Spring 2027, Research Internship, Center for Technology Innovation, Governance Studies (Job ID 2026-3913)

The-Brookings-Institution; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 25,000 - 26,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

The Brookings Institution is offering a Research Intern position with the CTI team in Washington, DC. This internship provides practical research experience while engaging with experts in government and academia during a 12-week period.

Applicants should be undergraduate (sophomore year or higher) or graduate students with strong writing and research skills and an interest at the intersection of public policy and science, technology, and innovation.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate student (who has completed their sophomore year) from any major; inter-disciplinary backgrounds are a plus.
• We welcome applications from majors in the social sciences and humanities as well as the natural sciences and engineering fields, including computer and data science.
• Recent college graduates and graduate students are also eligible.

Responsibilities

• Research Intern, CTI: summarize scholarly literature, collect and manipulate data, attend events, and edit written products.
• Topics include artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, privacy, mass communications, and digital inclusion.

Skills

Strong writing skills

Research skills

Time management

Verbal & written communication

Synthesize technical details

Background check readiness

Education

Undergraduate student (sophomore year completed)

Graduate student eligible

Job description

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 studyor 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 and graduate students with an interest in technology policy 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 $18.40, and applicants must be willing to commit to a minimum number of hours per week (no less than 20 hours per week, during regular business hours), with some flexibility around an academic course schedule.

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

Research Intern, CTI

Interns will have an opportunity to learn a variety of research skills such as summarizing scholarly literature, collecting and manipulating data, attending events, and editing written products. Research topics include but are not limited to artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, privacy, mass communications, and digital inclusion.

Please be advised that Brookings is currently implementing a multi-year strategic plan that includes changes to our organizational structure. As this work continues, the program associated with this internship may change between the time of application and the internship start date. While the program may change, the work/research area described in this posting and the team associated with that work are expected to remain the same. Candidates will be informed of any relevant updates during the recruitment process and prior to the start of the internship.

Qualifications

Education/Knowledge/Skills:

Undergraduate student (who has completed their sophomore year) from any major; inter-disciplinary backgrounds are a plus. We welcome applications from majors in the social sciences and humanities as well as the natural sciences and engineering fields, including computer and data science. Recent college graduates and graduate students are also eligible to apply. Students with strong writing and research skills (quantitative or qualitative) preferred.

A successful intern is someone who learns quickly, is highly motivated, and wants to learn how to conduct policy research. We will closely review applications from candidates who signal a keen interest in any topic at the intersection of public policy and science, technology, and innovation. This position requires excellent verbal and written communication, time-management and organizational skills, and ability to synthesize technical details from multiple sources.

Note: Applicants must submit a brief writing sample (no more than 5 pages).

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. You are required to submit/attach a separate cover letter for each internship application. Yourcover letter should highlight youreducational 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 7, 2026. 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.

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.