Mary Beth Conway (August 2004 - July 2005)

My internship with ICR was a great experience. I found the program academically challenging and the ICR staff friendly and extremely helpful. I would highly recommend an ICR internship to anyone interested in learning more about social research in Northern Ireland.

ICR's internship program is a fantastic opportunity. Interns are expected to actively participate in the research projects. During my internship, I processed data, assisted with focus groups, wrote reports, attended seminars, conducted library research and occasionally made tea and coffee. The program encourages interns to pursue their academic interests while assisting ICR projects.

The quality of research conducted at ICR is superb and has been recognised by a number of prestigious organisations. ICR's good reputation allows researchers (and interns) access to many different communities and individuals while conducting research.

One thing I really enjoyed about the organisation was the constant staff discussions on research projects, political development and daily news in Northern Ireland. Staffers were always willing to express different points of view on a number of topics. Listening to and participating in these impromptu staff discussions really broadened my knowledge and awareness of important issues. ICR staff were always willing to answer my questions about Northern Ireland, no matter how basic or offbeat the subjects were.

Through my internship, I have learned more about Northern Ireland, research, politics, and conflict than I ever expected. I would like to thank the ICR staff for their patience with me and my constant office mishaps. I will miss the staff and organisation very much, and look forward to keeping in touch.

Rebecca Thomas (May and June 2004)

ICR is, in many ways, an ideal organisation in which to undertake an internship and I found the two months I spent there both invaluable experience and tremendous fun.

Undoubtedly the greatest benefit of interning with ICR is the opportunity to undertake interesting and challenging research into a plethora of issues. Contrary to many internship programmes, ICR does not employ the service of interns for their photocopying and tea-making abilities. Whilst at ICR I undertook a number of projects. I worked on research into European hate crime legislation, a report on a Community Relations conference on the topic of interface areas, a report on young people in community conflict and assisted a researcher with graphs and tables for a report.

A second advantage of interning with ICR is the quality of the organisation. ICR has a very positive profile, reflective of both the high calibre of staff and high quality of publications and interns are fortunate to reap the benefits of this profile by the way of access to conferences, experts in the field both in Northern Ireland and the wider world and to resources. I attended conferences on community relations, the future peace of Northern Ireland, a consultation on human rights, the launch of a political manifesto as well as attending a week long conference on conflict resolution and regulation.

Finally, ICR enjoys an informal, unpretentious atmosphere. There is an eclectic and international mix of staff at ICR that ensures any given issue is approached, debated and influenced from a number of perspectives.

If one has a serious interest in conflict research, a positive work ethic, a desire to gain valuable experience and a sense of humour, then an internship with ICR will not be time wasted. If I were to have one negative reflection on my ICR experience it would be that the duration was far too short. Overall I cannot recommend an internship with ICR highly enough.

Fabrice Mourlon (January - June 2004)

In 2003, I came to ICR for assistance with my PhD research. I was struck by the warm welcome I got there, the staff's eagerness to assist and the high quality of research carried out by the organisation. I said to myself then: ICR, that's the place to be… In 2004, here I am at ICR as an intern, provided with all the facilities a researcher would dream of: a desk, a PC, a telephone line and access to a mine of information.(Any academic at the start of her/his career will understand this).
I have learnt a lot in the 6 months I spent with the staff at ICR. From the outset I was involved in various projects ranging from desktop research to on-the-ground survey work and research training with young people in North Belfast. I had the opportunity to participate in focus groups and interviews. I learnt how to design questionnaires and to process data on SPSS. I was thus provided with solid and in-depth knowledge and skills on how to conduct research.
At the same time I had the possibility of carrying out my own research. The library at ICR was just another Aladin's Cave full of gemlike documents. The high profile of the organisation facilitated all the contacts I made and I am most indebted to the staff's thoughtfulness and support when I was down and low.
The easy-going yet professional environment at ICR is a match to the high quality of research conducted by the organisation. The wide-ranging projects on which the researchers work gave me a good insight of the Northern Ireland society.
But most of all I will miss those wee moments: Jennifer sharing anecdotes about her young son at lunchtime; Ulf's good sense of humour; Jonny's wee jokes; the boys winding me up and giving me a good slag; exchanging jazz CDs with Neil; Rebecca's fresh outlook on the whole situation and Sylvia's radiant morning smile…

Fabrice Mourlon, January-June 2004.

