Software development internship fellowship
In this software development internship you design and build small tools for Earth5R’s field work, with a mentor who reviews your code and design choices. You prototype apps for collecting field data and simple dashboards, then test them with the volunteers, residents or schools who would use them.
For school and university students who like building things on screen and want to see real people use what they make. Online, with field work near where you live. The fellowship is paid because every fellow receives time and attention from senior researchers and leaders.
Why software matters for sustainability
Most environmental work depends on records that someone has to collect and check. On paper forms or scattered spreadsheets, those records get lost or entered twice. Good software lets a volunteer capture a record in a minute, with a photo and a location attached. It also gives residents and city staff a clear view of what is changing, so they can act on it.
The Earth5R app records photographed, geo-tagged field data for waste audits, cleanups, tree plantation geotagging and household surveys. A tool like this has to work on a basic phone, outdoors and sometimes without a signal. As a fellow you study how field tools are used, find where users struggle and build a prototype that fixes one problem. Your mentor reviews each version before you test it with users.
This work links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 9, Industry, innovation and infrastructure and Goal 11, Sustainable cities and communities.
Available projects in the software development internship fellowship
You join Earth5R’s live work through your own subject. Your mentor shapes the final project with you.
Field survey form prototype
Design a mobile form for door-to-door household surveys that works on a basic phone, test it with volunteers in your area and fix what slows them down.
Housing society waste dashboard
Build a simple dashboard that shows a zero waste housing society how much waste it segregates and composts each month, and check that residents can read it without help.
Cleanup data entry tool
Prototype a faster way to log items and brands during a waste audit at a lake or river cleanup, and time how long volunteers take with and without it.
Usability study of a field app
Watch volunteers record field data on a phone, list where they get stuck, and design and test changes that make each step clearer.
What you do in the field
- Interview volunteers and residents about the tools they use in the field
- Sketch screens on paper before writing any code
- Build prototypes with web tools, a no-code builder or a mobile framework
- Store and check field data in a simple database
- Run user tests and note every point where people get stuck
- Demo your prototype in a research conversation and explain your design choices
Skills you build
On a software development internship, you collect your own data near where you live, using the Earth5R app and data forms. Earth5R checks the data on its platform before it goes into your project report.
How the software development internship fellowship works
Every fellow moves through four phases. Each phase is checked by your mentor before you move on.
Observe and Map
Go into the field near where you live and collect primary data for your project in Software and App Development.
Frame and Design
Find the root cause in your data and frame a problem worth solving, with your mentor.
Model
Build a working model, analysis or design for your solution, and test it.
Build and Deploy
Put your solution to work, measure the result and publish a verified record on slategray-wombat-459075.hostingersite.com.
Along the way you take part in research conversations with professors at MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other universities, and ask your own questions. See how FIELDWORK works.
Where this can take you
Degrees this work supports
- BTech or BE in Computer Science and Engineering
- BSc in Computer Science or Software Engineering
- BCA followed by an MCA
- MSc in Software Engineering
- Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction
Careers in this field
- Software developer
- Mobile app developer
- Web developer
- UX researcher or designer
- Product manager at a technology company
Universities known for Software and App Development
Strong computer science and software engineering programmes look for applicants who have built something, put it in front of users and improved it from their feedback. A fellowship project gives you a working prototype, user test notes your mentor reviewed and a public record of the work. Students use a software development internship to build a record of real work for applications to universities like these.
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
USA · Software and Societal Systems Department (S3D), School of Computer Science
Part of the School of Computer Science, CMU’s Software and Societal Systems Department (S3D) offers PhD programmes in Software Engineering and Societal Computing, master’s degrees, and undergraduate minors and concentrations. Research covers software analysis and assurance, APIs and frameworks, and software architecture and design. Applied projects include smart grid systems and tools for wildlife protection.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
USA · Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS)
MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science teaches undergraduate majors such as 6-3 Computer Science and Engineering, along with MEng and PhD programmes. Its Programming Languages and Software Engineering research area builds new languages, compilers, formal methods and tools that help developers write correct, secure code for processors, operating systems and databases.
USA · Computer Science Department
Stanford’s Computer Science Department offers a Bachelor of Science and a minor, plus master’s and PhD degrees. Faculty research areas include programming systems and verification, operating and distributed systems, computer security, human-computer interaction and AI. Students can work with research groups such as the department’s Human Computer Interaction Group.
