Information for Students
Information for Students Wishing to Participate in the Programme:
CAS-IP Programme Assistant Irina Curca with intern Rachel Weatherup
The CAS @ Cambridge internship programme will give you the opportunity to apply your knowledge to complete a practical project at one of the 15 CGIAR centres around the world. All the centres are working to “achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through scientific research, and research-related activities in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, policy and environment”. For more information on the CGIAR, where centres are located and the work they are involved in you can visit www.cgiar.org
CAS-IP will make every effort to accommodate personal preferences when allocating successful candidates to a CG centre for an internship - and we will be asking you to indicate your top 3 choices of centres you would like to visit. Please remember however, that in order to ensure the success of the programme students need to be allocated according to experience, background, suitability and availability as well as personal preferences.
Basic Information for Potential Interns:
Prior to your arrival
Once you are selected for the internship, we will ask you to fill in a questionnaire with your personal data /contact information and to send us two recent pictures of yourself.
Induction in Rome; Travel to the Centre
You will spend one week at the CAS-IP office in Rome before spending, on average, 4 weeks in a CGIAR centre. The week in Rome will be an induction. During this time, Victoria Henson-Apollonio, Senior Scientist and Manager of CAS-IP will lead a series of presentations and discussions sufficient for you to develop an understanding of the organisation of the CGIAR System and its mission and to become familiar with the work of the appropriate Centres in light of Intellectual Property Management issues. There will be time to consult briefing materials about the centre you will travel to and you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the terms of reference of your individual placement. Last but not least, you will have a chance to enjoy the beauties of the “Eternal City” of Rome.
Travel to & accommodation in Rome
Travel costs to Rome (based on the most economical airfare available) and accommodation will be arranged and paid for by CAS-IP. Accommodation is generally a single room in a shared apartment. This depends on availability at the time but you will be informed in advance of all the details.
Public transport transfers from the airport and train fares to travel daily to and from the office will also be reimbursed. In addition you will receive a basic allowance (approx of Euro100/week) to cover out-of-pocket expenses.
Some interns travel directly from the induction week in Rome to their placement in-centre. While the dates of the Rome induction are not subject to any modifications, you may be able to postpone your in-Center internship to a later, mutually agreeable date, if this suits your needs.
Travel to & accommodation at the placement Centre
Travel and accommodation arrangements related to the second part of your placement will be handled directly by the hosting centre. The officer responsible for the logistics at the centre will contact you directly to coordinate with you your travel arrangements as well as to provide you the invitation letter for visa application (if applicable).
Accommodation varies from centre to centre. Some centres have a guest house where all visiting personnel are housed. Other centres may put you up in a hotel. Again, these are details that will be confirmed once you have accepted your placement and you begin liaise with your host centre about logistics.
You will be paid an allowance (approx $100/week, adjusted depending on the region) to cover out of pocket expenses.
Interns George Kun and Richard Storey with Kay Chapman (centre) the CAS-IP Programme Specialist
At the end of your in-Centre Internship you will have a chance to share the findings from your project with the Centere’s staff. You will be encouraged to give a seminar about your work, the problems you might have identified, the methodology used and the solutions proposed.
What CAS-IP Requires from Prospective Interns:
We require you sign and return a memorandum of understanding provided by CAS-IP, no later than the 1st March of the year you would like complete your internship.
This memorandum will outline your commitment to:
Attend an orientation session at the CAS-IP office in Rome during the first week of July (exact dates TBA)
