The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) established the September 11th Memorial Program for Regional Transportation Planning to honor the memory of Ignatius Adanga, Charles Lesperance, and See Wong Shum, the three employees it lost during the attack on the World Trade Center. The program was established to educate and motivate people interested in transportation technology and planning and to encourage innovations in planning activities throughout the NYMTC region. The Program's Academic Initiative is designed to foster the academic and professional development of students by providing them with opportunities to participate in innovative research and planning projects. It is administered by the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC).
Though there has been two ways in which to participate in this program in prior years, only the internship option is being offered during 2021-22. Opportunities may be available for students to perform duties remotely for NYMTC or a NYMTC member agency. The specifc internship options for 2021 are posted now at: http://www.utrc2.org/education/available-internships-9/11. The proposed research topics will challenge students to develop creative solutions to difficult problems, providing a benefit to the region while enhancing their educational experiences. This program is open to graduate students only.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The application process for the NYMTC/UTRC September 11th Program Academic Initiative Internship Program is now open for the academic year 2021-22. The deadline to submit applications is August 15, 2021.
Apply now!
Up to four awards can be granted based on the September 11th Program Selection Subcommittee members. Master's degree or Ph.D. candidates who attend a UTRC consortium institution and will be enrolled full-time during the 2021-22 school year are eligible to apply. Participants will be required to conduct their projects on-site for up to 15 hours per week.
Available Internships for Academic Year 2021-2022
Applicants should specify their preferred internship options on the application. It is estimated that students will invest approximately 1,000 hours of effort over a 12-month calendar year. For this involvement, graduate students will receive up to $34,000 in stipend/tuition reimbursement funding. An additional $1,000 is available for professional development programs.
Together with a full class schedule, the internship constitutes a full-time commitment. Students may not have any other employment obligations while participating in this program. The interns will also be required to present on the findings of their research in September 2022.
Over the course of the year, students will also be invited to participate in other activities aimed at promoting their development as transportation professionals, such as opportunities to attend research and professional conferences.
Eligibility
Program participants must be enrolled full-time at one of the UTRC Member Universities. Prospective students not yet enrolled in graduate school may apply to the September 11th Memorial Program concurrently with their application to any of these schools. Additionally, the following restrictions apply to students’ eligibility for this program:
Research Options |
Internship Options |
|
Degree Goal |
NA | Graduate Students |
International Students |
NA | Only if visa allows |
Geographic Constrains |
NA | Opportunities may be available for students to perform duties remotely for NYMTC or a NYMTC member agency. |
Students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, as long as their studies relate in some way to transportation planning. Fields that are especially relevant include Transportation Planning and Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Operations Research, City and Regional Planning, Architecture, and Public Policy, but applicants need not be limited to these fields.
Internship Information
The following supporting materials are required for the 2021-22 September 11th Internship:
- Résumé.
- An essay, describing how you visualize your future role in the New York transportation planning process (500-1000 words).
- Undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable on a provisional basis; electronic versions can be uploaded directly, or hard copies can be scanned and uploaded. You may be requested to submit official transcripts at a later date for confirmation. If you are not able to obtain an electronic copy, you may mail official or unofficial transcripts to the address below.
- A letter from student's advisor or staff member in respective academic program. The purpose of this letter is to accept responsibility as the student's point of contact with administrative questions within the university, e.g. receiving stipend payments. FYI, the adviser will also serve as the liaison between the institution's office of research grants and RFCUNY on any contractual or payment issues.
- Additionally, three letters of recommendation from professors and/or employers must also be uploaded online. Recommendation Letters must be uploaded directly by the recommenders using the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/E7rH8aDLr2VBaRo2B4OY. Applicants are to share the link with their recommenders.