RAA - CU - NCAR Internship Program
for Graduate Students in Science and Policy

Sponsored by the
Reinsurance Association of America, the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, the University of Colorado and the National Center for Atmospheric Research

The goal of this program is to place emerging professionals in policy or scientific graduate programs with reinsurance companies for approximately 3 months over the summer (i.e., 15 May – 31 August). Reinsurers insure insurance companies for catastrophe losses and therefore provide the largest share of the financing for recovery from major natural catastrophes.  Much of their financial analysis is based on current scientific understanding about catastrophe risk. By placing graduate students into positions in the reinsurance industry the program seeks to increase the awareness of students to the reinsurance industry and expose the industry to highly skilled students in policy and the sciences.  A longer-term vision is greater interactions of the two communities.

The minimum qualifications for an applicant are completion of one year of graduate school in a scientific or policy field of study.  The application procedure will consist of submission of college transcripts, resume, two letters of recommendation, and a 500-word statement explaining your interest in this program.

Students are expected to have a range of mathematical, computer, technical, or analytical skills in fields such as atmospheric science, geology, environmental policy, or chemistry, but will most likely have little knowledge of the workings of the reinsurance industry.  Interns will be expected to work full time during the period of their internship on topics that ideally, but not necessarily, would draw upon their skills and expertise in ways that contribute materially to the needs of individual companies.

The Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado will actively advertise the program, recruit student applications, and perform an initial evaluation of applications.  Students enrolled in the CU Environmental Studies Graduate degree program who participate in the internship program will have the option of preparing a report for internship credit applicable to their degree.

The Reinsurance Association of America will solicit industry interest in hosting, mentoring and funding candidate students, identify specific qualifications desired by particular companies in applicants, identify mentors for the students, and share final responsibility for matching applicants with internship opportunities.  Companies will have the option of sending interns to a relevant Reinsurance Education conference organized by RAA in advance of their internship.

The program will be conducted for its second year in 2004 with placement of 10 students.  During the internships, feedback will be solicited from students and companies for consideration of future program implementation.