Desired Qualifications: Spanish language skills; interest in international security and trafficking issues and/or Latin America; and, strong writing and editing skills.

• Transportation Analysis Project
  Examine multi-modal transportation capabilities within the European context. Interns will work with geospatial analysts to model the flow of commercial goods and people across multiple countries and to identify specific security vulnerabilities across specific routes.
  Desired Qualifications: Students in degree programs in Transportation Studies, Logistics, Transportation Management, or other transportation-related programs are strongly preferred.

For more information at the Special Projects internships please contact Lauren Pinson: lpinson@start.umd.edu

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START/State Department Terrorist Organizations Internship

START is excited to be able to offer a limited number of highly selective intern positions to students interested in working on projects for the State Department using START data (such as the GTD) and other open sources.

Students will gather and analyze statistics on terrorist organizations over time. Projects will include collecting the number and type of attacks over time, looking at trends, and possibly even modeling group capacity out into the future. Interns will also provide assistance in researching open source information on the leadership of some groups for possible future designations.

This internship will be co-supervised by researchers on-site at the University of Maryland and by project leads at the State Department. The State Department leads will set and give feedback on tasks.

Qualifications: Desired intern characteristics include:

• Applicants must have an interest in terrorism
• Attention to detail
• Familiarity with accessing multiple types of information resources (including texts, journal articles, media sources, web sites, etc.).
• Ability to work independently.
• Proficient with Excel and use of the internet.
• Any regional expertise, language skills, or prior research experience would be a definite asset.
• Applicants must also have a minimum of 60 university credits.
• A record of academic achievement
• A strong interest in research
• Be willing to sign up for the BSOS internship program.

In addition to being able to commit to work 20 hours per week on site at the START offices for the semester, students should also expect to attend pre arranged meetings with their State Department supervisors.

For more information about the START/State Department internships please contact Sarah Fishering: sfishering@start.umd.edu

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ALL START SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

• All interns must work a minimum of 20 hours per week throughout the summer (unless otherwise stated above) and meet periodically with their project coordinators.
• All interns must be able to attend START Summer Intern Orientation on Tuesday May 29.
• All START summer internships start on Tuesday May 29 and end on Friday August 17.
• All interns must be able to complete their work hours on campus at the University of Maryland College Park.
• Work hours are scheduled Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
• All internships are UNPAID unless otherwise stated.
• All interns must apply via the process described below.

How To Apply For START Internships

START is currently accepting applications for all of the above internships for Summer 2012.

Deadline

All internship applications must be submitted by 5 pm on Wednesday March 21 2012. In complete applications will not be considered.

Application Materials

All applications must include the following:

• Unofficial transcript(s)
• One-page resume
• One-page cover letter
• Two-page writing sample (Please note communications interns must submit two writing samples)
• Complete application form [>> Download HERE <<]

These items should be submitted as a single .PDF or .doc file, using your first and last name in the filename according to the following format: LASTNAME.FIRSTNAME.INTERN.pdf

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SENT TO education@start.umd.edu.

Notes

• START will aim to interview top candidates during the first and second weeks of April.
• Applicants must pay close attention to the requirements of each of the internships they are applying for, including attendance to team meetings and the minimum time commitment, inability to attend compulsory meetings or work the minimum required hours will result in rescinding of any offer made.
• Applicants who select more than one project may be required to attend more than one interview.
• The applicant’s project preferences as indicated on the application form will be taken into account if more than one of the projects the applicant is applying for accepts the applicant.
• Any successful applicant will be asked to respond with a firm acceptance within 24 hours of the offer being made. Failure to respond could result in your place being given to another applicant.
• Failure to complete this form in full, including the selection of 1-3 internship preferences could result in your application being rejected without further consideration.
• Failure to submit the proper materials according to the directions provided above could result in your application being rejected without further consideration.
• Questions about specific internships, their requirements or subject matter should be directed to the contact person listed for each set of projects

PLEASE NOTE START FALL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE UPDATED SHORTLY

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