HIP 2015 logistics and paperwork
FORMS AND STIPEND:
Please take time to complete the forms listed at the bottom of this page so I can begin the process of entering your information in Harvard's accounts payable system. Please return these forms (be sure to sign those that require a signature) to me via email at maureen_herrmann@harvard.edu or via fax at +1-617-496-9679 by FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015.
This will enable me to process your fellowship stipends ($4,500.00). I plan to have the checks ready for you by the first week of the internship. We will have a welcome dinner/get together on the evening of June 8th so I can distribute the checks.
Please note that for US citizens and permanent residents, this stipend does not have taxes taken from it - the check will be for the full $4,500.00. For international ('non-resident aliens') interns, a tax of either 14% or 30% will be deducted automatically from your stipend. To benefit from any tax treaties, you are asked to visit the Harvard Accounts Payable office at 1033 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd floor, Cambridge, as soon as possible after arriving at Harvard. That office is open Mon-Fri, 9 am to 5 pm.
If your home bank does not have a branch in Cambridge/Boston, consider opening an account for the summer so you have easy access to your funds. In Harvard Square, you will find Bank of America, Citizens Bank, Cambridge Savings Bank, Cambridge Trust Company, and Santander.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS:
If you have a Social Security number, please call my office phone line, +1-617-496-6647, with that number. Please slowly and clearly state your name and your number, if I do not answer the phone directly.
If you do not have a Social Security number (essential for receiving payment for work in the US), a temporary one will be generated for you by Harvard. You are encouraged to apply (no fee) for a permanent number. This will be very helpful if you plan to live/work/study in the US again at any time. See form #7 for information.
HARVARD ID (for non-Harvard students):
Completing and sending me the attached forms below will enable you to receive a temporary Harvard ID. This ID will give you access to libraries, the free M2 Shuttle (Harvard Square to Longwood Medical Area, with stops at MIT). It is strongly recommended that you obtain this ID on the first day of the internship. You will need to bring an ID (driver's license or passport) with you. Your labs will be notified that you may arrive late on that day due to the need to obtain this ID. http://www.campusservicecenter.harvard.edu/services/id-cards/locations
ORIENTATION:
As you are connected with your lab/project via email from me, please contact your lab directly for information regarding the 'on-boarding' process. This is of particular importance for those working in the hospitals. Since the orientation schedule is set, please make plans to attend the orientation as close to the first day of the internship as possible. You will not be able to start your work in the lab until you have completed orientation.
HOUSING:
If you plan to live on-campus in the housing dedicated to summer undergraduate researchers (Leverett House Tower), $3,300.00 for room will be deducted from your stipend check unless you contact me in advance to make other plans (perhaps a parent, other sponsor, or travel grant from your home university will cover it?). Kitchen space, as of this writing, will not be available at Leverett, but HSCI will provide, at our expense, microfridges and fans for each room reserved by a HIP intern. There is no meal plan available. [ADDED ON 3/30/2015] Each individual bedroom, within a suite, at Leverett Towers, come with a bed, desk and lamp. You would only need to bring a pillow, bed linens (size 'twin XL') and towels. If you don't want to bring them or buy them while here in Cambridge, they can be rented through Harvard Student Agencies - http://summer.hsa.net/
If you plan to live in Harvard housing, you will need to provide evidence of immunizations, using form #6, by the time you check-in. If you are not living in Harvard housing, you do not have to provide the immunization form. More information on check-in/check-out will be sent to those who indicate they plan to live at Leverett.
You may choose to find private housing on your own. I will work with the graduate residents of the nearby Peabody Terrace who are always happy to sublet their apartments to our interns while they are away for the summer. As soon as I receive word of sublet opportunities from Peabody, I will inform you and you can contact the resident directly. These apartments are air conditioned and have kitchens. Of course, you are also free to find private sublets in the Cambridge area on your own. Even if you are assigned to one of the Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals in Boston, it is most convenient (though not imperative) to live in Cambridge.
