Guidelines for Internship at Ecoinformatics centre
Eligibility for Internship
Academic Background:
Undergraduate, Graduate or Post Graduate students with interest in areas such as sustainable development, community forestry, agronomy, ecology, biology, environmental education, rural development, conservation, etc.
Skills/Experience:
The willingness towards working with a flexible profile is a key requirement for this internship. ATREE is involved in various projects and programs in the field of conservation. These are subject to change with little notice. ATREE would certainly facilitate in matchmaking of interests of the intern with the current projects, however it seeks an intern with varied interests, so that they could adapt better to the job profile. Other required skills include: organizational skills, writing and communication skills, computer skills, field experience relating to intern's academic interests (e.g. scientific research, GIS, education), ability to work independently
Language Requirements:
The candidate should be able to speak, read and write English.
Internship Costs
Travel and In-country Budget:
ATREE is not able to provide any Sponsorship/Scholarship to interested interns.
International Travel:
Flights from the U.S. are approximately $1500. Visas are required and their cost depends on the length of stay.
Housing:
ATREE does not provide housing or homestays, but will assist in locating suitable housing upon arrival of the intern. There are several options for longer-term stay in Bangalore, not far from ATREE office, all of which are dependant on budgets.
- For foreign or out of station students ATREE could help them book into a single room or else a dormitory space in various guesthouses about 4 to 5 kms from office. After 2 or 3 nights, the student can then look at paying guest options even closer to the office, in the range of their budget and to their own liking.
- The single room at UTC guesthouse costs Rs. 400/night.
- The dormitory space at Bangalore Youth Hostel costs Rs. 75/night.
- There is also another more comfortable paying guest house that some of our international students have used for long stay is called La Residence and here the cost is Rs. 5000/month inclusive of room/cleaning/3 meals etc. and also has internet facilities.
- The other paying guest accommodations are more rudimentary and run anywhere from Rs. 2500/month to Rs. 4500/month without meals.
- For long-term stays ATREE would be able to arrange for a single room house with an attached bathroom with basic ammeneties. The rent for such a place is Rs 3000 per month, with which a refundable deposit of Rs 10, 000 is required.
- If the intern will be living at a field station location, all housing will be pre-arranged by ATREE and the intern will be informed of the cost. (Approximately US $200 per month).
* ATREE may facilitate an airport pick up for foreign interns, in case it is requested for.
Food:
ATREE will not provide compensation for food. Lunch can be purchased on a daily basis at the office for approximately US $ 0.50 /meal. Other meals are easily taken near the office or place of residence. Due to religious and cultural observances, many Indians are vegetarians and therefore it is extremely easy to find vegetarian meals. It is also often possible to arrange meals as part of the housing arrangement. Cooking is also a possibility if the intern's housing has a kitchen, stove, etc., though this is most often not the case. The cost of food and meals in India is relatively very inexpensive. Depending on the preferences and appetite of the intern, the overall cost of food (prepared and purchased meals) is approximately US $100-$200 per month. It is also recommended that the intern purchase bottled drinking water, which is widely available at US $ 0.40 for 2 liters.
Local Travel Expenses:
ATREE will not provide local transportation. It is possible to live within walking distance of the Bangalore Office. Otherwise, local transport will cost approximately US$20-$60 per month. ATREE will not pay for local transport for work related activities, though often the intern can be transported free of charge with other staff in ATREE vehicles.
The average monthly cost of living (housing, food, local travel) for interns is approximately US $350. This does not include personal travel or recreation.
Additional Information
Start Date:
Rolling start dates throughout the year
Duration:
generally 3-6 months
Number of Positions:
2 interns at any given time
Academic Credit:
Interns must arrange academic credit requirements with their home institution prior to their arrival in Bangalore. ATREE will assist the intern in achieving these requirements during their internship.
Computers:
It is sometimes possible for ATREE to provide a computer, though it is to the advantage for the intern to bring his or her own laptop.
Internship Details:
All internships are coordinated through the Bangalore office. Work and travel to field sites and other offices may be coordinated based on the specific internship. The intern will be in communication with their ATREE supervisor and the administration prior to their arrival. During this time and immediately following their arrival in Bangalore, the intern will be given an overview of ATREE's current projects and will be encouraged to discuss specific internship possibilities with various members of ATREE's staff. As mentioned above, flexibility is a required attribute of all interns. Interns may come into contact with restrictions or changes to which they are unaccustomed. For example due to traditional cultural norms, male interns working in rural villages will not be able to work directly with village women. However, they can work with men and/or all school children. Female interns will not be able to work directly with male members of the village, but may work with women and/or all school children. At the ATREE office and in Bangalore, these restrictions do not apply. The monsoon season occurs from June through August and therefore fieldwork will be limited and interns will most likely be restricted to the Bangalore office during this time.
About the Bangalore Office:
The Bangalore office is located on the outskirts of Bangalore in a suburb called Hebbal, directly off a main city transport artery. It is approximately 20 minutes from central Bangalore and is easily accessible by public transportation. The office has 3 floors and approximately 30 employees at any given time, many of whom split their time between their field research sites and the central office. ATREE employees have varied interests and projects and often collaborate on larger issues. The Bangalore office also houses the GIS lab. Office atmosphere is casual and English is the language most often spoken. Office hours are usually 9am-5pm, but are flexible for earlier arrivals or later departures. In India, Saturday is often a workday. There is a guard/groundskeeper present 24 hours/day at the office.
About Dress Codes:
The ATREE office follows a business-casual dress code.
About Local Transportation:
Buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis are plentiful and transportation around the city is not a problem, though language barriers can be a minor obstacle. Bangalore is also a regional capital and therefore it is a transportation hub for long-distance trains, buses and air-travel.
Additional Suggestion:
It is recommended that non-Indian citizens review any one of many well-respected travel guidebooks in order to gain more information on additional matters such as visas, health matters, money exchange, culture, customs, etc.
Submit CV / Contact
Madhura Niphadkar, Sr. Research Associate / Coordinator,
Eco-Informatics Centre, ATREE
659, 5th A Main Road,
Hebbal,Bangalore 560024
Karnataka, India
Phones: 91-80-3530069, 3539885, 3638771 Fax: 91-80-3530070
[email protected]
*Note: Please email materials in MS Word document format.
Interns
2007
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ATREE, Tel: 91-80-23530069, 91-80-23533942