Application Instructions for U.S. Citizens

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE PAGE CAREFULLY
BEFORE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012

The selection process for the US/ICOMOS International Exchange Program is highly competitive; approximately one in five applications is successful. All of the internships in the U.S. are scheduled to run from the beginning of June through August although several may be offered during the fall.
READ THE PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The United States Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS) is seeking U.S. citizen graduate students and young professionals specialized in historic preservation and heritage conservation to participate in an international internship program. Participants will be assigned to three-month, practical working internships, under professional supervision, with a public or private nonprofit preservation organization. Internships for U.S. citizens are in other countries, organized in many cases in cooperation with the local ICOMOS National Committee, as part of a bilateral exchange with these partner countries. Positions are for interns with a bachelors degree at minimum in a preservation or conservation-related field: architecture, landscape architecture, cultural resource management, materials conservation, interpretation, history of architecture, archaeology, industrial archaeology, public history or cultural tourism.

In past years, internships were offered in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Poland, Romania, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Most internships are conducted in the summer months; others may take place in autumn because of the local climate or the administrative schedule of the host organization. The host office defines the project to be completed; internships are not grants for independent research. Interns are selected by a professional jury of US/ICOMOS members, subject to final approval by the host organization. Assignments are made on the basis of the best match between the proposed project and the individual's background and skills, and in consideration of the entire pool of applicants. Therefore, interns must apply to the program as a whole and are not allowed to apply for specific internships.

The host organizations and the projects reflect the variety of disciplines that constitute the fields of historic preservation and cultural resource management. This program presents an opportunity to learn about preservation policies, methods and techniques abroad and to develop working relationships with international counterparts. Assignments in English-speaking countries are the most varied in nature. Because of the language barrier in other locations, these internships primarily consist of survey and documentation projects.

In most cases, only one intern from the U.S. is assigned to a country. The projects may be individual, or may be carried out with local staff of the host organization. In each country, one person, usually the supervisor, is English-speaking. No spouses or families can be accommodated during the internship.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit four (4) copies each of the following:

The completed Application Form (requires Adobe Reader)
A 500-word essay in English describing the reasons for wanting to participate in the program and how completion of an internship overseas will contribute to the applicant's career;
A curriculum vitae

Applicants must also submit one (1) copy of the following:

Examples* of work in the applicant's area of specialization, for example:
- Historians - research paper
- Architects - hand drawn sketches, architectural portfolio with samples of precision drafting and lettering
  CAD drawings - label as CAD and provide the following required information
  List any CAD college courses or other specialty-skills training courses you have successfully completed
  In the case of group projects, authorship of specific designs/drawings must be indicated

*Samples should demonstrate the applicant's skill and fitness to execute work that meets professional standards

2 Letters of Recommendation
- from professors or employers attesting to the applicant's professional competency and suitability to represent his/her country. Recommendations should be confidential, in a sealed envelope with the author's signature across the back & flap.

Nota Bene
Applicants are urged to follow these suggestions when preparing their materials. Expensive portfolios and bound projects will not enhance the evaluation of your application.

>>Do not submit original drawings or texts; they cannot be returned
>>Do not send slides
>>Drawings should be reduced to standard format, 8.5"x11" and 11"x17", or A3 and A4.

In lieu of an application fee, membership in US/ICOMOS is required at the Young Professional level ($65 per year) or above.

Applicants will be considered for all positions for which they are qualified. Applicant's apply to the program, not a specific country or internship. However, the application form does allow applicants to indicate countries of preference and, most importantly, indicate if there are any country assignments the application will not accept. The reasons for an applicant's preferences should be given in the essay.

Deadline

All materials should be sent to US/ICOMOS and must be received no later than January 31, 2012. Applicants may be interviewed over the telephone and one or more daytime telephone numbers must be written on the application. No part of the application will be returned.

Notification

Once the jury has made recommendations for intern assignments, the intern application materials are sent to the host organization for review and approval. Host organizations have final approval over the intern. Therefore, the review and selection procedure is essentially conducted in two stages, meaning it can take some time.

Applicants will be notified, where possible, by the end of March whether their application has been have been selected for submission to a host organization (notifications will be sent by email). We do not state which country/host until the host accepted (this is to prevent unnecessary hard feelings, when a host might simply feel the particular skills of the applicant do not match their specific project needs). Participants are selected on the basis of skill, demonstrated commitment to preservation, previous experience and academic concentration in the field. They are also selected on their ability to represent US/ICOMOS and the United States in an exchange program. In addition, participants will be chosen whose skills, training and interest match the needs of the host organizations.

Final notification of acceptance will be made (again by email) as soon as the host organization agrees to accept the intern. An information packet will then be sent out to all successful applicants.

Please note that, on occasion, a selected applicant must cancel before the internship starts and/or new internships are developed after the initial round of review. Therefore, US/ICOMOS will keep all intern applications on file for the duration of the year in case new opportunities arise.