About Social Science Internships

Testimonials

Applications

Information for current interns

Selection criteria	What to expect as an intern	Course Credit
Location of Internships	Cost of Internships	Obligations

Overview

The Program introduces students and graduates specialising in some social sciences (for example: archaeology, cultural heritage, environmental management, history, human geography, sociology etc) to career opportunities in native title, policy, social justice and Indigenous affairs.  The aim of the program is to provide assistance to the anthropology and research staff of under-resourced and over-worked Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs) and Native Title Service Providers (NTSPs) as well as various other organisations working in these areas including Indigenous corporations, government bodies, community groups, not-for-profit and policy organisations.


Short- term internship positions

NTRBs employ lawyers, anthropologists and other researchers, field officers and administrative staff to represent and support Indigenous communities in native title claims, advocacy and other negotiations. Other host organisations advocate policies of reconciliation and equal rights for Indigenous Australians while some provide assistance to Indigenous communities with cultural heritage activities, as well as associated business and community-based initiatives.

Most internships run for 4 to 6 weeks over the June to July and November to March university breaks. They are a full-time workload usually around 40 hours per week.

Aurora Native Title Internship Program - Winter 2010

Applications open 9am AEDST Monday 8 March and close 5pm AEDST Thursday 1 April 2010.

Longer term contract locum positions

Applications are open to social sciences students and graduates in the disciplines mentioned above. Placements may start at 2 months and can continue for up to 1 year. Duties, conditions and remuneration vary from position to position.

Please note the selection criteria for locum positions may differ from those mentioned below - the information below applies only to unpaid student internships.

>> back to top

Selection criteria

Selection for one of the internships will require that applicants have:

	a strong academic record
	an interest in the area of native title and Indigenous affairs
	good interpersonal and communication skills
	cultural awareness and sensitivity
	the willingness to commit to the minimum required period

>> back to top



Locations of social science internships

Locations of placements are Australia-wide. We request that interns provide their preferences, and we do our best to accommodate them. However, as placements are dependent upon organisational need, we cannot guarantee that interns’ preferences will be met.

Click here to see a map of the NTRB regions.

Click here to see a map of other placement organisations.

Click here to see a list of the NTRBs, NTSPs and other placement organisations.


>> back to top

Costs associated with social science internships

The internships are unpaid however, travel costs and accommodation will, in some instances, be covered either partially or totally, by the host organisations. Where this is not possible, internships will be available to those who can self-fund. Interns need to cover their own day-to-day expenses (e.g. food, entertainment, local travel etc.)

The Aurora Project does not provide financial support for interns. Some universities have offered funding to students being placed through Aurora.  It is the students’ responsibility to make enquiries directly through their university.  As of December 2008 Griffith University, Macquarie University and The University of Melbourne offered such funding.

>> back to top



University course credit

Some universities provide course credit for undertaking internships or for a paper arising from internships (for example, Australian National University, University of Adelaide, Flinders University, James Cook University, University of Sydney and University of New South Wales). Applicants should consult with their relevant faculty or school as to the availability of such a program.

>> back to top

What to expect as an intern

Irrespective of whether you are placed at a NTRB, NTSP or other organisation, your role as an intern is to assist the over-worked and under-resourced host organisation. The nature of your tasks will vary depending upon the type of organisation you are placed at.

We encourage interns to adopt the attitude that they are volunteers at the host organisations; they are recipients of a really interesting and privileged experience.

Research staff may undertake a range of duties and tasks and while each placement is unique, set out below are some general guidelines on the sort of work you may be asked to do as part of your internship:

	attending meetings on-country and at the placement organisation
	organising meeting attendees’ transport and accommodation
	taking minutes at meetings
	proof-reading documents
	organising and cataloguing anthropological evidence
	analysing land claim applications and further documentation in order to identify common practices between local Indigenous communities
	representing the organisation at community events, such as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Day of Celebrations (NAIDOC)
	assisting all staff, such as in the creation of community newsletters
	creation of sites database
	recording of rock art site(s)
	location of original field notes and documents, with protocols for access
	historical archival research: involving note-taking from archival material, archival research preparation, organisation of notes, providing assistance with creating and updating spreadsheets to track research progress
	data entry into genealogy databases
	setting out and printing genealogies, including ancestor box charts, indented indexes and master indexes
	learning the basics of conducting interviews with claimants/informants to gather genealogical material
	interpreting field notes to enter into genealogy databases
	filing in the library of research documents
	assisting in the preparation of, and attending a heritage survey
	assisting in a heritage site registration process

>> back to top



Obligations during and following completion of social science internships

As ambassadors of the internship program, successful applicants will be expected to assist with the exposure of the internship program upon their return. This will involve duties such as the following:

	provide weekly written emails on the progress of the internship while on placement
	complete an overview at the completion of the internship, reflecting on the experience and evaluating it
	commit to arranging and speaking to classes or interested students at your university and at other local career-based events, within the semester following your return. (Does not apply to those students who have already graduated)
	commit to writing an article for an appropriate internal faculty publication on your placement
	continue your internship to the agreed end date
	all interns will be provided with the Aurora Code of Ethics for Interns, which outlines the expectations Aurora has of interns while on placement.

>> back to top