Research and Policy Analyst Internships
Research and policy analyst internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience, mentorship from working policy analysts and 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.
Research and Policy Analyst Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Research and Policy Analyst Internship Search
Apply months before the internship starts
Federal agencies, think tanks, and large policy organizations recruit summer research and policy analyst interns the preceding fall. Smaller employers and co-op programs post much closer to start dates, so check for openings year-round rather than waiting for a single window.
Build a writing portfolio before you apply
Hiring teams for research and policy analyst interns want something to read, not just a resume. Publish a policy brief, data-backed analysis, or research memo, even from a class project, somewhere reviewers can access it. A linked, real-world writing sample does more work than a list of coursework titles.
Work your campus network alongside direct applications
Career fairs surface structured internship programs tied to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Apply directly to organizations running smaller cohorts at the same time, combining both channels widens the pool you reach beyond what either approach covers alone.
Practice your interview format out loud before applying
Research and policy analyst intern screens often include a written exercise, a case discussion, or a data interpretation problem. Practice explaining your reasoning aloud as you work through a sample prompt, interviewers weigh how you frame a question and structure an argument as much as the final answer you land on.
Target structured fellowship and policy programs early
Federal agencies, major foundations, and large nonprofits run cohort-based internship and fellowship programs specifically designed to train people new to research and policy work. These programs recruit early, fill fast, and often include dedicated mentorship and project rotations. Identify the ones that match your policy area and submit in the first application wave.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 0% of the research and policy analyst internships listed here. Decide what you can realistically commit to, on-site, hybrid, or fully remote, before you start sorting. Filtering by location and work type upfront means you spend time on roles you can actually take.
Research and Policy Analyst Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a research and policy analyst internship?
Lead with coursework, independent projects, and a portfolio rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For research and policy analyst candidates, the concrete artifact recruiters want to see is a written sample: a policy memo, research brief, or data-backed analysis. Combine direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a research and policy analyst internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. For research and policy analyst interns, what drives it is delivering quality work on real assignments, fitting within available headcount when the internship ends, and expressing your interest early enough for the team to plan around it. Treat the internship as audition-worthy work rather than a guaranteed pipeline.
When should I apply for research and policy analyst internships?
Earlier than most candidates expect. Large employers, think federal agencies, think tanks, and major nonprofits, recruit summer research and policy analyst interns the preceding fall, sometimes as early as September or October. Smaller organizations and co-op programs post much closer to start dates, so openings appear year-round and it pays to check regularly rather than waiting for a single recruiting season.
Are research and policy analyst internships paid?
Most professional research and policy analyst internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by employer size, industry, and location, federal government internships, large think tanks, and corporate policy teams typically offer stronger stipends than small nonprofits or advocacy organizations. Where an employer discloses pay, the listing will show it so you can compare before applying.
What should a research and policy analyst internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three well-documented projects showing the research question, methodology, and tools used, for research and policy analyst candidates, that means linking to published analyses, policy memos, case studies, or written reports reviewers can actually read. Add relevant coursework in statistics, public policy, or economics, and keep the whole document to one page.
Are there remote research and policy analyst internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 100% of the research and policy analyst internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast because they draw applicants from across the country, so apply early once you decide what works for your situation and filter by work type to see those openings first.
Can international students get research and policy analyst 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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