Research Intern

Research Intern – Undergraduate 
 

Organization Description

Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Bissett Germanotta, empowers and inspires young people to build a kinder, braver world that supports their mental health and wellbeing. Based on the scientific link between kindness and mental health and built in partnership with young people, the Foundation leverages research, programs, grantmaking, and partnerships to engage young people and connect them with accessible mental health resources. This approach comes to life through the storytelling platform Channel Kindness, the mental health training course Be There Certificate, the youth-led grantmaking program Kindness in Community Fund and more, reaching thousands of young people around the world each year. Learn more at bornthisway.foundation.

Born This Way Foundation is a remote-first organization, and we encourage interns to work from the environment that will be most practical and efficient for themselves within the United States. Interns must keep Born This Way Foundation apprised of their work location.

Please note: All candidates for this internship must be a current student and will be required to sign an agreement stating they are completing the internship for educational benefit.
 

Role Description

As an Intern on the Research team, you will support the evaluation of our programs and resources at Born This Way Foundation and assist with our ongoing research related to youth mental health. This role will report directly to the Manager of Clinical and Research Knowledge and will also work closely with the Manager of Youth and Scientific Engagement. 
 

Role Responsibilities

Research and Evaluation: 

• Conduct literature reviews, summarizing recent literature on topics in relation to youth mental health, and summarize existing research to ensure all of our programs and  resources at Born This Way Foundation are backed by science. 
• Support in the preparation  of conference abstracts, presentations, and proposals highlighting BTWF research and science-backed programs and resources .
• Provide insight on research initiatives from a youth perspective. 

Program Support: 

• Assist our Research team with the coordination of upcoming research projects and initiatives, including editing and proofreading reports and presentations.
• Engage in other program and project tasks assigned by the Manager of Clinical and Research Knowledge,  as needed.
• Support with organizing research materials, managing timelines, and maintaining tracking systems.

Community Engagement:

• Write research-based articles for our storytelling platform, Channel Kindness.
• You may also be asked to participate in various forms of public outreach, including virtual or in-person speaking engagements, press interviews, and social media content creation as needed and as interested. 
   

Role Expectations

• Assisting our Research team with the coordination of upcoming research projects, including helping to edit/proofread reports and presentations.
• Summarizing recent literature on topics in relation to youth mental health. 
• Support in the development of conference presentations and proposals highlighting Born This Way Foundation research.
• Providing insight on research initiatives from a youth perspective. 
• Complete tasks as directed, managing own time effectively to reliably meet deadlines and complete work to a high standard, taking initiative to identify and proactively communicate any challenges or blockers. 
• Informed by a basic understanding of Born This Way Foundation's mission and strategic priorities, assist in collecting data and providing summaries of programs such as the Be There Certificate and #BeKind365 that is used to measure Born This Way Foundation's progress towards goals and offer ideas for how to grow and/or refine assigned projects from the youth perspective.
   

Required Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program in psychology, sociology, public health, social work, or a related field. 
• 1-2 years of research-related experience (can be through coursework).
• A strong interest in youth mental health and interventions to improve mental health and wellbeing.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate solutions and effectively disseminate findings.
• Familiarity with Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Forms, Google Slides, Google Scholar, and Adobe Acrobat.
• A natural curiosity and eagerness to learn about gathering data (including literature reviews, survey development, and focus groups) related to kindness and mental health.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and timelines in a fast-paced environment.
• Working knowledge of social media channels and basic graphics (e.g., pie charts, graphs)
   

Qualities of a Successful Born This Way Foundation Team Member

• Consistently and actively embodies Born This Way Foundation’s mission of building a kinder, braver world for and with young people
• Committed to working respectfully with diverse communities of internal and external stakeholders, especially young people, through exchanges that foster safety, curiosity, inclusivity, and acceptance
• Values mental health and exhibits empathy and understanding for individuals with lived experience related to mental health 
• Solutions-oriented, positive, and reliable teammate who does what they commit to doing and works collaboratively to accomplish tasks in a productive environment
• Ability to confidently and efficiently adapt in a dynamic work environment, and has flexibility to shift direction and adjust priorities as the landscape of our work changes to be responsive to young people’s needs     
• Consistently takes initiative, proactively sharing ideas, identifying potential obstacles and opportunities, and taking appropriate action 
• Welcomes and values giving and receiving kind, actionable feedback as a means to improve our processes and collective impact 
   

Dates of Commitment 

Spring: February - May 

(flexible start and end dates)
 

Location

Remote
 

Time Commitment

15 hours/wk, with your class schedule in mind
 

Compensation

$2,500 stipend
 

To Apply

Fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM.