Internship Opportunities

Foreign Policy Research Institute Internship Program:

FPRI’s Internship Program is designed to give interns first-hand experience working at a non-profit think tank. FPRI seeks to provide a mutually beneficial experience, by giving the intern the opportunity to work alongside a supervisor in their chosen field. Interns function as team members in our office, assisting with administrative and event related tasks. Interns are encouraged to take advantage of free admission to FPRI events throughout the course of their internship. Internships are not paid. For information on work-study grants, query your campus financial aid office. As internships are unpaid, all applicants must be enrolled as students for the duration of the internship. 

Undergraduate and graduate students of all levels of experience are welcome to apply. We are not accepting high school applicants at this time. 

Please read all of the information below before inquiring about our internship program specifics, as many common questions are answered on this page. Note that applicants posing questions that are outlined here will not be considered and will not receive a response. 

Please apply to ONE position below that best describes the experience you would like to gain while interning at FPRI. 

Research Interns work under the direct supervision of the Institute’s scholars. Students help maintain data files, conduct literature searches, compile indices, or produce other material. The number of internships for the term is dependent upon the scholars’ schedules and research load. Each accepted intern will be matched with a scholar with similar areas of research. Research interns who anticipate working remotely will be considered, along with local applicants, and will communicate throughout the course of their internship via skype and/or phone.

Editorial Interns assist the president in analyzing scholarly articles, fact checking, copy-editing, and proofreading. Only applicants local to Philadelphia will be considered for Editorial Internships.

Operations Interns help with conference preparation, development, public relations, and research for various operations/administrative-related projects as they arise. A familiarity with word-processing programs and conducting research is also desirable. Only applicants local to Philadelphia will be considered for Operations Internships.

All Internships are available for an academic year, a semester, a summer, or by agreement, for a shorter time. Although we prefer for interns to begin and end in correspondence with the academic spring semester/summer/fall semester schedule, there are no firm start or end dates. A minimum commitment of 20 hours per week is required. 

How to Apply for Internships

Due to the number of applications that we receive, you will only be contacted if you have been selected; this will occur within three weeks of the application deadlines. Please, do not call or email to check on the status of your application – we will contact you if you were selected for an interview. If you do not receive any notification you were not selected.

Our deadlines are as follows: close of business (5pm) on July 1 for fall applications, October 20 for spring applications, and March 1 for summer applications. Applicants must be enrolled as students for the duration of the internship period. Please submit the following, in ONE PDF file, to Rachel Hemler at [email protected] (applications submitted in other formats will not be considered):

• Cover letter stating which internship you are applying for – and research interest if applicable [All applicants]
• Resume [All applicants]
• A short writing sample (approximately 3-10 pages of work that you find most relevant to the internship you are applying for) [Research and editorial applicants]
• Availability – including both start and end dates and days of the week [All applicants]

If you have questions that are not addressed on this page, you may contact [email protected]. 

External Internship Opportunities:

Think Tanks and Civil Society Program (TTCSP) 

The Think Tanks and Civil Society Program (TTCSP) runs a small, highly selective internship program for students (grad and undergrad) and recent graduates interested in gaining first-hand experience in public policy research in domestic and international affairs. 

The TTCSP internship is intended to give you an intensive professional experience in public policy and international affairs. It is a volunteer opportunity that will enable you to contribute to the academic and policy communities in the US and abroad. The internship requires you to employ your research and analytical skills, as well as, your knowledge of domestic and international affairs to produce a series of professional quality work products. You will work independently and in groups so time and task management, as well as, the ability to multi-task are essential requirements of the program. This is a volunteer research internship in which you will be expected to work a minimum of 35-40 hours a week.

Please submit résumés and cover letters to: