The undergraduate student on-the-job training program will be implemented nationwide. Recruitment and selection of students will follow a competitive process. All five students that will participate in the program should be properly endorsed by the university. It is envisioned that this program will enable the students to develop the skill-set related to their chosen area of specialization that would equip them when they eventually enter the workforce, enable them to finish their undergraduate thesis, and help them to build networks as they begin their journey to professional world.
On the part of the university where the students will come from, this is also a very good opportunity to build networks for future collaborative research activities.
To ensure that each student will benefit academically from the internship, the program will be divided into two parts. The first part will be done in the university and may be tied with the conduct of their undergraduate thesis.
As part of the eligibility requirements, a student with an approved thesis outline ready to be conducted can also apply for the program. In the student workplan, the student and the adviser should clearly indicate which portion of the work will be conducted at IRRI and its corresponding relevance and benefit to the research and the student. In case, a student who is already conducting his/her thesis is interested to apply, justification on how the research topic selected will help the student should be submitted as part of the required 250-word essay.
After the program, the student and the adviser will be required to submit a report or re-entry plan detailing the benefits and or knowledge that they gained from the internship. Student university supervisors will be asked to continue communication with the IRRI supervisor for possible future collaborative research activities. This way the program can ensure benefits for the student, the university supervisor, and the university–through increased knowledge and skills of the student and the academic adviser.