2026 Summer Engagement and Capacity Building Intern

The Center for Science in the Public Interest offers a paid internship program for students in undergraduate, graduate, law and medical schools, and we also consider postgraduates. These paid internships offer structured work experiences and an opportunity to:

• Gain substantial knowledge of the policy-making process and the role science plays.
• Participate in group meetings and strategy brainstorming sessions.
• Obtain general research and communication skills by working closely with science, policy, legislative and outreach experts.
• Meet with staff at all levels of the organization to discuss career roles and paths.
• Assess your own interests and skills.

About CSPI

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, your food and health watchdog, is one of the nation’s leading public health advocacy organizations with a 50-year record of fighting for science in the public interest and working to improve the food environment for all. We’ve led efforts to win passage of many state and local policies to improve school foods, put calories on chain restaurant menus and menu boards, and remove sugary drinks from children’s menus. National policy successes include the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act; Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act; Food Safety Modernization Act; and Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. More recently, CSPI has also been involved in broader public health advocacy on issues such as scientific integrity, alcohol policy, agency transparency, and the regulation of selected medical products.

About the Internship Opportunity

The intern will support CSPI’s Engagement Team in advancing the Powerbuilding Program, a core initiative that strengthens CSPI’s grassroots partnerships and offers dedicated funding to build the advocacy capacity of organizations led by and serving people with racialized and/or minoritized identities. As the program enters its second year, the intern will support programmatic impact assessment that will guide year‑two support, inform future cohort planning, and contribute to long‑term team collaboration and strategic planning. This role offers hands‑on experience in engagement, capacity building, and cross‑team collaboration within a national public health and advocacy organization. 
 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

• Organizing and synthesizing program assessment materials such as organizational self‑assessments, contract data, technical assistance records, and community‑level information. 
• Contributing to the development of internal impact reports that inform strategic decisions for the Powerbuilding Program’s second year and future cohorts.
• Supporting the review and rollout of the final assessment report by coordinating with staff across CSPI’s program, policy, and engagement teams
• Participating in biweekly learning sessions focused on engagement, capacity building, and cross‑functional collaboration.

Qualifications 

• Currently pursuing an advanced degree (Master or Doctorate) in Public Health, Public Policy, Social Work, Education, Sociology, Data Analytics, or a related discipline.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data management and analysis, including organizing, coding, and synthesizing information.
• Experience with basic data management and analysis tools (Ex., Excel or Google Sheets).
• Strong visual communication, including experience summarizing data into clear written reports, briefs, or presentations.
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage tasks appropriately to achieve project goals
• Interest in health equity
• Leadership, organizing, or community engagement experience is a plus

What Else You Should Know 

CSPI pays interns $17.95 per hour at the start of the internship. Intern pay will increase to $18.40 per hour effective 7/1/2026 (this may be adjusted to meet state/local minimum wage laws related to the work location). Our 10-week summer intern program is full-time (40 hours per week). We provide two paid holidays (Juneteenth and Independence Day), ½ day Fridays, and up to two days of paid sick leave. The ideal start date is late May/early June, but we will work with applicants if there’s a schedule conflict. The internship is remote (must be in the US), with the opportunity to work from our DC office if desired.  

As a public health organization, CSPI makes efforts to maintain a safe workplace for employees and visitors. We require all employees to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are eligible, and the vaccine is available to them. Proof of vaccination is required during the onboarding process.

CSPI on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

CSPI is committed to including and valuing diverse voices and fostering a culture that ensures all staff feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to be their best selves. In that spirit, each of us is committed to putting in constant work to live up to our organization’s core values: 

• We are inclusive. We seek to foster an environment where all staff feel a sense of belonging and are affirmed. We actively welcome and value staff with different experiences, backgrounds, attributes, abilities, and perspectives.       
• We are open. We are honest, direct, and respectful in how we communicate with each other.    
•  We are kind. We communicate and treat one another in a generous, considerate, and compassionate way.   
• We are collaborative. We work together for the common good, seek input from those impacted by our work, and celebrate our shared successes.     
• We are accountable. We acknowledge and assume responsibility for our actions, learn from our mistakes with humility, and change course when circumstances warrant. 

To Apply 

Please utilize CSPI's Paylocity Applicant Tracking System to apply for the Summer 2026, Engagement and Capacity Building Internship. You must submit a cover letter, resume, and 1-page essay response to the following question:

“Reflect on a time when you had to synthesize information from multiple sources (Ex., interviews, focus groups, notes, recordings, datasets, reports, or more) to tell a clear, impactful story. What approach did you take, and how would you apply what you learned to succeed in this internship’s focus on program assessment and community power building?”. 

The application deadline is 5:00pm, ET, March 6, 2026.

CSPI is committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills and encourages people of diverse ages, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, disabilities, religions, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, work, and life experiences to apply.