PhD/PsyD NSF Fellowship Overlapping with Internship Year

[NP013]

I am hoping that someone can help me figure out what options I have concerning my NSF fellowship and it's potential overlap with my internship year. When I go on internship I will still have a full year of my NSF fellowship funding available. I have been told that this could actually help me during internship interviews (as the site could forgo paying me, and just allow my NSF to continue to fund my studies). I have read the NSF fine print over and over and it appears that as long as your site approves the work that you are doing (and you are still enrolled at the graduate research site, as I believe you are even when you leave for internship) you can keep your funding. I know that the NRSA and other fellowships stipulate against this, but it appears that the NSF may be different. Does anyone have any experience dealing with this same issue? What about the idea that the internship site could forgo paying me and just allow my NSF to continue to fund me (as NSF stipend is a good deal more than most internships)? Does anyone know if this is true? I have also heard that I could actually "carve out" an internship position with my own NSF funding. Does this sound realistic to anyone? Would this just mean that a site that only had two spots could potentially take me as a third spot because they would not have to pay me? Thanks for your help trying to figure this out!

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[Ollie123]

Might be wrong, but I suspect very few sites would allow an intern to go unpaid (even if paid by another source). Internal regulations would prevent it any site I've been affiliated with and barring transfer of your fellowship to that institution (highly unlikely) they wouldn't allow you to work in that role without pay. Without knowing the details of the NSF contract, I assume it also requires a certain minimum effort devoted to scientific development that would be a very hard sell at most internships. I also wouldn't expect sites to open up additional spots or "create" an internship for that reason (as I think its likely too much of a headache on their end to work something like that out - even if APA did allow it). It may be more feasible if for some reason you aren't going to pursue an APA internship, but if you are on an NSF I assume you are at a research-heavy program and a non-APA internship isn't something you'd even consider.

Another option you didn't mention - I had a foundation fellowship analogous to an NRSA that had some slightly looser language in the contract. It still took a lot of approvals and paperwork, but I was able to be double-paid during the overlap since my internship was treated as "outside employment" and I could retain 100% effort on the grant at my graduate institution. Federal usually has slightly tighter restrictions (this is especially true if you are also at a federal site - I suspect it would be near impossible if you match to a VA for example), but it may be worth exploring.

 

[irish80122]

I think you have to talk with your PO on the grant. I am surprised that Ollie was allowed to do what he is describing, my POs never would have allowed it, but then again my grants haven't been fellowship grants.

The way I look at it the grant is buying out a certain percentage of your time, even a training grant. Given this, I don't see how one can do a full-time job, even unpaid, and still receive that grant money. It is akin to not doing the work that you are being paid to do. However, if the PO is aware and is willing to approve it, then you are in the clear. I would just make sure they are aware, especially for federal grants!

 

[Ollie123]

Mine was possible largely due to a loophole in the foundations terms that allowed me to capitalize on them being different institutions and me still working on my dissertation. I was enrolled full-time during the overlap and internship was able to be treated as outside employment because of how they labeled things in the contract (just like you can be funded at 100% of your university effort and still have a private practice on the side that isn't counted against those hours). Obviously, its a good bit more complicated than that but I did make it work.

Would not have been possible with an NRSA as far as I know.

 

[MCParent]

Might be wrong, but I suspect very few sites would allow an intern to go unpaid (even if paid by another source).

I have actually asked about this, and it appears this can be possible within the APPIC/APA guidelines from what I have heard from people I have talked to. It would have to work with all the other % effort things you talk about though (i.e., would not be possible with an NRSA).

 

[LM02]

Another consideration is that if you are technically not paid by your internship site, it would be hard to argue that you are an actual "employee" at that site. This may pose liability problems, as the internship will carry some kind of liability insurance. If a supervisor is supervising someone employed by an outside institution, the liability insurance may not be valid. Further, if a liability situation arose, then the person could go after both your internship program and your graduate institution. I suspect most internships would be wary of this kind of arrangement.

 

[NP013]

Thanks for all your responses! They were really helpful. It sounds like it MAY be possible, but that there would be a lot of hoop jumping. The good news is that the NSF is a fellowship that is meant to fund the student rather than acutal research. Perhaps this is why the NSF might be allowed during internship? From the responses I have heard here though, it sounds like my NSF funds are unlikely to make me more competitive for internship. Darn :/