Research Intern

Position Description

Internship

Title:

Research Intern
Internship Category:
Paid
Applicable Academic Field(s):
Political Science, International Relations, Public Policy
Requirements:
Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree; applicants must be located in the Washington, DC area.
Internship Period:
October 2026 - March 2027

Schedule:

Full-time (37.5 per week)
Number of candidates desired: 1
Position:
The World Justice Project (WJP) is recruiting one (1) applicant to support its research team in a paid internship for a period of six (6) months. This Intern position will be based in Washington, DC, and will report to WJP’s Manager, Giacomo D'Urbano. This is a current vacancy, with an immediate start.

• Supporting questionnaire and conceptual framework developments through desk research and literature reviews.
• Assist with the primary data collection process for the Qualified Respondents’ Questionnaire (QRQ) expert surveys. This includes survey design and maintenance, survey administration, large scale outreach efforts, correspondence with expert contributors, and management of online data collection platforms and CRM databases.
• Assist with preparations for meetings and presentations, including producing drafts of Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and handouts, and preparing and assembling outreach materials for external distribution.
• Support projects and activities related to alternative data collection efforts, data presentation, and data visualization.
• The candidate chosen for this position might also spend some time providing general research assistance as needed to WJP’s portfolio of global research initiatives.
• These assignments would include supporting Rule of Law Index report activities and supporting research on rule of law in the United States.

This internship is open to graduates (B.A. or M.A.) in Political Science, International Relations, Public Policy, or another related field.

Successful applicants will be bright, highly motivated individuals with excellent attention to detail, an enthusiastic interest in the rule of law, and commitment to the WJP’s mission and principles ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).).

Preference will be given to students who possess the following skills and experiences sought for this internship:

• Experience in a professional setting.
• Experience conducting qualitative research and/or performing general desk research.
• Copyediting/proofing experience.
• Administrative support experience.
• Experience conducting professional correspondence with external stakeholders.

The internship will be based in the WJP’s Washington, DC headquarters at 1156 Fifteenth Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005. The WJP maintains a hybrid in-office/remote work schedule, with all members of the WJP team expected to work at least 60% of their scheduled hours from the WJP’s D.C. office. Each intern’s individual in-office/remote schedule will be confirmed with their supervisor at the start of the internship.

While performing the responsibilities of the job, this person will frequently be required to use finger dexterity as well as sufficient hand dexterity to use a computer keyboard and be capable of reading on a computer screen. This person may need to remain seated for long periods of time, have the ability to perform repetitive motions, grasp objects, including a writing instrument, stand, communicate verbally and hear well enough to detect nuances, and receive detailed information.

This person may be required to walk, push or pull objects, bend, squat, reach, or kneel. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision for extensive reading. WJP is committed to making reasonable accommodations to support the…