The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) 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 your own interests and skills.

About CSPI

CSPI is one of the nation’s leading public health advocacy organizations with a 50-year record of fighting for science in the public interest and working to improve the food environment for all. We’ve led efforts to win passage of many state and local policies to improve school foods, put calories on chain restaurant menus and menu boards, and remove sugary drinks from children’s menus. National policy successes include the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act; Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act; Food Safety Modernization Act; and Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. Over the last five years, CSPI with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies (BP), has led work on a comprehensive package of food policy advocacy and regulatory efforts at the federal, state, and local level.

About the Internship Opportunity

The intern will assist the Program Department in compiling learnings from a 5-year initiative in the United States supported by BP’s global Food Policy Program which concludes in June 2025.  This initiative has established partnerships with more than 50 local and state organizations, providing financial support (subgrants), technical assistance on policy strategy and other needs, and capacity building through trainings, toolkits, and webinars curated through a Resource Hub. CSPI currently produces quarterly reports on the BP grants, which include progress on key metrics. However, we currently do not have a mechanism for documenting learnings and longer-term outcomes related to the grant and subgrants. The project would involve reviewing BP quarterly reports (currently there are 19), subgrantee final reports, team and program presentations, and other materials to identify key successes and learnings. To support information gleaned from the reports, the project may include in-depth interviews with key CSPI staff and/or partners to better understand how the work was completed, what factors contributed to successful policy campaigns, and where there are challenges. The end product for the project will be the development of a 5-year retrospective narrative/brief on this body of work, and presentation to an internal CSPI audience on the specific learnings.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide research assistance and contribute to the development of an evaluation plan to support a retrospective report on CSPI’s BP-funded work
• Help to identify key successes and learnings by compiling highlights from BP quarterly reports, sub-grantee final reports, team presentations, and other materials.
• Develop an interview guide and conduct in-depth interviews with CSPI staff and/or partners. Document learnings from interviews. 
• Assist the team in developing an outline and content, including a narrative brief, for a 5-year retrospective report documenting learnings from BP-funded work. 

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a public health, social work, public administration, or related graduate degree program (master’s or doctoral)
• Excellent research and writing skills with ability to read, analyze, summarize, and document programmatic learnings based on grant reports, presentations, and other materials.
• Interest and background in program evaluation & health equity
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage tasks appropriately to achieve project goals
• Leadership, organizing, or community engagement experience is a plus

What Else You Should Know 

CSPI pays interns $17.50 per hour. Our 10-week spring intern program is part-time (10 hours per week). The ideal start date is late January/early February, but we will work with applicants if there’s a schedule conflict. The internship program is remote within the US, with the opportunity to work from our DC office if desired.

CSPI requires all employees, including paid interns, to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are eligible, and the vaccine is available to them, as part of our efforts to maintain a safe workplace for employees and visitors. Proof of vaccination is required during the onboarding process.

CSPI on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

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. In that spirit, each of us is committed to putting in constant work to live up to our organization’s core values: 

• We are inclusive. We seek to foster an environment where all staff feel a sense of belonging and are affirmed. We are not looking for everyone to think and look the same. We actively welcome and value staff with different experiences, backgrounds, attributes, abilities, and perspectives. 
• We are open. We are honest and direct in how we communicate with each other in order to build trust and integrity within our organization. 
• We are accountable. We acknowledge and assume responsibility for our actions. 
• We are kind. We communicate and treat one another in a respectful, generous, considerate, and compassionate way. 
• We are collaborative. We work together for the common good and shared success. 

To Apply 

Please utilize CSPI's Paylocity Applicant Tracking System to apply for the Spring 2025, Program Evaluation Internship. You must submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample (one page or less), and two references. The deadline to apply is November 8, but applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

CSPI is committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills and encourages people of diverse ages, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, disabilities, religions, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, work, and life experiences to apply.