Stanford
SPARQ

Summer Research Opportunity - Apply now!

We are seeking motivated students to participate firsthand in social psychology research in the media industry!

This Summer Research Opportunity (SRO) is hosted by Stanford SPARQ - a “do tank” that partners with industry leaders and changemakers to fight bias, reduce disparities, and drive culture change using insights from behavioral science. 

We are seeking motivated students to participate firsthand in social psychology research in the media industry. This research is in partnership with BET (Black Entertainment Television) and Paramount, where we are experimentally testing the relationship between racial representation on television and viewers' social and racial attitudes. As part of this multi-part and multi-year project, we are seeking interested undergraduate students or post-bac researchers to collaborate in the design and development of experimental studies. 

Our 8-week program will run from June 20th to August 15th, 2022. The program will be run virtually and all activities will be done remotely, so we invite interested candidates across the U.S. to apply. Virtual meetings will be held during Pacific Time (PT) working hours. The program will be full-time (40 hr/week) and will be fully funded at $20/hour. 

All SRO interns will work with SPARQ staff, postdocs, and faculty on the aforementioned research project. Specifically, interns will be responsible for collecting, editing, and compiling television media content to be used as stimuli in experimental studies, will analyze existing television content for features of character representation and portrayals, and will analyze qualitative survey data. In addition to project-specific work, interns will attend weekly lab meetings where they will read relevant scientific literature, receive professional development, and build research skills. 

Successful candidates should demonstrate enthusiasm for behavioral science research and in topics related (but not limited) to social inequality and social justice. Additional qualifications and characteristics of successful candidates include: 

  • Some college experience

  • Detail-oriented

  • Self-motivated 

  • Can work independently and with a team 

  • Access to a computer and internet access

  • Familiarity with television media 

  • Experience with video editing is a plus

  • Social science research experience is a plus

 

We intend to hire between 3-5 summer interns for this opportunity, and we encourage candidates from historically marginalized communities to apply. The deadline to apply for the SPARQ SRO is April 22nd, 2022. Applicants will be notified of a decision by mid-May 2022. 

 

Required Application Materials

As part of the application, applicants must submit the following materials: 

  • A cover letter expressing your reasons for applying to the SPARQ Summer Research Opportunity program, your academic/professional interests, and why this program would be a good fit for your future goals. Cover letters should be typed, single-spaced, and 1-2 pages in length. 

  • CV or resume

  • Unofficial college transcript

Apply for the Stanford SPARQ Summer Research Opportunity here:

https://forms.gle/C3HtmaqfVDLU3BUL7

 

For questions about this opportunity, please contact SPARQ lab manager Clarissa Gutierrez at cgutier@stanford.edu 

More News