RAPID Intern Program

Nomination Form

The nomination period is closed for Fall 2024. Look out for information regarding the Spring 2025 term.

RAPID is seeking to develop and train future leaders in PI & MCPI through hands-on internship projects at RAPID member organizations.

The RAPID Intern Program is an exciting opportunity for students working with RAPID members. It is a virtual PI leadership program which overlays on the work students are already doing at RAPID member organizations and provides students with PI leadership training and professional development skill-building opportunities like networking, career discovery, and public speaking/presenting. 
 

Frequently Asked Ques​tions

What will RAPID student interns do?

  • Take part in hands-on technical work in the cutting-edge field of process intensification and modular chemical process intensification.
  • Receive virtual PI leadership training on a weekly basis.
  • Hone their communications and presentation skills through opportunities to network and present to RAPID members which include representatives from industry, academia, non-profit and national labs.
  • Be a part of the collaborative RAPID intern community and connect with other interns.

What are the eligibility requirements?

RAPID Student Interns must:

  • Be located in the U.S.
  • Be in good standing with a regionally accredited U.S. college or university. It is recommended that the student has completed three years of undergraduate studies at the time of the start of the internship.
  • Be nominated by a RAPID member organization.
  • Be working on a project directly focused on advancing process intensification and/or modular chemical processing.
  • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2.
  • Be at least 18 years old at the time of appointment.

Does the student need to be working on a RAPID funded project?

No. While students working on RAPID funded project are welcome candidates, students do not need to be working on RAPID funded projects. We just require students to be working on technical projects which are focused on advancing process intensification and/or modular chemical processing technology.

When does the program begin?

Important dates to keep in mind for 2024:

Fall 2024 Program

  • Nominations Due: Monday, August 12th 19th
  • Interns and Mentors Notified of Acceptance: Wednesday, August 21st
  • Program Start Date: Monday, September 9th
  • Program End Date: Friday, November 22nd

What happens after I nominate an intern?

RAPID will review all nominations and contact project sponsors and nominees for any additional information needed. Interns and mentors will be notified of acceptance status according to the timetable above and informed of the program's next steps at that time.

Is there any compensation or college credit provided?

Regarding compensation: Interns must be paid through their nominating organization—which can be counted by the nominating organization as cost share toward a RAPID project. Don't have a RAPID project? We've found many members in this position still find this program incredibly valuable for their students even without the ability to cost share the intern's time toward a project. Regarding college credit: RAPID will provide any necessary assistance to help interns receive proper college or university credit but the issuance of college credit is ultimately the decision of the intern’s educational institution.

Who will supervise the interns?

RAPID will provide a virtual orientation to familiarize student interns with RAPID, our guidelines, and program requirements. Additionally, RAPID will provide online training in a number of key PI & MCPI leadership development areas. However, project tasks will be determined and managed by their assigned mentor and the intern’s physical workspace will be provided by the intern’s organization.

RAPID will also set up weekly calls and request status updates by interns to ensure that their educational and professional development needs are being met.

How can I get involved?

Nominate a student for the program today by clicking here.

What have previous interns said about this program?

When asked to share what the most beneficial aspect of the intern program was to them, selected responses include:

  • "The program has opened my eyes to the reality of what process intensification (PI) is and how it can improve design. Much like PI causes a paradigm shift in process design, I believe it caused a paradigm shift in my career path."
  • “Participating in a nationally recognized organization and being an inaugural member in their program is going to help me further in getting my dream job.”
  • "The knowledge of why future processes need to be designed through process intensification techniques and methods. The ability to articulate how such techniques benefit our industries economically as well on an industrial scale is key. Also, the aspect of empowering and seeing a future for American manufacturing was very important.”
  • “Being taught the contrast between a system before PI and after since it showed me how impactful it could be.”
  • “I was able to meet and discuss with like-minded researchers in the field of PI.”
  • “This was one of the most beneficial programs I've been a part of. As a whole, RAPID helped me develop in all aspects of my professional and personal self. I learned valuable skills that translate to industry and also skills that will make me a more effective person outside of the workplace. I better understand how to market myself along with cutting edge aspects of the Chemical Engineering industry. Absolutely fantastic experience!”

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact Keith Joseph at keitj@aiche.org.