Anti-Corruption Research Internship, Governance Studies

Overview

Thinking about a career in public policy? Committed to improving the world we live in? Think Brookings - one of the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tanks!  

Interns spend approximately 12 weeks working alongside leading experts in government and academia from all over the world. Brookings also offers students the opportunity to intern in departments such as communications, human resources and central operations management. The mission of the Internship Program is to provide students with a pre-professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work experience related to their field of study or career interest. Students engage in career exploration and development as well as learn new skills.  

Interns will have the opportunity to attend meetings, think tank events, professional development workshops, and public Brookings events.  In addition, interns will have the opportunity to network with other interns throughout the Institution.  

This internship is an opportunity for undergraduate students in their junior or senior year, graduate students pursuing a masters degree, and recent graduates (individuals applying no more than one calendar year from their graduation year) with an interest in transparency, anti-corruption, and/or democracy to apply principles and theory learned in the classroom in a professional environment. PhD students are not eligible for internships; please visit our Careers page for current open positions. This internship pays an hourly rate of $17.50, and applicants must be willing to commit to a minimum number of hours per week (no less than 35 hours per week, during regular business hours), with some flexibility around an academic course schedule.

To learn more about Brookings research programs, click here. 

Position Location: This internship requires you to be located in the U.S. for the duration of the internship. This is a hybrid opportunity. Hybrid positions combine regular in-person presence at our Washington, DC, office with the option of remote work. Work location cannot be in any of the following states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.  Please only apply if you can live and work in states other than those listed above for the duration of the internship.  

Responsibilities

Interns will provide research support (and logistical/programmatic support, as needed) to scholars and staff—including Ambassador (ret.) Norman Eisen, Jonathan Katz, and Robin Lewis—who are associated with the Anti-Corruption, Democracy, and Security (ACDS) project housed within Governance Studies at Brookings. The topic areas associated with this project include but are not limited to: Global anti-corruption, democracy, and security efforts; Transparency, accountability, and participation (TAP) initiatives; and Mixed methods research.

Interns will have an opportunity to learn and/or strengthen a variety of research skills such as data collection (examples from previous internship cycles include research for the Brookings Sanctions Tracker and Summit for Democracy-related analysis); data entry, citation formatting, editing, and other general research support such as copyediting and fact-checking articles, papers, and other publications; building annotated bibliographies; compiling bios and developing topic syntheses/backgrounders in advance of stakeholder meetings; developing questions for key informant interviews; assisting with event logistics; preparing meeting transcripts and readouts; and drafting research memos.

Qualifications

Education/Knowledge/Skills:

Undergraduate students in their junior year or senior year, graduate students pursuing a masters degree working toward a degree in public policy, political science, economics, and recent graduates as well as recent graduates (individuals applying no more than one calendar year from their graduation year) and/or a related field are encouraged to apply.

Our most successful interns have: A demonstrated interest in transparency, anti-corruption, and/or related governance issues; Excellent written and verbal communication skills; Strong writing, analytical, and internet-based research skills; Experience with fact-checking, data entry, and editing; Familiarity with data collection, Excel, and/or database management; Strong attention to detail; Capacity to work well independently and with other team members; and Ability to manage competing priorities and evolving assignments.

Additional Information:   

This internship requires you to be located in the U.S. for the duration of the internship. 

Successful completion of a background investigation is required for interning at Brookings. 

Brookings requires that all applicants submit a cover letter and resume. Please submit your resume as instructed and add your cover letter as an attachment when you apply. You are required to submit/attach a separate cover letter for each internship application. Your cover letter should highlight your educational experience and skills, along with an explanation of how this internship will contribute to your professional goals.  Please address your cover letter to Hiring Manager. 

If selected as a finalist for the internship, you will be required to submit two letters of recommendation or provide two professional references.   

Applications will be accepted until November 3, 2024. Applications not completed and submitted by the application deadline date will not be considered. Your application is considered complete when you receive an email confirming that your application was successfully submitted. 

As you are applying, please be sure to click here to learn more about the Brookings Internship Program, deadlines, and directions on how to successfully submit your internship application(s).  

Brookings welcomes and celebrates diversity in all its forms.  We welcome applications that reflect a variety of backgrounds based on ideology, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, first generation college goers, and other factors protected by law. Brookings is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.