University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
USA · Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS)
Berkeley EECS offers three undergraduate degrees, the BS in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, the BS in Electrical & Computer Engineering and the BA in Computer Science, along with graduate programmes. Its Programming Systems area works on language design, program analysis and verification, and software testing. Related centres include the Sky Computing Lab and the EPIC Data Lab.
USA · Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering
The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering offers B.S. degrees in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, a combined B.S./M.S., a Professional Master’s Program and a Ph.D. Its Software & Hardware Systems research works across the hardware, software and network stack to keep computer systems reliable and secure. Other research areas include Human-Centered Computing and AI.
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
USA · College of Computing
Georgia Tech’s College of Computing is made up of five schools, including the School of Computer Science, where research covers programming languages and software engineering, data systems and networking. Students in the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science follow Threads, a curriculum that pairs core computing with areas such as Systems & Architecture, People, or Modeling & Simulation.
Canada · Software Engineering programme (Faculty of Mathematics and Faculty of Engineering)
Waterloo’s Software Engineering programme is an independent, interdisciplinary degree supported by both the Faculty of Mathematics and the Faculty of Engineering. Graduates earn a Bachelor of Software Engineering (BSE). Through the co-op programme, students gain up to two years of work experience, and final-year teams build capstone design projects.
UK · Department of Computer Science and Technology
Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology teaches the Computer Science Tripos, the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science and a PhD in Computer Science. Research themes include programming languages, semantics and verification, and systems and networking. Its Energy and Environment Group applies computer science to renewable energy integration, energy demand reduction and environmental impact assessment.
UK · Department of Computing, Faculty of Engineering
Imperial’s Department of Computing teaches BEng and MEng degrees in Computing and in Joint Mathematics and Computer Science, and MSc courses such as the MSc in Computing (Software Engineering). Its software engineering research works on requirements engineering, software analysis, verification, reliability and performance. Other research themes include programming languages and cyber security.
Switzerland · Department of Computer Science (D-INFK)
ETH Zurich’s Department of Computer Science (D-INFK) offers a Bachelor’s programme and several Master’s programmes taught in English, each tied to the department’s research groups. Research areas include programming languages and software engineering, computer systems, information and system security, and intelligent interactive systems and physical computing.
This list is for guidance. These universities are widely known for Software and App Development. Earth5R has no admissions arrangement with them, and admission decisions rest with each university. Fellows get help researching universities, scholarships and applications, depending on the programme.
What your fellowship fee pays for
An internship fellowship at Earth5R is time and attention from senior researchers and leaders. Each part below takes staff time and resources that we set aside for every fellow.
Live mentoring with experts
One-to-one mentoring in most fellowships, with regular check-ins on your project.
Dialogues with global researchers
Academics from international universities and renowned scientists, who answer your questions and discuss your work.
Support in the field
Guidance while you collect data and work on your project in the field.
References for your next step
References when you apply for jobs, higher studies and research programmes.
Your work, hosted for life
Your work and data stay on Earth5R’s website and servers for life, where universities and employers can check them.
Time from senior people
Each fellow receives time and attention from senior researchers and leaders, set aside for them.
Fee details available on request.
Choose your fellowship
The fee pays for live mentoring, dialogues with global researchers, support in the field, references and lifelong hosting of your work. Fee details available on request.
Software development internship: common questions
What will I build in a software development internship?
Small, focused tools, such as a mobile survey form, a data entry screen for waste audits or a dashboard for a housing society. You’ll design, build and test one tool well, and document it so others can use it.
Which programming languages will I use?
That depends on your level and your project. You might use HTML and JavaScript for a web tool, a mobile framework for a phone app, or Python with a database for a dashboard. Your mentor helps you choose.
Does a software development internship need a computer science background?
No. Beginners can start with a no-code builder and learn to code step by step with their mentor. A clear problem and a willingness to test your work with real users matter more than past experience.
Is the software development internship fellowship paid?
Yes. It is a paid, mentored internship fellowship. The fee pays for live mentoring, dialogues with global researchers, support in the field, references and lifelong hosting of your work. Fee details are available on request.
Can I do this software development internship online?
Yes. FIELDWORK runs online, and your field work takes place near where you live. Your mentor guides you through each step.
Who can apply?
School and university students from India and other countries. The fellowship prepares you for university, postgraduate study and work.
What do I get at the end?
A certificate, a letter of recommendation, a project report and a verified profile on slategray-wombat-459075.hostingersite.com, where universities and employers can check your work.
Related internship fellowships
Apply for the software development internship fellowship
Work on a live Earth5R project in Software and App Development with a mentor, take part in research conversations with global researchers, and build a verified record of your work. Fee details available on request.
