Be a part of advocating for social change by assisting NGOs in collecting much needed information to help them serve their communities more effectively. And at the same time, educate yourself on ethical international research. 

If you are new to research in an international setting, let IPSL help! As an IPSL participant you will be trained and approved as a principal investigator in Sponsored Research projects driven and designed by their partner organizations around the world. Participants will directly serve the host organization by conducting primary research that provides data and analysis that supports the organization in its mission. Projects are varied and multiple students help conduct the research over time providing a sustainable model for ethical service.  

IPSL offers educational and professional human subject research opportunities where IPSL participants design, conduct and publish independent research, in collaboration with the local organizations that they serve. Resource-scarce organizations often have little ability to examine their programs in a quantifiable way. Research, through IPSL, can help these organizations with data that can be used to impact their work and the people they serve. Unique to the IPSL program, students develop keen insight into the human-subject research review process in an international context with immediate, practical application.

“Researching while abroad gives students the opportunity to really immerse themselves into a new culture. I was able to cross cultural barriers and really talk to my participants and learn about their past experiences. I gained an understanding into their lives and by doing so enriched my experience abroad.” IPSL Graduate 

 

Students participating in an IPSL Advocacy Research program are assisted with the entire research process from conception to final publishing. The goal is to create an instructive and supportive process that removes barriers and enables students to experience ethical research in a real-world setting.

“The IPSL Advocacy Research Opportunity helped me prepare for my future career by giving me the skills to plan out a project and implement it. Conducting my own research and collecting primary data really helped give me the skills and developed my capacity to follow through on a project of my own design designed.” 
Shelby - IPSL Graduate

 

Your research will give you a ‘leg-up’ by boosting your potential (aka: beef up your resume!) plus it is a fun and new way to engage with a culture and community! 

 

IPSL student, Laura, engaged in a sponsored research project in Guayaquil, Ecuador. While abroad, Laura collected data on Chikungunya, a mosquito borne illness affecting a local impoverished community. Laura served at a local clinic and worked alongside the clinic doctor to visit patients in their homes, conduct educational lectures on Chikungunya prevention and collect data on community prevalence. Laura gained valuable skills for her future medical career and the clinic gained valuable data that they used to request government funding.