The RP Group is pleased to announce that applications are open to institutions in the California Community Colleges (CCC) system for a new student-centered innovation project intended to advance institutional research, planning, and effectiveness (IRPE) career pathways for CCC students. The Student Research Internship Pilot directly advances The RP Group’s 2024–2028 Strategic Plan by deepening equity-driven impact, investing in IRPE workforce development, and fostering community learning networks. This pilot project has been designed to advance IRPE office capacity through mentorship, resource sharing, and leadership development while creating a pipeline of future professionals by supporting paid, hands-on research experiences for students—particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds.

Supplemental funding from The RP Group is available to support three college or district IRPE offices interested in providing meaningful career IRPE pathways for students. The pilot project will span the 2025-2026 academic calendar year and includes funding for offices to support CITI training certification for conducting basic research for student workers, and travel and registration expenses to RP Conference 2026 for students who are interested in presenting their research work at a professional conference. Please complete this application by Friday, August 29, 2025 to join the pool of interested CCC college and district IRPE offices.

Application Timeline:
  • Project application process opens: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
  • Project information webinar: Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 1:00-2:00 pm
  • Project application process closes: Friday, August 29, 2025
  • Institution selections and notifications: Thursday, September 4, 2025
Onboarding training will take place in September 2025 on a date and time that works for all parties involved.

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* 1. Which California Community College/District is applying to participate in the Student Research Internship Pilot?

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* 2. Title of participating office:

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* 3. Project lead contact information:

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* 4. Approximately how many CCC student researchers has your office employed over the past 3 years?

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* 5. How many CCC student researchers does your office plan to employ during the 2025-2026 academic calendar year?

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* 6. Which types of IRPE office projects have CCC student researchers participated in the past and/or do you anticipate CCC students working on in the future?

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* 7. Is your office interested in establishing sustainable systems to incorporate CCC student researchers into traditional IRPE office research and/or planning functions?

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* 8. What are your primary goals and objectives for participating in this project?

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