| Independent Living Research Utilization 1333 Moursund Street & the National Center for Aging and Disability at Houston, Texas 77030 TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center 2027 - ILRU SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM · Number of Interns: 1-5 · Location: Independent Living Research Utilization Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann, 1333 Moursund Street, Houston, Texas · Duration of internship: Ten weeks during the time-frame of May 31 to August 6, 2027 · Compensation: Paid/Unpaid Opportunities Available. No health or other benefits are included.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Independent Living Research Utilization program (http://www.ilru.org) at the TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center in Houston, Texas, is seeking applicants for its 2027 summer internship program. Interns will learn about the Americans with Disabilities Act, disability laws and policy, and disability and Independent Living history and philosophy. Interns will learn research methodology and approaches to assist in current on-going research projects. Interns will engage in a self-directed research project supported by classes, seminars, community events, and guest speakers. This internship will be conducted online and in-person. The interns will be supervised by UTHealth Professor Lex Frieden and ILRU Research Assistants. STRUCTURE This 10 week internship is structured around an independent and self directed research project into disability issues. The program is supplemented by a mixture of classroom learning, seminar round table discussions, and in-person community events. This will take place on zoom and in-person throughout the Houston area, and is a max 40 hours per week commitment. The online lectures will feature frequent guest speakers involved in the disability community and intern’s special interests. Interns will receive paid compensation or academic credit for their participation.
APPLICATION MATERIALS/SELECTION PROCESS Interested applicants should submit an application through Handshake.
Alternatively, applicants can also email their application packet to Riya Karovalia at Riya.Karovalia@memorialhermann.org or Jocelyne Fajardo at Jocelyne.Fajardo@memorialhermann.org by Friday, November 27, 2026, for consideration.
The following are REQUIRED to include in the application: resume/CV, Personal Statement/Letter of intent, a letter of recommendation, and a writing sample. The letter of recommendation can be submitted by the applicant themselves or by the person writing the letter. The writing sample should demonstrate your analytical and research skills, so we recommend submitting a paper written for one of your courses, or your thesis/dissertation/etc.
Academic performance, previous research experience, writing ability, experience with disability, experience in health care, and interest in the field will be factors in the selection process. Applicants should be currently enrolled or recently graduated from an undergraduate or graduate degree-granting program.
ELIGIBILITY Students who are either undergraduates, recent college graduates (<5 years), law school students, medical school students, and other graduate school students. Students who live in Texas are eligible to participate in this internship.
PREFERENCE Preference is given to students who will reside in Houston at the time of the internship due to the hybrid nature of the internship. Additionally, preference is given to applicants with a personal connection to disability.
QUALIFICATIONS There are no technical skills required. Students who qualify for this internship are able to work well with people, are passionate about public services, self-motivated, self-directed, and eager to participate in group discussions. Consistent and reliable communication with ILRU, attendance of internship meetings, and submission of assigned materials are required in this program.
ACCESSIBILITY ILRU operates in fully accessible facilities, ensures all training and technical assistance activities are accessible to all participants, and promotes significant participation in training and research of individuals who have been historically under-represented in educational and employment settings, including individuals with disabilities. As an organization run by people with disabilities and as the operator of many federally-funded projects, including the NIDILRR-funded Southwest ADA Center, ILRU achieves exemplary access by complying fully with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other disability access legislation.
As this internship will be conducted virtually, ILRU maintains virtual accessibility through closed captioning services, supplementary documents accessible to screen readers, and any form of accessibility materials upon request. The majority of ILRU’s staff are individuals with disabilities, and should interns interact with the physical offices, reasonable accommodations will be provided (such as screen readers, accessible office furniture, chemical-free workspaces, emergency evacuation chairs, flashing alarms, etc.). ILRU’s offices, parking, paths of travel, equipment and furniture are physically accessible and convenient for access of staff and visitors with disabilities. ILRU is equipped with text telephones (TTYs) and all staff is trained in their use, as well as use of telecommunications relay services. Meetings and conferences are held in fully accessible facilities and Interpreters and Communication Access Realtime Translation are provided.
CONTACT Program Coordinators: Riya Karovalia at Riya.Karovalia@memorialhermann.org and Jocelyne Fajardo at Jocelyne.Fajardo@memorialhermann.org
Administrative Secretary: Roxy Funchess at funchess@bcm.edu
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