Internship Opportunity: BenchFly
Internship Opportunity: BenchFly — Reinventing Science Communication Using Video
At BenchFly, we think the most exciting opportunities for innovation occur at the interface of two sometimes seemingly unrelated fields. We’re excited to announce this unique internship opportunity, which will bring together two Vanderbilt trainees–one student from the Film Department and one graduate student or post doc from a biomedical sciences program–to push the boundaries of how video is used to communicate science.
Here are a few questions we’d have if we were reading this post:
What is BenchFly?
Founded in 2009, BenchFly is an online platform dedicated to training the current and future generations of scientists through video. We work with a wide range of scientists from high school students to academic and corporate labs. Our goal is to bring expert instruction to anyone with an internet connection worldwide.
Do I need to know anything about video?
Nope! Be prepared to learn about video from your Film student partner, while you teach them the science necessary to complete the project.
We’re supposed to reinvent science communication in a semester?
Big picture goals like reinventing science communication with video are exciting, but also challenging. Therefore, this internship will be setup as a series of discrete, but related, real-world projects that all work toward the bigger picture. For example, one project will focus on the challenge of creating a homepage video that must communicate our mission without using sound or text.
How much time is required per week?
Interns will have flexibility in managing projects and deadlines in a way that works with their current class and/or research schedule. We estimate an average of 3-5 hours per week.
Where will the internship occur? Where will we meet?
We understand that your time is precious and nothing’s a bigger waste of that time than sitting in traffic. Since your partner from the Film department is also at Vandy, we have designed this internship to function entirely on campus. In-person meetings will be held at Vanderbilt and regular communication will take place via email/GChat/etc.
Is this a paid internship?
Well, not in money. BUT, interns *will* be paid in experience, professional connections, and real-world work that can be included in their CV/portfolio! Additionally, there may be opportunities for future paid internships and/or work.
Who should apply for this internship?
We’re looking for an extremely creative researcher who says to themselves “there’s got to be a better way to do this” at least once a week in the course of everyday life… Priority will be given to highly-motivated and independent individuals with open minds and a willingness to take risks. If you’ve ever been told “whoa, that idea is pretty crazy”, this might be the internship for you…
How do I apply?
Please send a resume and a brief personal statement explaining why you’re interested in this opportunity to Alan Marnett at alan@benchfly.com.