What can you expect as an intern?

Last Updated: October 16 2024

Welcome! I assume you are here because you are considering applying for an internship and want to know what it is like to intern for Abraham? If so, you have come to the right spot!

First, a high level overview: as an intern, you would work closely with me at the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy in Bochum, Germany on exciting research looking at emerging technologies and the harms they may pose. All internships are fully funded, covering living costs, housing and roundtrip travel costs. A typical internship lasts 12 to 14 weeks and would take place during the summer period, but longer internships and internships outside of the summer are possible.

What can you expect to work on as an intern?

As an intern, you will usually be working on one research topic of your choice. I generally offer two types of projects:

The first is what I call a hands-on project. In this case, I will already have a project in mind with clearly defined tasks and expectations, and the intern will help out with that specific project. For example, I may be planning a survey study where the research questions are already defined and there is a draft survey protocol; the intern would be in charge of refining that survey, collecting and analyzing data, and (if time permits) helping write up the results in an academic paper. These projects will often be scoped in ways that by the end of the internship, there will be a tangible output (most likely a paper submission).

This is best suited for:

• Those with little to no research experience who want to know what research is like, but are apprehensive of starting a whole project from scratch.
• Those who do not have a particularly strong preference for the research idea or topic they want to conduct, but want to do research of some kind.
• Those who want to practice a specific method and/or dive deep into a specific topic are that I am an expert in.
• Those who prefer hands-on mentorship and guidance
• Those who want a well-scoped project with a tangible output at the end of the internship.

The second type is what I call a hands-off project. In this project, the intern and I will come up with a research plan together, identifying a topic that matches the intern’s own curiosity and expertise. For example, the intern may be interested in learning more about cyberaugmentations, but does not know what to study in them. Together, we would plan a study that allows the intern to explore this area and use their prior expertise with interview methods to. The intern is expected to take ownership of the project. For this type of internship, the intern has the freedom and choice to include the resulting work in your thesis / dissertation if you wish.

This is best suited for:

• Candidates who are PhD students and/or masters students with prior research experience
• Those who prefer to ideate and lead their own project.
• Those who prefer hands-off guidance and working more independently.
• Those who want to experiment with a new topic, field, or area, without being constrained by deadlines or the expectation of a paper submission
• Those who seek to pursue the project beyond the internship, possibly to use as part of their thesis (e.g., as a chapter in their dissertation)

Having said that, these internship types are rough guidelines as to the projects you can expect. I will work with every intern to craft an internship project that suits their needs and helps them thrive!

What is Abraham like as a boss?

I wrote a guide about my advising style here – although the text primarily refers to how I advise PhD students, the same principles apply to how I advise interns as well.

Requirements for interns

At a minimum, candidates must:

• Be comfortable speaking and writing in English and conducting research in an english-speaking environment.
• Have completed, or are pursuing, an undergraduate degree.
• Be willing to relocate to Bochum for the duration of the internship.

While the following are not required, they will greatly strengthen a candidate’s application:

• Prior research experience.
• Currently in a PhD program.
• Background in computer science, human computer interaction, or information studies.

How to apply

Please see https://www.cis.mpg.de/internships/ for details. While in the application letter it says that motivational letters are optional, if you want to work with me, the motivational letter is highly encouraged. The application deadline is November 1st.