National Drug Policy Intern - Fall

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

and the job listing Expires on July 25, 2026

Internship Exploring General Business & Beyond

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sets government wide policy aimed at reducing the availability of illicit and controlled substances, and reducing substance use through public health interventions focused on preventing substance use, treatment for those dealing with substance use disorder, and developing and strengthening programs for those in recovery.

The ONDCP Fall 2026 internship term begins on August 31, 2026, and ends on December 18, 2026. All internships are located in Washington, D.C. and are unpaid. All intern schedules are flexible, between Monday – Friday, but interns may only work between the hours of 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM ET.
Selected interns must be available all day on Monday, August 31, 2026, for onboarding, and must be available for the entire session (8/31/2026 through 12/18/2026).

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Males must be registered with Selective Service
• Must be able to commit to at least 15 hours per week
• Must be currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate college, community college, or university at least half-time
• Must pass a background check and drug test

The Office of the Director (DO) oversees policy development, implementation, and coordination across the agency. Functionally, the office establishes robust processes to ensure cross-component coordination that drives Strategy development, budget formulation, interagency collaboration, and responses to emerging issues.

The Office of Addiction Prevention (OAP) supports the development and implementation of Federal policy related to drug use prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery. Areas of focus to reduce drug use and its consequences, in support of the Strategy and the Administration’s Drug Policy Priorities, include expanding availability of overdose reversal medications; increasing uptake of medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD) and building a full continuum of substance use disorder (SUD) care;

ensuring that SUD treatment is available to all Americans who need it, including in rural communities; coordinating federally supported research on prevention, treatment, and recovery; and convening the interagency to ensure execution of drug policy priorities. The Assistant Director serves as the statutorily mandated United States Demand Reduction Coordinator.

The Office of Grants and Programs (OGP) manages all ONDCP programs to include the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program, the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, the Section 103 of Public Law 114-198 (CARA Local Drug Crisis) Program, Anti-Doping Activities, World Anti-Doping Agencies Due, Model Acts Program, Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance and Congressionally Directed Spending.

The Office of External and Legislative Affairs (OELA) represents the agency and our work to the media, Congress, state, local, and Tribal governments, the stakeholder community, and the general public. This includes engaging with reporters, working with Members of Congress and their staff, coordinating intergovernmental work with partners at the federal, state, local, and Tribal levels, and preparing the Director for public-facing engagements, including interviews, speeches, community events, Congressional hearings, and more.

Through these efforts, OELA builds support for the President’s drug control policies. The Assistant Director serves as the statutorily mandated State, Local, and Tribal Affairs Coordinator.

The Office of Management and Administration (OMA) implements the human resources, facilities maintenance, procurement actions, security, and information technology work of the agency. OMA actively monitors Memorandums of…