Summer in D.C. Internship Program

The goal of the Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program is to offer Rice University undergraduate students hands-on experience in the world of public policy research and analysis in our nation's capital.

Initiated in 2004, the program provides summer stipends to students conducting policymaking research at government agencies, private think tanks and nongovernmental organizations in Washington, D.C. Students attend a seminar on public policy and global affairs coterminous with their internships in D.C., write a research report, give a presentation before Rice faculty and researchers, and organize a public education activity. Applicants, who are screened by a committee of Baker Institute and Rice faculty members, are individually responsible for selecting and establishing internships and residency in D.C.

Since 2004, 179 students have worked at the State Department, the Council of Economic Advisers, the Middle East Institute, the Urban Institute, the National Science Foundation, the Center for American Progress, the American Enterprise Institute, the Humane Society and the American Civil Liberties Union, among others. Many have used their research experiences to obtain prestigious scholarships, including Rhodes Scholarships, The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, Thomas J. Watson Fellowships, Fulbright Scholarships and Wagoner Scholarships. Learn more about the post-graduation career and educational opportunities past interns have pursued here.

The program is led by Steven W. Lewis, C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow at the Baker Institute and professor of the practice in humanities at Rice.

The application deadline for summer 2023 is January 31, 2023. Click here for instructions on how to apply.