Thomas Lefebvre (July and August 2003)

During my internship at ICR, I was part of a research project on migrant workers in Northern Ireland. We travelled all over Northern Ireland interviewing migrant workers, civil servants, lawyers and social workers. It was very exciting to be part of an investigative project, assembling the different elements which were going to compose a serious report. I really appreciated that I was always given clear guidelines on what I had to do and never left with nothing to work on. A small part of my time was given to administrative work but most of the work that I did allowed a high level of responsibility.

The atmosphere was relaxed but everyone was focused on their own work which enabled me to work efficiently on the project. ICR is a small but lively and friendly place and as a consequence it was very easy to integrate with the team. There was a good interraction between me and the other colleagues which made me sad to leave. Looking back at this experience, I found it quite useful for building my professional career. I would recommend anybody to apply for an internship at ICR.

Jonathan Byrne (March -November 2003)

I joined ICR in March 2003 as an intern. I was with ICR in that position until November 2003, when I became a full-time member of the organisation's research team. I found my time at ICR as an intern very fulfilling. I was fortunate enough to work on a range of topics and research projects, which provided me with an insight into different communities in Northern Ireland. I gained valuable experience in several research methods, namely conducting interviews and focus groups.

ICR was excellent to work for. I found the existing staff a pleasure to work with, and felt priveleged that they welcomed me into the bosom of their organisation. The atmosphere was one of warmth and friendship. The relaxed but productive work environment meant that work was enjoyable and educational. The guidance and support was crucial in my understanding the intricate and often extensive research projects which ICR undertake.

I am at present a Research Assistant with ICR, and am enjoying my work as much today as I was twelve months ago. I have developed an understanding of the complex community relationships evident within Northern Ireland, every day I am learning more both about myself and the issues facing people today.

Chrissie Steenkamp (Summer 2001)

I am a South African student and studied an MA in Comparative Ethnic Conflict at the Queen’s University of Belfast in 2000/1. Over the summer period (June-August 2001), while I was working on my dissertation, I did an internship with the Institute for Conflict Research. I participated in many projects, such as preparing manuscripts for publishing, presentations to community groups and preparing data sets for analysis. If you are considering an internship at the ICR, here are some observations from my own experience.

Why would you want to intern at the ICR?

• Well-established Research Staff: There are some well-known, established and internationally respected researchers working at the ICR. Not only will you learn a lot from them, but they have contacts worldwide. You are bound to meet some really interesting people. The office atmosphere is friendly, quite close-knit and relaxed.
  
  
• Broad Research Agenda: The ICR has a rather broad research agenda and I found that they show an interest in almost any topic or interest, as long at it has a conflict aspect to it. They also engage in research with a very practical purpose, rather than only engaging in theoretical work.
  
  
• Opportunities for Interns: I found the ICR very willing to invest in their interns. For example, they trained me in data analysis software and sponsored me to attend local conferences. Also, they appreciated that I had my own research to complete and we arranged that I only had to work half-day.
  
  
• Location: The ICR office is located in North Belfast (an area that can be politically very tense at times) on a peace line (dividing two communities). As an international student, the internship in North Belfast has exposed me to experiences and views that you don’t encounter in textbooks. I walked away with a different and (I hope) better understanding of the Troubles, than I had when I started there.

1. Internships are unpaid and therefore you need to provide you own sufficient funds to support yourself for the period of the internship.
   
   
2. If you live in the university area (South Belfast), it can be quite a while to travel to the office. On foot it takes at least 45 minutes and by bus 20-25 minutes one way.
   
   
3. As an intern you are right at the bottom of the food chain in any organisation, so here too you will be doing your fair share of tedious administrative jobs. Approach ICR with a clear idea of what you want to do and have definite goals: for example, you may want access to sources via ICR to help with your own research (e.g. dissertation); or learn certain practical research skills or may even just want to see what life in an NGO in Northern Ireland is like. Make you goals clear to the staff. They were generally very willing to accommodate specific interests and this will ensure that you walk away with more skills than you arrived with.
   

I interned with Community Conflict on Children in the summer of 2000. The internship was a major part of the completion of my Masters in Applied Anthropology.

Within the three months I worked for CCIC, I helped organise a conference, called "Building the Future; Young People and the Troubles", and the prior site visits where international delegates visited communities in Northern Ireland; I learned how to analyze qualitative data using Nudist and how a small local organization is structured.

I learned a lot from Marie Smyth who has a great knowledge about Northern Ireland and about researching the Troubles in general. I wish I could have learned more from her.

My experiences in Northern Ireland can be portrayed as my work experiences that followed; exciting, fulfilling, frustrating, depressing, meeting a lot of great people, seeing beautiful places, being confused and at the same time amazed by us humans.

Thanks!