Research Mentorship for undergraduate and graduate students
(Apply to the ISR annual internship and mentorship program on a rolling basis throughout year.)
The ISR Foundation offers a flexible yet rigorous mentorship and internship program for qualified university students and young professionals who are interested in science and diplomacy, public health, medicine, IT, statistics, survey methodology, international relief and development, and East Asian affairs. The Global Mentorship and Internship Program designed for undergraduate and graduate students aims to develop capable emerging leaders and researchers for science and diplomacy in conflict regions, creative thinkers to lead innovations in the 21st century and humanitarian leaders to serve the under-privileged people around the world. As an integral part of core ISR programs, mentees learn from and work closely with highly regarded interdisciplinary scholars who pioneered an unprecedented program for science diplomacy in isolated countries across the globe, including North Korea, and conducted ground-breaking science research to inform evidence-based policy making in economics, science, health and education, or led major humanitarian initiatives to resolve international crises impacting the disadvantaged people disproportionately.
Due to the international nature of ISR programs, mentees are located all over the globe and much of the work is conducted online. Mentees locally available in Washington, DC are offered further hands-on program experience.
A. Qualifications
Excellent verbal, writing and organizational skills are essential. Research mentees must be able to work well independently under general guidance. Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel also are essential. Expertise with web site development and management is a plus. Since our team is international, applicants must demonstrate an ability to flourish under virtual working conditions. Interns meet and coordinate tasks over video conference on a regular basis. Applicants must be able to handle confidential and sensitive information. Interns usually work 3-6 hours a week.
B. Key Activities by Mentees and Interns
Profiled below are examples of activities conducted by ISR mentees who are interested in science, medicine, public health, IT, education, economics, public policy or international affairs. Some qualified interns may have the opportunity to travel to isolated countries like North Korea for humanitarian programs or science diplomacy, learn from preeminent international leaders in science diplomacy, and participate in briefings with governmental agencies, United Nations, NGOs, and academic institutions.
Some qualified interns may have the opportunity to travel abroad; learn from preeminent international leaders in science diplomacy; and participate in briefings with US, ROK, UK, and German governmental agencies and officials, NGOs, and academic institutions.
C. Accomplishments by Mentees and Interns at the ISR Foundation (1996 - present)
D. Application Procedure for the ISR Global Mentorship Program
Below are the competitive mentorship program the ISR Foundation offers to qualified university students. The mentee joins a mentorship program for summer, half-a-year, or year-round, as a Junior Fellow. Prominent interdisciplinary research scientists with high-impact accomplishments in academia, governments and NGOs, personally provide one-on-one mentoring.
The mentorship program for university students has a program fee to pay. You may contact the ISR Foundation at ISR2020@gmail.com to inquire about a program fee before applying to a mentorship program of your interest.
*Year-round Research Mentorship
A seasoned mentor and interdisciplinary scholar with international reputation coaches an hour every week on average throughout year, including summer. Mentees are expected to spend 3 to 6 hours of learning each week (Junior Fellow of Da Vinci Science Diplomacy).
*Half-a-Year Research Mentorship
A seasoned mentor and interdisciplinary scholar with international reputation coaches an hour every week on average throughout 6 months of a mentoring program. Mentees are expected to spend 4 to 8 hours of learning each week (Junior Fellow of Science Diplomacy).
*Intensive Summer Research Mentorship
A seasoned mentor and interdisciplinary scholar with international reputation coaches 2 hours on average per week for 8 weeks of intensive summer (usually July 1 to August 30). Mentees are expected to spend 9 to 16 hours of intensive learning each summer week (Junior Scholar of Science Diplomacy).
Submit a resume summarizing your experience and qualification. Please explain your interest in research mentorship with ISR in a personal essay of 1,200 words or under. You may include the following: past work or study experience that would be useful to your ISR internship; goals you hope to accomplish with the ISR internship; how ISR programs fit your personal, academic, or professional profile; past interest in science diplomacy-related affairs; and any other information we may find helpful in getting to know you. Please send your essay (titled LAST NAME, FIRST NAME in .doc, .docx, or .PDF) along with a résumé/CV to HR Director at ISRFoundation38@gmail.com.
E. Application for Da Vinci Junior Fellow Scholarship for Science Diplomacy
University students who come from economically or socially disadvantaged background are encouraged to apply for “The Da Vinci Junior Fellow Scholarship for Science Diplomacy,” a scholarship program that may help cover a program fee particularly for a half-a-year or year-round mentorship program. This competitive scholarship program is designed to raise interdisciplinary scholars across the globe with its focus on nurturing emerging leaders from the underprivileged community. The ISR Foundation’s Da Vinci Junior Fellow Scholarship for Science Diplomacy has been established in memory of Mr. Kwangjo Chun (1899-1944) and Dr. Doyim Ko (1935-2001). Mr. Kwangjo Chun was a business entrepreneur, educator and freedom fighter for Korea during the period of the Japanese colonial rule. Dr. Doyim Ko was a former Dean of Sacred Heart College and Professor of Catholic University in Korea who devoted her life to nurturing emerging leaders among women and serving the underprivileged people across the globe. She served as the Founding President of the ISR Foundation-Korea, or known as the International Reconciliation Corps in Korea.
If you wish to be considered for the Da Vinci Junior Fellow Scholarship for Science Diplomacy, please send the two letters of recommendation in addition to the application package above prepared for the Global Mentorship Program. You may ask a letter of recommendation to professors, community leaders, or those who know you in an academic setting or volunteer service.
(Apply to the ISR annual internship and mentorship program on a rolling basis throughout year.)
The ISR Foundation offers a flexible yet rigorous mentorship and internship program for qualified university students and young professionals who are interested in science and diplomacy, public health, medicine, IT, statistics, survey methodology, international relief and development, and East Asian affairs. The Global Mentorship and Internship Program designed for undergraduate and graduate students aims to develop capable emerging leaders and researchers for science and diplomacy in conflict regions, creative thinkers to lead innovations in the 21st century and humanitarian leaders to serve the under-privileged people around the world. As an integral part of core ISR programs, mentees learn from and work closely with highly regarded interdisciplinary scholars who pioneered an unprecedented program for science diplomacy in isolated countries across the globe, including North Korea, and conducted ground-breaking science research to inform evidence-based policy making in economics, science, health and education, or led major humanitarian initiatives to resolve international crises impacting the disadvantaged people disproportionately.
Due to the international nature of ISR programs, mentees are located all over the globe and much of the work is conducted online. Mentees locally available in Washington, DC are offered further hands-on program experience.
A. Qualifications
Excellent verbal, writing and organizational skills are essential. Research mentees must be able to work well independently under general guidance. Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel also are essential. Expertise with web site development and management is a plus. Since our team is international, applicants must demonstrate an ability to flourish under virtual working conditions. Interns meet and coordinate tasks over video conference on a regular basis. Applicants must be able to handle confidential and sensitive information. Interns usually work 3-6 hours a week.
B. Key Activities by Mentees and Interns
Profiled below are examples of activities conducted by ISR mentees who are interested in science, medicine, public health, IT, education, economics, public policy or international affairs. Some qualified interns may have the opportunity to travel to isolated countries like North Korea for humanitarian programs or science diplomacy, learn from preeminent international leaders in science diplomacy, and participate in briefings with governmental agencies, United Nations, NGOs, and academic institutions.
- Co-author and present interdisciplinary research papers in major international conferences; assist briefings with leaders of governments, private sectors, and academia.
- Learn and practice science diplomacy with North Korea and other isolated countries in the field of science, IT, health, medicine, education, economy, and international relations. (e.g., science diplomacy applications across the globe with STEM, social science, arts and humanity disciplines).
- Learn and assist research and development by conducting rigorous literature review for interdisciplinary research with real-world applications in science, IT, medicine, health, social science, education and economics. Participate in research project analyzing and updating the United Nations and NGO programs in North Korea in areas of public health and education for children, disabled, and pregnant/nursing mothers
- Learn cutting-edge interdisciplinary research skills highly useful to college education, academic development and beyond (e.g., data science, research publication, presentation)
- Learn and assist data analysis with big data, survey data, and census data with real-world applications pertaining to public policy, humanitarian affairs and human rights.
- Aid conference organizing tasks, including program development, website design and follow-up with conference speakers
Some qualified interns may have the opportunity to travel abroad; learn from preeminent international leaders in science diplomacy; and participate in briefings with US, ROK, UK, and German governmental agencies and officials, NGOs, and academic institutions.
C. Accomplishments by Mentees and Interns at the ISR Foundation (1996 - present)
- Over 180 mentees who went through the ISR programs have matriculated at top schools in Europe and North America, such as Oxford, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Princeton, and currently work for leading organizations in academia, private sectors and governmental agencies across the globe. (1998 - present)
- University interns with interests in international affairs aided the national and international campaign of humanitarian service by UN agencies on behalf of flood and famine victims in North Korea (1996 - 2010)
- Academically-motivated mentees co-authored interdisciplinary research papers for publication and presented in major international conferences. Below are recent papers that mentees have presented or co-authored.
- Paper delivered for plenary speech at Oxford University on science diplomacy, UK, 2013
- Paper delivered for speech at the Royal Society of the UK, 2013
- Papers prepared for the Health Science Diplomacy at Harvard University, 2013-2014
- Data science papers presented at a European conference on health data science, Reykjavik, Iceland, 2015
- Interdisciplinary ground-breaking science papers presented at Joint Statistical Meetings, Chicago, United States, 2016
- Several papers on Evidence-Based Policy Making to be presented at a European conference, Lisbon, Portugal, Summer 2017
- Policy briefings for the U.S. State Department, South Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification, and NGOs, and UN agencies, 1996 - present
- Innovative interns initiated creative projects under mentor’s guidance (e.g, creating English education program in North Korea, developing a solar panel project for TB hospitals/clinics in North Korea, designing higher education programs of health science in North Korea)
- Interns aided the Harvard Health Diplomacy Conference that was designed for developing the first privately-funded school of medicine and health sciences in North Korea by organizing programs, assisting speakers and aiding conference logistics (2013-2014)
- Interns assisted and attended major briefings of the ISR Foundation with government leaders in ROK Ministry of Unification and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. State Department, European Union and United Nations when it comes to ISR Foundation’s strategic programs making high impact on life of the disadvantaged people (1998- present)
D. Application Procedure for the ISR Global Mentorship Program
Below are the competitive mentorship program the ISR Foundation offers to qualified university students. The mentee joins a mentorship program for summer, half-a-year, or year-round, as a Junior Fellow. Prominent interdisciplinary research scientists with high-impact accomplishments in academia, governments and NGOs, personally provide one-on-one mentoring.
The mentorship program for university students has a program fee to pay. You may contact the ISR Foundation at ISR2020@gmail.com to inquire about a program fee before applying to a mentorship program of your interest.
*Year-round Research Mentorship
A seasoned mentor and interdisciplinary scholar with international reputation coaches an hour every week on average throughout year, including summer. Mentees are expected to spend 3 to 6 hours of learning each week (Junior Fellow of Da Vinci Science Diplomacy).
*Half-a-Year Research Mentorship
A seasoned mentor and interdisciplinary scholar with international reputation coaches an hour every week on average throughout 6 months of a mentoring program. Mentees are expected to spend 4 to 8 hours of learning each week (Junior Fellow of Science Diplomacy).
*Intensive Summer Research Mentorship
A seasoned mentor and interdisciplinary scholar with international reputation coaches 2 hours on average per week for 8 weeks of intensive summer (usually July 1 to August 30). Mentees are expected to spend 9 to 16 hours of intensive learning each summer week (Junior Scholar of Science Diplomacy).
Submit a resume summarizing your experience and qualification. Please explain your interest in research mentorship with ISR in a personal essay of 1,200 words or under. You may include the following: past work or study experience that would be useful to your ISR internship; goals you hope to accomplish with the ISR internship; how ISR programs fit your personal, academic, or professional profile; past interest in science diplomacy-related affairs; and any other information we may find helpful in getting to know you. Please send your essay (titled LAST NAME, FIRST NAME in .doc, .docx, or .PDF) along with a résumé/CV to HR Director at ISRFoundation38@gmail.com.
E. Application for Da Vinci Junior Fellow Scholarship for Science Diplomacy
University students who come from economically or socially disadvantaged background are encouraged to apply for “The Da Vinci Junior Fellow Scholarship for Science Diplomacy,” a scholarship program that may help cover a program fee particularly for a half-a-year or year-round mentorship program. This competitive scholarship program is designed to raise interdisciplinary scholars across the globe with its focus on nurturing emerging leaders from the underprivileged community. The ISR Foundation’s Da Vinci Junior Fellow Scholarship for Science Diplomacy has been established in memory of Mr. Kwangjo Chun (1899-1944) and Dr. Doyim Ko (1935-2001). Mr. Kwangjo Chun was a business entrepreneur, educator and freedom fighter for Korea during the period of the Japanese colonial rule. Dr. Doyim Ko was a former Dean of Sacred Heart College and Professor of Catholic University in Korea who devoted her life to nurturing emerging leaders among women and serving the underprivileged people across the globe. She served as the Founding President of the ISR Foundation-Korea, or known as the International Reconciliation Corps in Korea.
If you wish to be considered for the Da Vinci Junior Fellow Scholarship for Science Diplomacy, please send the two letters of recommendation in addition to the application package above prepared for the Global Mentorship Program. You may ask a letter of recommendation to professors, community leaders, or those who know you in an academic setting or volunteer service.
