Openings Available with the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Internship Program

June 15, 2014

TTCSP RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Summer 2014

Think Tanks and Civil Societies Internship Program

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.

Candidates must be highly motivated and able to work independently in a demanding research environment. The research intern positions require excellent research and analysis skills as well as data collection and project management skills. Candidates must be proficient in both oral and written English. Knowledge of Chinese, French, Spanish and Arabic is a plus but not a prerequisite for most projects. Internships are on a volunteer basis and based in our Philadelphia office on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Virtual internships can be arranged on a case by case basis. Interns work independently and in teams. We do our best to match the qualifications and interests of our interns with research and consulting projects to which they can contribute most.

This is an excellent opportunity for those students who are planning to attend graduate school in international relations, public policy, law school and/or work in a think tank or international organization. Ideal for International Relations, Political Science, English, Environment, Global Health and Development majors. While the program focuses on think tanks and policy oriented NGOs the skills acquired can be applied to the fields of business, law, international affairs and consulting.

The duration of the internship is 8 weeks and the time commitment ranges from 25-35 hours a week.

The work schedule is flexible with the vast majority of the assignments being done off-site at a research library. Interns are entitled to attend (free of charge) conferences and lectures on domestic and foreign policy topics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, World Affairs Council and the University of Pennsylvania.

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, you 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. The internship also provides numerous career development opportunities such as: a weekly career cafe, a speakers program, a field trip to Washington, DC to some of the leading think tanks, intergovernmental organizations, government departments and agencies and networking seminar.

The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, University of Pennsylvania is a global research program that examines the gap between knowledge, policy and governance around the world. Since its inception in 1989,TTCSP has focused on collecting data and conducting research on think tank trends and the role think as civil society actors in the policymaking process. In 2007, TTCSP developed and launched the global index of think tanks which is designed to identify and recognize centers of excellence in all the major areas of public policy research and in every region of the world. To date TTCSP has provided technical assistance and capacity building programs in 85 countries. The TTCSP is now working to create regional and global networks of think tanks in an effort to facilitate collaboration and the production of a modest yet achievable set of global public goods. Our goal is to create lasting institutional and state-level partnerships by engaging and mobilizing think tanks that have demonstrated their ability to produce high quality policy research that shape popular and elite opinion and serve as a catalyst for policies and programs that serve the public good.

TTCSP Research Internships 2014 Summer Program (30 positions)

Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (or degree in progress) in International Relations, Political Science, English, Global Studies and International Business and Marketing
Ability to intern for 25-35hrs/per week. A Minimum 2.5 months commitment.
Proficiency with MS Office Suite, particularly Word and Excel
Excellent internet research and documentation skills
Excellent writing, proofreading, and editing skills in English
Very comfortable using different digital and social media platforms
Demonstrated knowledge and interest in international relations/or public policy
Ability to apply superb attention to detail and to plan, organize, and prioritize work
Eagerness to be creative and take initiative on new ideas and projects
Ability to work in a small team or independently as needed

Duties and Responsibilities

Research topics include: global go to think tank index; think tanks and policy advice in the following regions Africa, Middle East, Latin America, North America; security international affairs, foreign policy and security challenges facing the emerging powers
Report to the Research Coordinator and Director
Collect data, conduct literature searches and literature reviews, conduct analysis and research
Track grant opportunities
Update contact databases
Monitor national and global newsfeeds and selected web sites on think tanks, policy advice and project specific issues.
Participate in career development and research related lectures and events
Some data entry and administrative duties
Assist with social media (Twitter and Facebook)
Other related duties as assigned.

Compensation

Vounteer

Applications Instructions:

To apply please submit your resume, 1-3 references and a short note outlining how the internship fits into your career and educational plan. Materials should be sent in one attachment in MSword format by email to James G. McGann at jmcgann@sas.upenn.edu Applications are accepted on a rolling-basis until all internships are awarded.

Requirements:

Interest in international relations, domestic and foreign policy
High level of academic performance (generally a GPA of 3.5 or higher)
Available for a minimum of 25-35 hrs/week for 2.5 months from the May 20- July 31, 2014

Summer Data Collection and Research Projects

2014 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report
Comparative Think Tanks, Politics and Governance Survey and Trend Analysis
US think tanks data collection and trend analysis
Trends and Transitions in Security and International Affairs Think Tanks
Think Tanks and the Transformation of Africa
Latin American Think Tanks and Civil Societies Comparative Data Collection and Research and LA Summit Planning
Asia Think Tanks and Civil Societies Data Collection and Research
Korean Think Tanks and Civil Society Research and Korean Think Tank Conference Planning
Chinese Think Tanks, Public Policy and Governance and Chinese Think Tank Conference Planning
Think Tanks and Civil Society

A complete description of the program, eligibility requirements and application instructions, as well as a description of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program can be found at: https://www.gotothinktank.com

2014 Data Collection, Research and Program Related Projects

Summits (Research and Summit Planning)

Regional and global summits are planned during the spring of 2014 two groups of interns will help conduct research on think tanks and policy advice in each region and plan and implement the think tank summit.

