July 2021
Scholarships, Internships, and Employment – oh my!
This page will post a variety of campus and community events and opportunities that may be of interest or relevant to students with disabilities. Check out opportunities such as scholarships, internships, professional development opportunities, and research studies.
With the exception of information presented under “SSD Events”, information included on this page is not endorsed, supported, or connected to SSD in any way.
For more up-to-date information, lie us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/UTAustinServicesForStudentsWithDisabilities
All Disability Opportunities
- Scholarships
- Employment Opportunities
- Internship and Fellowship Opportunities
- Participate in a Research Study
- Conferences and Programs
UT and SSD Events
Supporting Undergraduates with Placement in Research Experiences
SUPER is a new program within the Office of Undergraduate Research designed to provide active support to students facing academic barriers in securing research opportunities across campus. Health and safety measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have forced much research to be conducted remotely. These restrictions in turn have led to a reduced number of research assistantships and delays in research participation throughout the research pipeline.
Questions of equity of access to undergraduate research did not begin with COVID-19 restrictions, and the issues that many students at our university face will not disappear once campus activities begin again. While the SUPER program was born out of COVID-19 challenges, we are building support for students facing a wide variety of challenges and barriers during their careers as an undergraduates researchers.
Non-UT Opportunities
| Back to top |
Scholarships
AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
The American Association on Health and Disability is accepting applications for the Frederick J. Krause Scholarship for undergraduate (sophomore standing and above) and graduate students with disabilities who are majoring in a field related to disability and health. Preference is given to students majoring in a field related to disability and health, including, but not limited to, public health, health promotion, disability studies, disability research, rehabilitation engineering, audiology, disability policy, special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and majors that will impact quality of life of persons with disabilities.
https://www.aahd.us/initiatives/scholarship-program/
HIE Help Center Scholarship
The HIE Help Center is pleased to offer an annual scholarship for a student (or a small team of students) who is committed to helping people with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy (CP), or another neonatal injury. Being personally impacted by HIE or another disability is not a requirement, as the scholarship focuses on the applicant’s goals to support those who are affected. Students with disabilities are welcome and encouraged to apply as well. A scholarship for the amount of $1,000 will be awarded each year to a student or small group of students collaborating on a project.
Springboard Foundation Scholarship
Hello All! Our 2021 scholarship for college students with diagnosed disabilities, will open for applications on March 15, 2021, and we will accept applications until June 15, 2021.
The Springboard Foundation is proud to extend scholarships to full-time undergraduate college/university students who have documented disabilities of any type that are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Our scholarship recipients attend college and universities across the United States and are currently registered with their Colleges/Universities disability services office.
- Students must have completed 24 credits at an accredited College or University.
- Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Students must be registered with their college/university’s disability services office. Students must provide a letter from the disability services office confirming registration with the office.
- S. CITIZENS and U.S. PERMANENT RESIDENTS ONLY are eligible to apply.
- The awards range from $1,000 to $2,500.
- General scholarshipsare available to everyone.
- To apply, a student should submit an application directly via The Springboard Foundation website.
Intel Graduate Diversity STEM Scholarship
Entrants must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident and live within the U.S;
- Candidates must be a service Veteran or active-duty service member, or a “Gold Star Family Member” with provided proof;
- Applicant must be a full-time student in an accredited U.S. University currently pursuing a graduate degree;
- Aspirants should have a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA;
- These are eligible disciplines: Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Information Technology, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Material Engineering or Science, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Polymer Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Systems Engineering, and Statistics.
How to Apply
To proceed with the application process, candidates will need to go to the online portal of the Intel Graduate Diversity Scholarship program, where they will be presented with some question that needs to answer correctly. The recommendation letters will be provided to the endorsers automatically as part of the online application process
Test Prep Insight Scholarship
Applicants must be currently enrolled at or planning to attend a 2-4 year university, community college or graduate school program located in the United States. Candidates must have a medically recognized physical or mental disability. The minimum GPA required for application is 2.5, indicating that all candidates are in good academic standing.
Scholarship amount: $1,500
Deadline to apply: November 30th, 2021
Application: https://testprepinsight.com/scholarship/
Mesothelioma.com Scholarship
Mesothelioma.com is proud to award $4,000 to one student whose life has been impacted by cancer. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance to college students in their pursuit of higher education. If you’ve battled a form of cancer yourself, or witnessed a loved one receiving treatment, we want to hear your story.
