RISE

RISE (Resources for Internship Success and Empowerment) is a program designed to empower DukeLIFE students by enabling their participation in transformative, career-building learning experiences. By providing financial support, RISE helps students accept supervised, unpaid, or low-paying summer internships that might otherwise be inaccessible due to financial constraints.

Eligible students receive flat-rate stipends to help cover essential expenses such as housing, meals, and transportation, ensuring they can focus fully on their professional development. These internships provide immersive experiences in real-world professional settings, allowing students to apply their academic knowledge, build industry-specific skills, and establish valuable networks.

Through RISE, DukeLIFE students gain critical experience and insights that position them for success in launching meaningful careers after graduation, helping to bridge the gap between academic learning and professional achievement.

Summer 2026

Who is Eligible to Apply?

• Applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduates in Trinity or Pratt and demonstrate high financial need as indicated in their need-based financial aid records.
• Eligible students must be rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors in good academic standing.
• Incoming first-year students and graduating seniors are not eligible to apply.
• Students must have been accepted into their intended summer program before submitting their RISE application.
• Enrollment in summer classes is not permitted while participating in the summer program during the concurrent term. (ie. a summer class can be taken in Summer I if the internship is not during Summer I dates. See Duke Summer 2026 academic calendar).
• Students cannot participate in another Duke summer program concurrently with the program for which they are seeking RISE funding.
• Students who are awarded the Career Center’s Internship Funding Program (IFP) grant are not eligible for RISE funding. If you are awarded the IFP grant, your RISE application will be automatically withdrawn.
• Applicants must be eligible to receive funding through the university’s non-compensatory payment system.
• Awardees must agree to the terms of the RISE program.

Eligible Internships

• Eligible internships include supervised, structured summer learning programs that allow students to apply their Duke-acquired knowledge and skills to fields related to their career interests. Experiences that are a stepping stone towards your career interests are highly considered by the RISE committee.
• Before applying, you are required to consult with a Duke faculty member to discuss your summer internship and your goals for participating, ensuring you receive mentorship and guidance.
• The internship must be external to and not connected to Duke and either unpaid or low-paid (approximate maximum compensation of $2,500). See Cost of Living Calculator.
• Both in-person and hybrid opportunities are eligible for funding. Hybrid opportunities should involve at least two on-site days per week. Fully remote opportunities are also eligible but must be addressed in your proposal narrative, including a description of the mentorship your supervisor will provide.
• Programs with participation fees are eligible for funding.
• Internships completed to fulfill requirements for the Political Science and Global Health majors are eligible. However, students must not be enrolled in a credit-bearing course during the internship period.
• Independent learning projects are not eligible for funding.
• Language learning experiences are not eligible for funding.
• Tuition-based summer abroad programs are not eligible for funding.
• RISE funding cannot be used to supplement participation costs for another Duke summer program or to pay for supplies, events, or speakers. 

Funding

Awardees will receive a grant of either $2,500 or $5,000, determined by their budget justification and the living expenses and program fees associated with their summer program. This funding must be used exclusively for expenses related to the summer program specified in the student’s RISE application and cannot be transferred to another program.

The RISE committee wants to help you be successful in your summer internship. However, it is not guaranteed that you will receive RISE funds due to the competitiveness of the program. It is important that you have other sources to support you if you do not receive RISE funds. Additionally, if you are awarded RISE funds, it is not guaranteed that the funding will cover all of your summer expenses. Again, it is important to have other resources ready depending on the outcome of the RISE funding decision. 

The funding will be processed through the university’s non-compensatory payment system. To receive payment, students must have either a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). International students without an ITIN should begin working with Duke Visa Services as soon as possible to obtain one to avoid delays in receiving their funding.

Required Funding Forms:

All RISE awardees must submit the following materials before DukeLIFE can process their grant payment:

• Submit a signed participation agreement form via Adobe Sign
• Provide requested information on the OUE Non-Comp Smartsheet
• Sign up for direct deposit in the Financials section of DukeHub

If a student does not complete their summer program, they will be required to return the RISE grant in full.

Non-compensatory payments are disbursed once a month at the end of the month, with no option for expedited processing.

Application Process

Students are eligible to apply for RISE only after they have received a confirmed summer internship offer or summer program acceptance. To accommodate varying program timelines, RISE offers three application cycles.

RISE applicants are required to complete the Duke Summer Experiences General Questionnaire and upload their unofficial college transcripts. The RISE application includes detailed questions about the summer experience and the following components:

• Proposal Narrative: A 2-3 page, double-spaced document outlining your summer experience.
• Faculty Reference Form: Completed by a Duke teaching faculty member.
• Summer Program Acceptance Letter: Proof of acceptance into the program.
• Budget Justification: An explanation of the funding amount requested. Detailed budgets are not required.

Important: Applications that are incomplete by the deadline will be automatically withdrawn and will not be considered for funding.

Before the Experience

• Participate in a pre-departure group workshop with other RISE awardees
• Review the RISE Handbook

During the Experience

• Attend check-in meetings with the DukeLIFE Professional Development Coordinator and submit reflections with photos

After the Experience

• Submit a thank you note to the donors whose generosity makes RISE possible
• DukeLIFE will contact your supervisor for feedback
• Submit a slide representing your summer experience to display at the DukeLIFE Fall Retreat