Talent+ 3-month Internships

Internship

IMPRS

full-time

The Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen is offering paid internship positions for 3 months within the Talent+ training program starting from September 1st, 2024.

!UPDATE
There will be Q&A Sessions on zoom on May 2nd at the following times:

09:00-10:00 CEST for Asia and Australia
10:00-11:00 CEST for the Middle East
11:00-12:00 CEST for Africa
15:00-16:00 CEST for Europe
16:00-17:00 CEST for the American continent

(note: these are approximate geographic regions. You may attend a different session if you can’t make the time assigned to your region).

You can use https://time.is/CEST to convert to your local time zone.

You can join the sessions using the following zoom link:
https://mpi-nl.zoom-x.de/j/65050647823
Meeting ID: 650 5064 782

About the program

Talent+ is a multifaceted training program providing cutting-edge research experience and training skills to talented people from under-represented backgrounds. It is specifically and carefully tailored to make them competitive for a career in Cognitive Science. Examples of under-represented groups include: people from the global south, people from historically ethnically or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, first generation college educated people, first generation immigrants, and people with disabilities.

The Max Planck Society recognizes the positive value of diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, color, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. We explicitly encourage women to apply. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if their suitability, qualifications and professional performance are otherwise essentially equal. Furthermore, with this program we also explicitly encourage applications from students living in low- and middle-income countries which are currently underrepresented in science. For more information about the Talent+ program and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy, please visit our website.

Eligibility

The Talent+ Internship is for motivated people who are constrained by personal, financial, regional, or societal issues that negatively affect their future education and/or work opportunities.

Internships are open for applicants who:

have a BA/BSc degree
have a background in a field relevant to the research conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (e.g., biology, genetics, linguistics, languages, psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, or any other related field)
have a good command of the English language
can express their motivation in terms of general motivation for research, specific motivation for the research conducted at the MPI, and academic initiative, among others. Please use the provided motivation letter template.
have strong reasons why their access to highly funded institutions is constrained. In particular, we prioritize candidates who:

are unlikely to have accessed similar opportunities already
will benefit their future career in research based on the training we offer

are available for the entire duration of 3 months starting from September 1st 2024 (note: due to visa regulations you cannot extend your stay in the country beyond 90 days)
are undertaking a voluntary internship (note: we cannot provide course credits as part of course requirements)

Applications

Applications will be submitted via our application portal. You will need to fill out personal information as well as submit the following documents (please consult our guidelines before completing these documents):

CV (max. 2 pages). (see template)
Motivational letter (see template) that includes:

General motivation to pursue a career in science and to participate in this internship
Description of previous experience
Specification of which one of the departments or research groups that the Max Planck Institute for Psycholingustics has you would like to conduct your internship in. See available departments and research groups further below.
Statement on factors that may constrain the applicant’s access to internationally renowned institutions, e.g., financial, regional, or personal circumstances

Names and contact information of 2 or 3 referees that we could contact for reference letters.
Transcripts from all your university studies (if no official English translation is available from your university, please provide one yourself in the first instance), and degree certificates (if available)

Departments and research groups at the MPI

Visit our website for more information about the departments and research groups:

Language Development Department
Psychology of Language Department
Language and Genetics Department
LEADS Research Group
LaCNS Research Group
Imaging Genomics
The Communicative Brain

Selection process

The selection process consists of three main stages:

Pre-selection
All applications are pre-screened by the Talent+ Committee before they are made available to potential supervisors who will evaluate candidates‘ applications and suitability for projects.

Interviews
Shortlisted candidates are invited to complete a virtual interview. These interviews include personal as well as technical questions.

Acceptance
If you are selected following the interview, you will receive an e-mail with your official Talent+ offer letter.

Timeline

April 17th: Applications open
May 15th: Applications close
Week of 10-14 June: Interviews
June 21st: Notification of acceptance
Beginning of September: Start of internship

Visa

Please be aware that the process of obtaining a visa can vary substantially in time and that it is outside our control. We will support accepted students who require a visa in the process as best as we can. We require that the visa process be started (e.g., by requesting an appointment with the corresponding consulate or embassy) within 10 business days of acceptance. However, we cannot guarantee that visas will be granted in time for the internship. In cases of delays in the visa application process, we will try to seek solutions on an individual case basis (such as deferral of the internship position by a year).

Funding

Interns will receive a monthly stipend of € 1650,- net to cover living expenses, housing and health insurance. Interns also receive compensation for their travel costs both locally and internationally.

Miscellaneous

Please note that in the event of any unexpected developments (e.g., a global pandemic) and possible travel restrictions, we reserve our right to make changes to the program including the deferral of the program by one year.

