The Center for Science in the Public Interest offers a paid internship program for students in undergraduate, graduate, law and medical schools, and we also consider postgraduates. These paid internships offer structured work experiences and an opportunity to:

  • Gain substantial knowledge of the policy-making process and the role science plays.
  • Participate in group meetings and strategy brainstorming sessions.
  • Obtain general research and communication skills by working closely with science, policy, legislative and outreach experts.
  • Meet with staff at all levels of the organization to discuss career roles and paths.
  • Assess professional interests and develop new skills.
headshot of 2023 CSPI intern Ari Navetta

Testimonial

“As a Nutrition Action and Digital Communications intern, I worked with the NA team to learn more about our readers and how we can grow our digital audience. I worked on social media video content, wrote for CSPI's website, and designed and implemented a survey of our digital readers to get a sense of what kinds of content they are interested in. I'm grateful for the experience I've had at CSPI and how well it has prepared me to continue work in the science media world."

-Ari Navetta, Summer 2023 CSPI Intern

photo of 2023 CSPI intern, Lauren Maghak

Testimonial

"This internship was an excellent introduction to not only policy work, but to government work in general. I greatly enjoyed getting to work on a wide variety of topics which held my interest and made sure I got as much experience as possible in 10 weeks. My favorite assignment was getting to help draft a potential letter to USDA and FDA on cell cultured meat."

-Lauren Maghak, Summer 2023 CSPI Intern

Information for applicants

  • CSPI pays interns the DC minimum wage, or the minimum wage of the work location, whichever is higher.
  • Internships are remote.
  • Our 10-week summer intern program is full-time. We begin advertising summer internships near the end of January.
    • We provide two paid holidays (Juneteenth and July 4th) and up to 2 days of paid sick leave.
    • The ideal start date is end of May/early June, but we will work with applicants if there is a schedule conflict. 
  • Our fall- and spring-semester intern program is part-time. Internship opportunities are generally advertised mid-May and mid-October for the Fall and Spring semesters, respectively.
    • Interns work 10 hours per week for 10 weeks.
    • Start and end dates and weekly schedules are flexible to accommodate work and school schedules.

Please see the internship description as application deadlines may vary.

If your background and interests are a good match for our internship, we will contact you using the information you have provided. Due to the volume of applications we typically receive, we may not be able to provide additional information on our selection process to applicants who are not chosen for interviews.

CSPI is committed to including and valuing diverse voices and fostering a culture that ensures all staff feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to be their best selves. Read our statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion here. Please contact the Human Resources office if you have any further questions.