Summer in D.C. Internship Program

The Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program offers Rice University undergraduate students hands-on experience in public policy research and analysis in Washington, D.C.

Established in 2004, the program provides summer stipends for students conducting policy research at government agencies, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations in the nation’s capital. Participants attend a seminar on public policy and global affairs concurrent with their internships, write a research report, give a presentation to Rice faculty and researchers, and organize a public education activity. Applicants are screened by a committee of Baker Institute and Rice faculty members but are individually responsible for securing internships and housing in Washington.

Since its inception, 203 students have interned at organizations such as 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. Many participants have used their experiences to earn prestigious scholarships, including Rhodes Scholarships, 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 2025 is Jan. 24, 2025. Click here for application instructions.