Intern FAQ's

What are my responsibilities as an intern?

As a USEIT intern, your responsibilities include the following: 

• Participate in an 8-week internship program at USC and work in a team-based environment to complete research activities structured around “Grand Challenges” in earthquake information technology.
• Attend the All-Intern Field Trip and the SCEC Annual Meeting.
• Submit all SCEC assignments by their appropriate deadlines, including: Personal Statement, Research Highlights, Field Notes, Experience Statement, Research Abstract, and SCEC Annual Meeting Poster.

Each SCEC/USEIT intern is paid a stipend of $5000 for 8 weeks of research. This stipend is intended to pay for housing, food, and incidental costs. As a SCEC intern you should not expect to end the summer with a profit remaining from your stipend. In most cases, you should break even on your summer expenses. 

You will receive the majority of the stipend towards the beginning of the internship period. SCEC covers all costs of attending the all-intern field trip and all costs of attending the SCEC Annual Meeting.  

During summer 2012, UseIT interns have two days off:

• Wednesday, July 4 (Independence Day, University Holiday)
• One “personal” day (must be approved by Dr. de Groot at least 1 week in advance).

Personal days are generally not granted on critical attendance days such as group presentations, special events, field trips, or days at the very beginning or end of the program.

How is my intern stipend handled during tax season?

Your intern stipend is considered taxable income and is reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Consult with your tax advisor on how to handle this income at tax time. You may or may not receive a W-2 form from your host institution. For example, if your host institution is USC, they do not typically provide W-2s. Regardless if you receive a W-2, the IRS still has a record of the income. SCEC and/or your mentor cannot provide tax advice so please direct all questions to your tax advisor.