CoMotion Mary Gates Innovation Internship

Program Overview

The CoMotion Mary Gates Innovation Scholars program funds full-time summer internships in faculty-led start-up initiatives. Selected scholars will contribute to the development of these applications, gaining experience in and exposure to various aspects of building a new product/business. The participating research groups have projects at different stages of development; interns may be doing more basic research in some, or more marketing or business development in others. The project descriptions provide a good sense of what each intern will be doing. During the program, participating scholars will build on their strengths and extend their knowledge in new and exciting directions in a variety of fields of study.

Click here to see a list of important dates and deadlines.

Each CoMotion Mary Gates Innovation Scholar will receive a $6,000 award and two general studies course credits.

This program is open to UW undergraduate students from any of the three UW campuses who will graduate in the summer of their program term or later, and is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, international students, and undocumented students.

Questions or comments may be emailed to mgates@uw.edu.

Required application materials include .pdf versions of:

• Statement of purpose (500 words);
• Personal statement (optional, 150 words);
• Your preferences of the projects listed below, including explanation of choices (500 words);
• Your resume/C.V.;
• Permission to access your UW transcript; and
• One letter of recommendation from a faculty member;

The faculty recommender should be familiar with your coursework or (where applicable) prior research or internship experience. After you submit your faculty recommender contact information in the online application, your recommender will receive an email message requesting the letter. We encourage you to discuss your request for a letter of recommendation with the faculty recommender as early as possible and prior to providing your recommender’s contact information in the online system.

UW undergraduate students from any of the three UW campuses who will graduate in the summer of their program term or later; see individual project descriptions for specific internship eligibility above. This application does not include a GPA requirement.

The CoMotion Mary Gates Innovation Scholars summer internship program offers selected students an opportunity to participate in work with faculty-led UW Startup initiatives. This program is a full-time commitment, and participating students will not be permitted to engage in other jobs, labs, or academic courses during the program term.

Participants will be required to:

• Complete a full-time intensive internship experience with one of the startup initiatives at/near the UW Seattle campus;
• Enroll in two credits of General Studies;
• Attend special seminars and workshops designed specifically for the internship program;
• Maintain open communication with project mentor(s) and program staff throughout the summer;
• Present their work in a culminating event, and at the subsequent UW Undergraduate Research Symposium (as appropriate).

A financial award of up to $6,000 will be disbursed to participating scholars throughout the program term. Housing is not provided for participating students. There will be cohort meetings, seminars and social activities offered throughout the summer. All interns will participate in a final culminating event.