Dates of Program

The RISCL Internship/Volunteer Program accepts up to a maximum of two (2) interns for placement each year.  An intern may be placed in either Summer Session I or Summer Session II for a total of 5 weeks; in both Summer Sessions I & II for a total of 10 weeks.

Types of Internships

All RISCL Internships are unpaid volunteer positions.  The Laboratory offers two types of internships.

·    Academic Credit – an unpaid Summer Internship/Practicum for academic credit.  The amount of academic credits that a student receives is pre-determined by their school.  Typically, the number of academic credits is proportionate to the number of interning hours, i.e. 3 credits for 20 hours per week interning.

·    Experiential Education – This type of internship is designed to enable students to link theory to real world practice.  A student receives no academic credit for their time.

Types of Students

The RISCL Internship/Volunteer Program accepts students who meet the following criteria:

·    Graduate Students - A full-time/part-time graduate student of an accredited Forensic Science Program that has completed at least the first two academic semesters of the graduate program (or equivalent in the part-time graduate program) and is in good standing with his or her school.

·    Undergraduate Students – An undergraduate student who meets the curriculum guidelines in a particular physical or life science major and a Forensic Science minor:  that has completed a minimum of 60 credits, has maintained a minimum quality point average of 2.50, and is in good standing with his/her school.  The undergraduate student may be assigned within the Laboratory depending upon:  the need of the Laboratory, the skills that a student may or may not have, and any specific interests of the student.  An undergraduate’s responsibilities are typically of a clerical nature.  On certain occasions, an undergraduate may be assigned non-clerical projects such as research when the need arises.

In addition to the above-mentioned criteria, a student must show proof (i.e. college transcript, certificate, etc.) that he/she has recently attended a college laboratory safety training program prior to internship assignment at the RISCL.

Placement

Placements for interns vary depending upon the level of education and the need of the Laboratory.  Typically, an intern is assigned a rotating schedule including but not limited to each of the following Laboratory sections:  Latent Prints, Trace Evidence, and Firearms.  Specific alternative assignments may be pre-arranged to accommodate an intern’s program of study/research project.  Evaluations are completed on all students.

Hours of Work

Typically, the hours of work for RISCL interns are as follows:  Four (4) hours a day, Monday through Friday, for a total of twenty (20) hours per week.  Any missed hours (i.e. illness, holiday, etc.) shall be made up during the remaining days as agreed upon by the intern supervisor and the intern.

Application Process

The RISCL application process consists of three (3) levels.  Applicants must satisfy the requirements of each level before proceeding to the next level.

·    Internship Application (Level 1) - Upon request, an Application for Internship/Volunteer Program and a Departmental Laboratory Overview will be sent to you.  Please complete the application/documents and return with a cover letter, official college transcript and resume to the address listed on the letterhead.  Be sure you have signed the application, Authority for Release of Information Form and *Internship/Volunteer Program Agreement and Release Form (*must be notarized).  Please note incomplete packages will not be processed.

·    Background Check (Level 2) - The next level in the application process is a background check.  A background check, consisting of Rhode Island, the applicant’s state of legal residence (if other than R.I.) and NCIC (including DC, LA, MA, ME and VT), shall be conducted prior to the scheduling of an interview.  The student shall be responsible for any/all costs (approximately $22.00) associated with background checks.  Background checks must be completed within 14 days of request.

·    Interviews (Level 3) – Interviews are scheduled upon the completion of a student’s internship file.  The interviews are almost always conducted in-person and are scheduled during normal business hours.  Alternate accommodations may be made in certain circumstances.

2010 Deadlines

·    Application requests for the 2009 Program must be submitted by March 30, 2010.

·    Application/documents, cover letter, college transcript and resume must be postmarked no later than April 15, 2010.

Successful candidates for the 2010 RISCL Internship/Volunteer Program will be notified in writing on or before May 1, 2010.

Should you have any questions, please contact Amy Duhaime, RISCL Internship Coordinator at 401– 874-2893.