Applicants Include
- Those who have battled cancer at any point in their lives (not limited to mesothelioma).
- Those who have a parent, sibling, immediate family member or close friend that has battled or is currently fighting cancer.
Application Requirements
- Must be enrolled full-time at an accredited two-year or four-year university, community college or junior college, or a graduate degree program.
- This scholarship is offered nationwide to united states citizens.
- Students must be in academic “good standing” and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher to be eligible.
Application Deadline is March 31, 2022, for the 2022 academic year.
For more scholarship opportunities, please visit SSD’s Scholarship webpage.
| Back to top |
Employment Opportunities
Neurodiversity in the Workplace
We are looking for candidates to take part in neurodiversity hiring programs at various companies across the United States throughout the year. Selected candidates will be chosen to participate in an alternate interview process for full time positions with our partner companies.
Currently, we are seeking applicants for higher level technology roles such as those with computer science, data analytics, cyber security and similar backgrounds, though anyone is welcome to apply.
Please share the attached flyer (also found online here) with your network and direct any questions about these opportunities to neurodiversity@nitw.org with subject: Neurodiversity 2021.
| Back to top |
Internship and Fellowship Opportunities
| Back to top |
Participate in a Research Study
The Spectrum for Life-Interconnected Surveys Project
You are invited to participate in online studies about topics that affect the lives of adults on the autism spectrum. This study will help us better understand what affects outcomes for adults on the autism spectrum. To do this, we will ask you to complete surveys for different studies.Your responses across the different studies will be linked together to help us better understand how different life experiences, individual traits, perceptions, and attitudes can affect life outcomes, such as health, employment, quality of life, and other outcomes. To help us understand how autistic adults change over time, you will also have the option to participate in longitudinal surveys.
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have an autism diagnosis OR identify with a diagnosis of autism (self-diagnosed)
• Be able to read and respond to an online survey
Participation in this study involves an online survey
Participation in this study includes a chance to win a $50 Amazon Card
To participate in this study, please use the following link: https://redcap.link/S4L-IS
For more information about this and other Spectrum for Life studies, please visit: https://spectrumforlife.com
Autistic Adults’ Perspective on Education and Intervention Services
Often intervention and education for autistic children is designed and implemented without any input from autistic individuals themselves. This is why researchers in the Department of Education at UC Santa Barbara are recruiting autistic adults to participate in a study in which they will be asked to give feedback on different aspects of common intervention programs for autistic children. This IRB-approved study consists of an online survey that will take approximately 20-45 minutes to complete. The survey includes five short video clips of young children participating in intervention and a list of statements about common intervention goals and strategies. Participants will be asked to provide their opinions about these items.
Potential participants must be autistic (formally- or self-diagnosed) and be at least 18 years old.
If interested, please visit this website: https://ucsb.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wL3wOPIUFKjnuJ
For questions, please contact graduate student researcher Rachel Schuck at rkschuck@ucsb.edu
Virginia Tech Exploring Civil Engineering Identity & Disability
Our research team, the majority of whom identify as people with various disabilities, is seeking volunteers to participate in a series of 60-90 minute interviews for a nationwide study exploring the professional identity formation of undergraduate civil engineering students who experience disabilities. In particular, we want to further understand how your experiences, skills, activities, values, and inter-personal relationships contribute to your career goals and how they shift over time. The results of this study will be used to enhance the educational policies and experiences of students with disabilities in civil engineering and in other engineering disciplines, more broadly.