1^st Africa Summit, February 3-5, 2014 Pretoria, South Africa (Regional Partners: Institute for Strategic Studies, African Capacity Building Foundation and the African Leadership Center)

2^nd Europe Summit, March 10-12, 2014 Barcelona, Spain (Regional Partners: Barcelona Center for International Affairs (CIDOB)

1^st North America Summit, April 16 &17, 2014 (Regional Partners, Brookings Institution, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars)

2^nd Asia Summit, May 21-23, Tokyo, Japan (Regional Partner, Asian Development Bank Institute)

1^st Global Summit, July 9-11 2014, Moscow, Russia (Regional Partner, Analytical Research Center of the Russian Federation)

SAMPLE DATA COLLECTION AND RESEARCH PROJECTS

2014 Global Go To Think Tank Rankings (GGTTTR)

The GGTTTR is now recognized as the most authoritative source for the leading public policy research organizations in the world. As a member of the team you will help implement the process for the annual ranking of think tanks published in the Economist and Foreign Policy magazine that recognizes the leading think tanks in the world. This global index involves scholars and leading policymakers from around the world. GGTTR research team will also help develop presentations for the United Nations, World Bank and other international organizations that will take place in early January 2014. The team will be invited to attend these briefings in Washington and NY.

Global Directory of Think Tanks

Prepare directories of think tanks for posting on the University of Pennsylvania web site and for the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s web site directory of Security and International Affairs think tanks . Must have a working knowledge of Excel, Project Lead must be proficient in Excel.

Security and International Affairs-Trends and Transitions This project will profile the leading security and international affairs think and then analyze the current research agendas of these organizations in an effort to identify key trends and new approaches to enduring and emerging policy issues in international affairs.

Environment and Sustainable Development think tanks— A literature review will be conducted on the role of think tanks in shaping environmental policy. Policy networks and public policy research organizations will be profiled in an effort to create a global map of the organizations working in these two critical policy areas. A survey of environmental groups and think tanks was disseminated and will need to be coded and analyzed.

The State of Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the US

This project will explore the challenges facing US think tanks It has been suggested by several think tank executives that the TTCSP should conduct a study to examine the impact of hyper-partisan politics, emergence of hybrid think tanks, new technologies and global think tanks on think tanks in the United States. The study would also examine how these institutions manage the tensions between the 4R’s Rigor, Reliability, Relevance and Reach and finally and most importantly what role can think tanks play in bridging the partisan divide in Washington. In short, the research project would examine the major internal and external challenges facing these institutions and attempt to answer a question that a think tank executive posed to me: “Is the US think tank business model broken?”. As you know, the US is home to more than 1800 think tanks that are actively involved in shaping domestic and foreign policy. The research design would include: interviews with think tank scholars and executives, surveys of policy-makers,
journalists and donors to assess the impact of these changes and how think tanks are responding to them. The study would also explore to what extent think tanks are adapting to these new challenges and attempt to document strategies that have been implemented by think tanks in response to the rapidly changing external environment. The project team will profile the top 50 think tanks in the US and conduct a literature review and collect primary source data from the web site and the popular press that examines the role of think tanks in the policy formulation process in the US.

Interested in Interning for TTCSP?

Send an email to Jmcgann@sas.upenn.edu and include a copy of your resume with a brief statement of purpose outlining what you expect from an internship and what you would bring to TTCSP. Also provide a short statement outlining how the internship fits into your career and educational plans. Please indicate which projects from the projects listed below you would like to be considered for—they must be in rank order. Acceptance to the Program will be made on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 27, 2014.

Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP)

The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the International Relations Program, University of Pennsylvania conducts research on the role policy institutes play in governments and civil societies around the world. TTCSP was established in 1989. The Program maintains a database and network of over 6,600 think tanks in 152 countries. Often referred to as the “think tanks’ think tank,” TTCSP examines the evolving role and character of public policy research organizations. Over the last 25 years, the Program has developed and led a series of global initiatives that have helped bridge the gap between knowledge and policy in critical policy areas such as international peace and security, globalization and governance, international economics, environmental issues, information and society, poverty alleviation, and healthcare/global health.

These international collaborative efforts are designed to establish regional and international networks of policy institutes and communities that improve policy making while strengthening democratic institutions and civil societies around the world. TTCSP works with leading scholars and practitioners from think tanks and universities in a variety of collaborative efforts and programs. TTCSP produces the annual Global Go To Think Tank Index that ranks the world’s leading think tanks in a variety of categories. This is achieved with the help of a panel of over 1,900 peer institutions and experts from the print and electronic media, academia, public and private donor institutions, and governments around the world. TTCSP has strong relationships with leading think tanks around the world and its annual Think Tank Index is used by academics, journalists, donors and the public to locate and connect with the leading centers of public policy research around the world. TTCSP’s goal is to increase the profile and performance of think tanks and raise the public awareness of the important role think tanks play in governments and civil societies around the globe.

Since its inception in 1989 TTCSP has focused on collecting data and conducting research on think tank trends and the role think tanks play as civil society actors in the policymaking process. In 2007 TTCSP developed and launched the global index of think tank which is designed to identify and recognize centers of excellence in all the major areas of public policy research and in every region of the world. To date TTSCP has provided technical assistance and capacity building programs in 81 countries. The TTCSP is now working to create regional and global networks of think tanks in an effort to facilitate collaboration and the production of a modest yet achievable set of global public goods. Our goal is to create lasting institutional and state-level partnerships by engaging and mobilizing think tanks that have demonstrated their ability to produce high quality policy research and shape popular and elite opinion and actions for public good.