Internship+ and OSRI FAQ

Internship+ is part of Oberlin’s commitment to supporting the professional development of its students. Every student is guaranteed up to $5,000 to fund a professional development opportunity, typically in the summer after their Junior year.

Students participating in the Oberlin Summer Research Institute (OSRI) Internship+ Fellowship benefit from a streamlined process. Instead of applying through the traditional Internship+ mechanisms outlined by Career Exploration and Development, students must complete a successful OSRI Fellowship application. Those accepted will become OSRI Fellows, receiving their fellowship funding directly from Oberlin Undergraduate Research. OSRI Fellows are exempt from any additional Internship+ application requirements and final deliverables apart from those incorporated into the OSRI program itself.

No, students who want to conduct summer research at Oberlin should not follow the procedures outlined on the CED Internship+ page. Instead, students should complete the OSRI application. Successful applicants who are eligible will automatically be supported via Internship+.

While the Internship+ collaboration greatly expands our capacity for supporting faculty-mentored on-campus summer research, OSRI remains a competitive fellowship. Students must submit a strong application for evaluation by a faculty panel and acceptance is not automatic. 

• Rising Seniors: All available Internship+ funds for rising seniors will automatically be applied to their OSRI experience if they are accepted.
• Rising Juniors may request an exemption from applying Internship+ funds toward OSRI. Exemption requests must include a rationale explaining why the funds should be reserved for future use.
  • Example: An international student in STEM planning to conduct off-campus research in a subsequent summer, who is not eligible for NSF REU funding due to their international status.
• Rising Sophomores may choose to opt into or out of using their Internship+ funds for OSRI.

If you would like to pursue summer research on campus, we recommend prioritizing the use of Internship+ funds for the Oberlin Summer Research Institute (OSRI). However, if you would like to reserve your funds for other opportunities, you simply need to check the appropriate box on the application and submit a rationale for your exemption. All exemption requests will be given full consideration. However, please note that participation in OSRI may be contingent upon use of Internship+ funds.

Students who use their Internship+ funds for OSRI during the summers following their freshman or sophomore summers are still eligible to apply for Summer Experience Funding opportunity managed by Career Exploration and Development in subsequent years. However, please note that Summer Experience Funding is need-based and is a competitive process. Funds are not guaranteed.

Internship+ funds will support OSRI Fellow stipends, housing, and fees. OSRI Fellow stipends are distributed in three installments over the course of Summer 2025. The first installment will be distributed by the start of the program, the second installment is distributed midway through the summer, and the final installment is distributed at the conclusion of the summer, after all program requirements have been met.