Winter Term 2027 Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Vermont Office Intern

Your résumé MUST be approved by a CCI Peer Career Advisor in order to apply in Handshake. (If your résumé was approved last year and updated with new experiences, it remains valid.)

Code of Conduct Agreement Required: Middlebury students must review and agree to the Career Center Code of Conduct before applying for this internship. The code establishes expectations for professional and ethical conduct throughout the recruiting process, including honest self-representation, responsible interview practices, and honoring accepted internship offers. These standards outline job search best practices and help maintain Middlebury's strong relationships with employers.

The Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) is a Middlebury College research center with offices in Middlebury; Monterey, CA; Washington, DC; and Vienna, Austria. CNS is the largest U.S.-based nongovernmental organization dedicated exclusively to research and training to counter threats from nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. CNS experts also work on the governance of artificial intelligence. Staff from the Center are actively involved in policy and academic research, dialogue with governments and international organizations, and training the next generation of specialists.

This internship allows students to work directly with the Center from its office in Middlebury. The Center for Nonproliferation Studies Winter Term 2027 Vermont Office Internship is an unpaid internship for college credit. The internship is expected to be in person at the CNS office at 46 South St. in Middlebury. The selected intern(s) will work 25 to 37.5 hours per week.  Start and end dates are January 4-29 to align with the Winter Term. 

The intern(s) will work with Professor Stephen Herzog, who leads the activities of the CNS Vermont Office. Topics that may be covered by the intern(s) include: nuclear arms control, monitoring and verification, and the intersection of artificial intelligence and weapons of mass destruction. The intern(s) may also have opportunities to work with other CNS experts in the Center’s Monterey, Washington, DC, and Vienna, Austria offices. Responsibilities may also include assistance with the operations of the CNS Vermont Office, its guest speaker series, and the peer-reviewed journal The Nonproliferation Review.

Expectations: Undergraduate interns will have the opportunity to contribute to innovative nonproliferation projects at CNS and build new professional skills, working alongside experts during the Winter Term Internship. Intern(s) will also pursue independent research, developed under the mentorship and guidance of CNS specialists.  

Candidate requirements:

Open to students from all majors. Past interns have come from diverse fields, including political science, international relations, foreign languages, physical and life sciences, computer science, mathematics, geology, and geography.

• Preference is given to applicants who are juniors or seniors at the time of acceptance, though strong sophomore candidates will also be considered. 
• Demonstrated interest in nonproliferation issues, emerging technology, and international security.
• Highly motivated, with the ability to work independently.

 Required Application Materials:

·      Resume 

·      Cover Letter - Include a statement of purpose outlining:

• Why you are applying for the Winter Undergraduate Nonproliferation Studies Internship.
• What you hope to achieve during the internship.
• Specific topics of interest and potential research projects you would like to pursue.
• Contact information for two academic/and or professional references (at least one must be a college professor).
• Letters of recommendation are optional. References may submit letters directly to Stephen Herzog if preferred. 
• Transcript: Official or unofficial versions are accepted.
• Short writing samples (2-3 pages).

Applications will be accepted until October 25, 2026.  

Course Credit
The selected intern must be eligible to earn academic credit through Middlebury’s Winter Term Internship for Credit process. Details and application instructions are available at go/winterinternship.