Do I qualify to participate? You are eligible to participate in this study if you:
- are 18 years old or older
- are enrolled in (or intending to enroll in) a civil engineering program
- experience some form of a disability such as learning disabilities, physical disabilities,, cognitive disabilities, or developmental disabilities
Individuals who experience disabilities may participate in this study. Your disability does not need to have been officially diagnosed by a healthcare professional; documentation from your doctor and reporting your disability to your institution are NOT required. Disabilities include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Visual Differences (e.g., Stargardt’s Disease, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and other forms of complete or partial blindness)
- Hearing Differences (e.g., chronic buzzing or ringing in ears, deafness in one or both ears, and other forms of complete or partial hearing loss or difference)
- Learning or Developmental Differences (e.g., autism, Asperger’s obsessive compulsive disorder, dyslexia, or other forms of learning or developmental differences)
- Auto-immune Disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, lyme disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), type 1 diabetes, or other auto-immune diseases)
- Limb Differences (e.g., limb amputee or born without a limb)
- Mobility Differences (e.g., needing a walker, wheelchair, cane, or crutches or experiences difficulty walking or lifting/moving objects due to paralysis, stamina limitations, cerebral palsy, or other neuromuscular or orthopedic reasons)
If you are interested in participating in this study, please fill out and submit the following survey: http://bit.ly/2ylSic9 or visit our website at blogs.lt.vt.edu/exploringidentity/. Participation in the survey is voluntary and confidential; your responses may be used in research published in professional journal articles, but your identity will not be revealed to anyone outside of the research team.
Florida International University
Participants needed for an autism research study examining the effects of workplace design.
- Adults (18+) on the autism spectrum who are currently employed in an office setting. Those who were employed prior to COVID-19 also qualify.
- Online survey – 25 minutes.
- Online survey can be completed anywhere on a computer device.
- $15 (USD) Amazon eGift card.
If interested, please contact the primary researcher: Mark Burnard – mburn032@fiu.edu
| Back to top |
Conferences and Programs
Townhall on Public Safety: People with Disabilities and Policing
The City of Austin is hosting a special event for people with disabilities to share their experiences with public safety and the police. The town hall will be December 2, 2020 from 6- 8:30 p.m., with interpretation in American Sign Language and Spanish. Additional language interpretation and accessibility accommodations are available upon request.
To request accommodations:
- Use the RSVP form here: https://bit.ly/2HaMdG6
- Or contact Lee Nguyen at (512) 974-1897 or Nguyen@Austintexas.gov or David Ondich at (512) 974-3256 or david.ondich@austintexas.gov.
Gender & Sexuality Center – Peers for Pride
Peers is OPEN! It is never too late or early to think about what the future might hold! “Peers for Pride” (PfP) is a peer facilitation program of the Gender & Sexuality Center. UT students (undergraduate and graduate) will take two (2) classes for academic credit in partnership with the Center for Woman’s & Gender Studies. During the program, students build applied theatre, critical analysis, and facilitation skills as they build the workshop “What Do Thriving Queer Communities Look Like?” Students create message scenes and activating scenes in the workshop to share skills and build space for conversation and accountability across LGBTQUIA+ communities and with supporters of LGBTQUIA+ communities.
Note: No experience is required to apply for the program. To apply: Please fill out this online application and someone will contact applicants in 1-3 business days. Deadline for Application: Applications before the end of the spring semester are encouraged, but there is no firm deadline for PfP applications. For further questions, comments, etc., please email us at gsc@austin.utexas.edu
SAFE Seeks Blogs and Videos
Disability Services of SAFE, a merger of Austin Children’s Shelter and SafePlace, is seeking blogs or short videos from adults with disabilities. If your work is accepted, it may be posted on the SAFE website, social media, YouTube, and/or online newsletter.
Blogs or articles can be 300-500 words. Videos can be 1-2 miutes. Submissions can cover safety, recovering from domestic or sexual violence, consent, building respectful relationships, or related topics. Other examples follow:
- RE.S.P.E.C.T. We all want it. Here’s how I give it and get it in my relationships.
- What I want my friends without disabilities to know about violence and people with disabilities.
- What my world would feel like if it was safe for everybody, including me.
- Someone I trusted abused me. What I need is:
- I want my partner relationship to be healthy, so what I do is….
- I was bullied (at school, at work). This is what I did about it.
- When my friend was physically hurt by someone they loved, this is how I helped.
- I had a stalker, and I was terrified. This is what helped.
- Yeah, I could get hurt dating. What my family needs to understand is…
- Don’t overprotect me when it comes to having a relationship. I need to be able to take risks too.
- If I told someone that my caregiver was emotionally abusive, I’d lose the help I needed to get out of bed, pay my bills, eat, and get out of the house. What could I do?
For more information, email or call Diane King at dking@safeaustin.org or call 512-369-5944.
| Back to top |