Policy Researcher Internships
Policy researcher internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience analyzing real policy questions, mentorship from working policy researchers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated across {{top_industries_phrase}}, with Honda Research Institute USA, STAND TOGETHER, and Meta among the employers posting roles now.
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Research Scientist Intern, Robotic Control Policy (PhD) Responsibilities:
- Conduct collaborative research on developing control policies for a range of robotics platforms.
- Implement frameworks to train state-of-the-art machine learning control policies such as Large Behavioral Models, Imitation Learning, and Reinforcement Learning.
- Develop robotic data collection pipelines for robotic dextrous manipulation, train models, and benchmark different algorithms.
- Collaborate with researchers and cross-functional partners including communicating research plans, progress, and results.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Currently has or is in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, or relevant technical field
- Understand state of the art in robotic manipulation control policies, and advancing the technological frontier in an impactful and efficient way
- Experience with RoS, Python, PyTorch or JAX, or other related languages
- Experience working and communicating cross functionally in a team environment
- Interpersonal skills: cross-group and cross-culture collaboration
- Must obtain work authorization in the country of employment at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proven track record of achieving significant results as demonstrated by grants, fellowships, patents, as well as first-authored publications at leading workshops or conferences such as Robotics (RSS, ICRA, IROS, CoRL, T-RO, IJRR), Machine Learning (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AAAI, JMLR), and Computer Vision (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, TPAMI), or similar
- Experience with modern control policies like reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and large behavioral models
- Familiarity with modeling and analysis used in robotics including kinematics, dynamics, motion planning, perception, task planning, and control theory
- Experience working with robot manipulation
- Experience working and communicating cross functionally in a team environment
- Intent to return to the degree program after the completion of the internship/co-op
- Availability for minimum 16 consecutive week internship
About Meta:
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@meta.com.
$7,650/month to $12,667/month + benefits
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.
Research Scientist Intern, Robotic Control Policy (PhD) Responsibilities:
- Conduct collaborative research on developing control policies for a range of robotics platforms.
- Implement frameworks to train state-of-the-art machine learning control policies such as Large Behavioral Models, Imitation Learning, and Reinforcement Learning.
- Develop robotic data collection pipelines for robotic dextrous manipulation, train models, and benchmark different algorithms.
- Collaborate with researchers and cross-functional partners including communicating research plans, progress, and results.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Currently has or is in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, or relevant technical field
- Understand state of the art in robotic manipulation control policies, and advancing the technological frontier in an impactful and efficient way
- Experience with RoS, Python, PyTorch or JAX, or other related languages
- Experience working and communicating cross functionally in a team environment
- Interpersonal skills: cross-group and cross-culture collaboration
- Must obtain work authorization in the country of employment at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proven track record of achieving significant results as demonstrated by grants, fellowships, patents, as well as first-authored publications at leading workshops or conferences such as Robotics (RSS, ICRA, IROS, CoRL, T-RO, IJRR), Machine Learning (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AAAI, JMLR), and Computer Vision (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, TPAMI), or similar
- Experience with modern control policies like reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and large behavioral models
- Familiarity with modeling and analysis used in robotics including kinematics, dynamics, motion planning, perception, task planning, and control theory
- Experience working with robot manipulation
- Experience working and communicating cross functionally in a team environment
- Intent to return to the degree program after the completion of the internship/co-op
- Availability for minimum 16 consecutive week internship
About Meta:
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@meta.com.
$7,650/month to $12,667/month + benefits
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.
Policy Researcher Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Policy Researcher Internship Search
Apply for summer roles in the fall
Large employers, including federal agencies, think tanks, and major nonprofits, recruit summer policy researcher interns the preceding fall. If you wait until spring, the structured cohorts you want most are already full. Smaller organizations and co-ops post closer to start dates, so search throughout the year rather than treating spring as the only hiring season.
Build a writing portfolio before you apply
Policy researcher hiring teams expect limited work history from interns and look for proof of analytical thinking instead. Assemble two or three writing samples, such as policy memos, research briefs, or annotated data analyses, that show how you structure an argument, cite evidence, and reach a recommendation. A linked portfolio gives recruiters something concrete to assess before they decide to interview you.
Work your campus network alongside direct applications
Campus career fairs surface structured programs tied to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which agencies and organizations recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Apply directly to employers running smaller cohorts at the same time, since many policy researcher internships never appear on large job boards and are filled through relationships and direct outreach.
Practice the policy researcher interview format out loud
Policy researcher intern screens typically involve a written exercise or case conversation where you're given a policy question and asked to frame the problem, identify evidence gaps, and recommend a course of action. Practice walking through your reasoning out loud before your first interview, since interviewers weigh how you think through ambiguity as much as the quality of your final answer.
Target structured fellowship and cohort programs early
Larger government agencies, think tanks, and foundations run formal cohort programs built to train people new to policy research, including programs like the Presidential Management Fellows, Congressional internships, and foundation-funded research fellowships. These programs recruit on fixed annual cycles, fill in the first application wave, and offer mentorship and rotation opportunities that unstructured internships rarely match.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 0% of the policy researcher internships listed here. Decide what you can realistically commit to before you search, then filter by location and work type so you're only reviewing roles you can actually take. Sorting this out upfront saves time and keeps you from getting attached to a role you'd have to turn down.
Policy Researcher Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a policy researcher internship?
Lead with coursework and personal projects rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited professional experience at the intern level. The concrete artifact recruiters want to see is a portfolio of written policy memos, research briefs, or data analyses that demonstrate how you structure an argument and handle evidence. Pair direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a policy researcher internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What drives it for policy researcher interns is consistent delivery on real work products, the team's headcount at the end of the summer, and how early you signal interest in returning. Position for a return offer by producing high-quality work and asking your manager about the timeline, without treating conversion as a certainty.
When should I apply for policy researcher internships?
Earlier than most candidates expect. Large employers, including government agencies, think tanks, and large nonprofits, recruit summer interns the preceding fall, with application windows that often close by November or December. Smaller organizations and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so openings appear year-round. Checking listings regularly means you won't miss a cohort because you assumed applications weren't open yet.
Are policy researcher internships paid?
Most professional policy researcher internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by employer size, industry, and location, with government and nonprofit roles sometimes offering stipends rather than hourly wages. Listings show compensation where the employer chooses to disclose it, so filtering by that detail helps you compare what's available before you apply.
What should a policy researcher internship resume include?
Lead with two or three complete, documented projects rather than work history. For policy researcher candidates, that means linked writing samples, published research briefs, or case studies that show how you frame a policy question, gather evidence, and present a recommendation. Add relevant coursework in public policy, economics, or political science, name any analytical tools you used, and keep the whole document to one page.
Are there remote policy researcher internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 100% of the policy researcher internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill quickly once they post, so apply early and filter by work type to see them before they close.
What is a Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) internship for policy researchers?
The Presidential Management Fellows program is a two-year federal leadership development program targeting recent graduate and advanced-degree candidates who want to build a policy career in the federal government. It rotates fellows across agencies, is designed for people new to federal service, and recruits on a fixed annual cycle that opens in the fall. It's competitive and fills in the first application wave, so prepare your materials early.
Can international students get policy researcher internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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