Research Interns will work within our Research program primarily on the following topics:

  • Case-specific research to assist communities in identifying and documenting harm, as well as the formulation of potential solutions to promote positive and sustainable outcomes. Case research is often directly used in ongoing complaints to ensure that communities have access to all the information, tools, and methodologies needed to advocate effectively.
  • Analyses of the broader ecosystem of accountability mechanisms, identifying trends, best practices, and other variables that may affect complaint outcomes. Complaints research informs policy discussions and advocacy for more transparent, effective, and accountable policies across both accountability mechanisms and multilateral development banks.
  • Systems allowing complainants, researchers, and other interested actors to easily access and analyze complaint data, through the creation of an easily accessible online portal containing data on every complaint filed with any accountability mechanism.

Research Interns can expect to develop and improve their writing and research capabilities by identifying primary sources, learning new research methodologies, crafting meaningful conclusions, and participating in the transformation of research findings into tangible results for affected communities.

We accept applications from undergraduate students and recent graduates (within one year of graduation). Women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and international students are strongly encouraged to apply.

Spring and Fall positions are unpaid volunteer positions, but we will be happy to work with your institution to arrange academic credit. For Summer positions, we ask that applicants make diligent efforts to secure funding from their schools or other external sources. If you are not able to obtain such funding, stipends may be available to cover costs of living, so we encourage all to apply.

After posting, we accept applications year-round and on a rolling basis. Below is our typical application cycle calendar for undergraduate internships. If you are working on an alternative academic calendar, please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss an alternative timeline.

Spring
Internship Period: January – April
Internship Parameters: 16 hours per week minimum.
Application Timeline: reviewed beginning in October; applications accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Summer
Internship Period: June – August
Internship Parameters: 40 hours per week; 10 week minimum.
Application Timeline: reviewed beginning in January; applications accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Fall
Internship Period: September – December
Internship Parameters: 16 hours per week minimum.
Application Timeline: reviewed beginning in May; applications accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Undergraduate Student Application

Please click here to apply.