TURTLE Internship

Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness•Bangor, ME

About The Position

Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness (WPHW) offers the Wabanaki Tribal Undergraduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE), a paid, year-long internship for Indigenous undergraduate students. The program develops future Indigenous researchers’ knowledge, leadership abilities, and research skills, and is intended for students interested in research, health, and wellness, including those considering graduate school. The 12-month program runs from June 2027 through May 2028. It includes an eight-week, full-time, in-person rotation at WPHW’s Bangor office, a funded week of travel to Washington State University during that period, and ten months of remote professional development at 16 hours per month. Each intern is paired with a mentor based on research interests and gains hands-on experience with community-engaged research. Program topics include qualitative and quantitative research methods, data sovereignty and ethical considerations when working with Tribal communities, health science communication, and avenues for dissemination. The total intern stipend is $9,600.

Requirements

Be at least 18 years old.
Be a member of a federally recognized Native American Nation.
Be enrolled at a college or university.
Be able to meet all travel and in-person program requirements.
Submit to background checks as required by the program.

Responsibilities

Participate in an eight-week, full-time, in-person rotation at the WPHW Bangor office.
Travel to Washington State University for one funded week during the in-person period.
Participate remotely in professional development for ten months at 16 hours per month.
Work with an assigned mentor and gain hands-on experience with community-engaged research.
Develop knowledge and skills in research methods, data sovereignty, ethical research with Tribal communities, health science communication, and dissemination.