Link to a Google doc with sublet options (courtesy of students at Harvard's Graduate School of Education - the document will be modified on a daily basis):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RwvH_BsDSXvqF_5jL8ym03QfNdHQAUraRiciWRUjUiA/edit?pli=1#gid=2090201187
STEM CELL COMPANION COURSE/SEMINAR SERIES:
We plan to conduct our weekly class/seminar series on (likely) Friday mornings, 9:30-11:30 a.m., on the Harvard campus in Cambridge (location/room TBD). Your labs will be made aware that you are to be released from working in the lab on Friday mornings to attend this mandatory program. If for some reason you are not able to attend class, please contact Willy Lensch or Bill Anderson to discuss your situation.
We will share a full schedule of events (socials/outings, etc.) as soon as we have the agenda ready.
FACEBOOK PAGE:
You will be invited to join the Facebook page we have set up for HIP 2015. This is a great vehicle for getting to know each other, particularly if you are looking for friends to share housing. Many great, lasting friendships have been forged between total strangers who met during HIP! During the course of the summer, we will use it to share papers, information on classes and events, celebrate achievements, etc. Please click on the last link (#8, below) for maps of the Harvard campus. If you are heading in a particular direction for your lab (i.e., Longwood or MGH), you may want to share this with others on the Facebook page so you can plan to travel to and from the lab with a companion or two.
FINAL SYMPOSIUM:
Friday, August 14, 2015, ~ 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., followed by a celebratory dinner.
Attendance at our final symposium is MANDATORY. Each intern will be delivering a 5-minute oral presentation on their summer project and defending a poster. Lab mates, friends, family are invited to join us, and food will be served through the day. Dress is professional. The location will be on the Harvard campus in Cambridge.
If you need to make plans to return home or begin a vacation, please arrange your Logan flight departure for no earlier than 7 p.m. on Friday, August 14, 2015. Check-out at Leverett will continue through Saturday morning, August 15, so flights may be arranged for that day, as well.
WEATHER, ETC.:
Boston has had a historic winter of cold and snow, but we are planning on a typical summer of heat and humidity. Please plan your wardrobe accordingly, and be sure to pack good walking shoes - Boston is a very walkable city. Labs are sometimes very cool due to air conditioning, so be prepared with a light sweater or sweatshirt. Generally speaking, dress is very casual in the labs, but you will want to bring at least one professional outfit for our final symposium and for possible meetings with industry leaders, etc. An umbrella may be handy for summer thunderstorms.
MBTA:
The easiest way to get around Boston is via the MBTA, the public transportation system. For those working at MGH, the MBTA Red Line (subway) goes from Harvard Square to Charles/MGH in about 15 minutes. It is advisable to purchase a pass so you can enjoy easy access to the city during your free time. Remember, the free Harvard M2 shuttle will ferry you, for free, from Harvard to the Longwood Medical Area.
HARVARD HIPsters AS AMBASSADORS:
Harvard students are asked to serve as 'ambassadors' for those interns joining us from other US and international colleges and universities. Your knowledge of the university and Cambridge/Boston will prove very valuable to our guests who will be here for a mere 10 weeks. If you have housing options to share - please share! If you have ideas for where to find good food - cheap - please share!
I think that about covers it for now, but please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. maureen_herrmann@harvard.edu | +1-617-496-6647 (office) | +1-339-222-8153 (mobile).
You are going to have a great summer!
LINKS TO FORMS:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hsci_public_files/1-HIP_Agreement_terms.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hsci_public_files/2-HIP_Required_Info.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hsci_public_files/3-HIP_W9_for_US_citizens.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hsci_public_files/4-HIP_W8_BEN_for_non_US_citizens.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hsci_public_files/5-HIP_Talent_Release.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hsci_public_files/6-HIP_Immunization_form_for_Harvard_housing.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hsci_public_files/7-Social_Security_number_non-citizens.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hsci_public_files/8-HIP_Maps+of+HSCI+Community.pdf