The Employer

The Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Psycholinguistics is entirely devoted to psycholinguistics—the study of how we produce and understand language, and how we acquire these skills as first or second language learners. Our goal is to understand how our minds and brains process language, how language interacts with other aspects of mind and with other agents, how multiple modalities (as in speech, gesture and sign) shape language and its use in diverse languages, and how we can learn languages of quite different types. We are situated on the campus of the Radboud University and have close collaborative links with the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and the Centre for Language Studies at Radboud University. We also work closely with other child development researchers as part of the Baby and Child Research Centre.

Staff and students at the MPI have access to state-of-the art research and training facilities (including audio-visual equipment, EEG, fMRI, eye tracking, virtual reality labs, molecular biology labs and a child-friendly child development lab).

The Institute is part of the Max Planck Society, an independent non-governmental association of German-funded research institutes dedicated to fundamental research in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

The MPI for Psycholinguistics recognizes the positive value of diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We are committed to redressing systemic problems with diversity in science, and therefore welcome applications from individuals from minority groups and from groups that are otherwise under-represented.

Contact

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
Wundtlaan 1
6525 XD Nijmegen
The Netherlands
+31 (0)24-3521911

If you have any questions, please contact us at talent [at] mpi.nl (talent[at]mpi[dot]nl)
Please first check if your question is among the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below:

FAQs | Last Updated: 25 Apr 2024

01. Are the Talent+ internships full-time or part-time?

Both the 3-month and 6-month internships are full-time. If there are specific reasons why you need to work part-time (such as care responsibilities, health issues), please let us know in the motivation letter and we will do our best to accommodate.

02. Can I apply for a Talent+ internship when I have a PhD degree or am currently enrolled in a PhD program?

You can, but we will prioritize people without a PhD and who have had no access to institutions in the Global North.

03. Can I apply for the 3-month internship program if I already have a Master’s degree?

Yes, you can.

04. Can I apply for the 3-month internship if I am enrolled in Bachelor’s program but haven’t graduated yet?

If you expect to graduate before the start date of the internship, you can apply. We will prioritize people with a Bachelor’s degree.

05. Can I apply for both the 3-month and the 6-month program?

Yes. If you are not sure which one is a better fit, you could apply to both. It will be the same committee reviewing it.

06. Can this internship turn into a PhD at the MPI?

No, if you want to pursue a PhD at the MPI, you have to apply independently.

07. Can I extend my stay in the Netherlands/ at the MPI?

No, not on the same visa. The contract will end after 3 months or 6 months depending on your internship.

08. Can I apply if I am already in the Netherlands?

Yes. In fact, we encourage people from underrepresented groups in the Netherlands (such as refugees, first/second/third generation immigrants, first generation college educated people) to apply.

09. What documents do I need to include in addition to my CV and motivation letter?

In addition to your CV and motivation letter, please only include your university diploma and transcript. If you have a certificate of an English exam, you can also include it, though this is not obligatory.

10. If I am not eligible for the Talent+ program, is there another way to apply for an internship or PhD at the MPI?

Yes, there is. Check out our other vacancies here.

11. What type of visa should I apply for?

If you are accepted for the 3-month internship, you should apply for a short-stay business visa. If you are accepted for the 6-month internship, you should apply for an apprentice visa.

12. When should I start my visa application?

As soon as possible, and no more than 10 working days after acceptance. Please notify us as soon as you apply for a visa and keep us updated of the process.

13. Will the MPI provide assistance in finding housing in Nijmegen?

Yes, we will provide assistance. We will be in touch with you about housing and other logistical issues after you’ve been accepted for the internship program.

14. Can I extend my visa for holiday purposes?

No, you would have to apply for a separate visa for that.

15. Can I bring my family with me?

The short-stay business visa and apprentice visa usually do not allow for family members of the applicant to come to the Netherlands. If you need to bring family members along, let us know in the motivation letter and we will try to accommodate you.

16. Will the MPI pay for my visa?

We have a limited budget to cover visa costs. If you have been accepted for the internship, please consult with us about the specifics of your situation.

17. Will the MPI pay for my flight?

Yes. We will reimburse your travel costs to Nijmegen on arrival and from Nijmegen on departure. You will have to book your own ticket and get reimbursed after arrival. If this presents an obstacle, please contact us.

18. Are there going to be info sessions in which I can ask my questions live?

Yes. There will be Q&A Sessions on zoom on May 2nd at the following times:

09:00-10:00 CEST for Asia and Australia
10:00-11:00 CEST for the Middle East
11:00-12:00 CEST for Africa
15:00-16:00 CEST for Europe
16:00-17:00 CEST for the American continent