Fall 2026 Income and Poverty Research Intern

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a high-caliber strategic policy institute that informs and shapes public policies to reduce poverty, promote equity, and build opportunity. It has a national reputation for conducting rigorous research and analysis, developing evidence-based policy ideas and strategies, shaping a broad array of policy debates at the federal and state levels, and influencing policy outcomes on a range of critical issues. It focuses on improving the lives of people with low or moderate incomes and examines how policies affect particular groups, including Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; immigrants; people with disabilities; and LGBTQ+ people. CBPP is known for its unique capacity to blend rigorous, timely analysis with effective communications that enable policymakers and the media to make use of its work. 

The Income and Poverty Trends team (also known as the Data Analysis and Research team) provides data analysis and research support to a group of skilled national policy analysts on a range of policy issues and research topics affecting lower-income families and individuals. Topics may include the implications of policy choices affecting cash assistance, taxation and tax credits, food assistance, housing programs, and health programs as well as income trends, the causes and consequences of poverty, and poverty measurement techniques. The team collects, prepares, and summarizes data and academic research; develops graphics and written presentations of findings; and examines pending legislative and policy options.  

The Income and Poverty Trends team works extensively with other CBPP divisions and supports the State Priorities Partnership, a network of independent state fiscal policy organizations, with training, technical assistance, and data analysis.

Activities will vary day-to-day but past projects and tasks of the Income and Poverty Research intern have included: 

• Reading, tracking, and synthesizing causal literature relevant to key policy areas, including food assistance, refundable tax credits, and unconditional cash transfer experiments; 
• Supporting the development of methodological notes and documentation to improve transparency and replicability of analyses; 
• Assisting with data-related projects using public data such as American Community Survey data, including cleaning and coding of microdata and data from published tables, replication projects, and interpretation of estimates;
• Assisting in the development of internal resources, guides, and frameworks to standardize approaches across teams.

Qualifications:  

• Experience reviewing and summarizing academic and/or policy research, ideally including knowledge of quasi-experimental research methods and using a knowledge management system such as Zotero.
• Strong quantitative skills and the ability to analyze data and produce replicable code using statistical analysis software (Stata or R).
• Ability to support multiple projects simultaneously while meeting recurring internal deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail.  
• Demonstrated interest in, or personal experience with, anti-poverty programs and/or issues affecting people with low incomes.
• Understanding of and appreciation for CBPP’s mission to improve the well-being of low- and moderate-income people and advance racial equity.
• Experience working independently to complete a substantive research or data analysis project (e.g., a senior thesis).
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across functional teams to support shared projects and keep workstreams aligned.
• Education: recent graduates with a bachelor's degree or current graduate students. Coursework in public policy, statistics, data science, research methods, or economics/econometrics preferred, with a strong preference for some quantitative coursework.

To expand the diversity of voices that speak with authority in federal and state policy debates, CBPP’s internship program encourages applications from highly motivated candidates — particularly those with experience with communities that are underrepresented in policy debates — with a demonstrated interest in working on public policies that affect low-income and diverse communities and have implications for racial equity.  

International students are welcome to apply. CBPP does not provide financial sponsorship for visas or work permits. You must have documentation of work authorization for the U.S. AND a U.S. Social Security number, as of the start date of the internship, to be employed by CBPP.

Application Deadline: June 19, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET        

Internship Start Date: September 8, 2026     

Internship End Date: December 18, 2026

CBPP's fall internship will be remote. Remote interns must be in the U.S. for the duration of the internship. Interns located in the Washington, D.C. metro area during the fall term will work on a hybrid schedule that includes at least two days per week in person at our D.C. office. 

Work Hours: Interns should be available between 30-40 hours per week during core Eastern Time business hours. Work schedules can be flexed to accommodate time zone differences as well as classwork and other school commitments.

Compensation:         

• Undergraduate students receive $18.00 per hour.        
• Students with a bachelor's degree receive $19.00 per hour.        
• Graduate students receive $20.00 per hour.        
• Students with a master’s or law degree receive $21.00 per hour.         
• Doctoral students may receive between $20.00 and $22.00 per hour, depending on progress toward completion of degree requirements, relevant coursework, and research.    

Required application materials:     

• Cover letter (please include a discussion of what draws you to CBPP’s mission and the Income and Poverty Research team’s work)      
• Résumé  
• Transcript(s)     

Only complete applications submitted electronically through our system will be considered. Once you submit your application, you will receive an electronic confirmation. Applications submitted by mail or email will not be accepted. Visit https://www.cbpp.org/internships for more information about CBPP’s internship program. No phone calls, please.     

If you have read all of the information on the website about internships at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and still have an inquiry about the application process, please email internship@cbpp.org.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages all qualified persons to apply regardless of race, color, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, credit information, pregnancy or parental status, family responsibilities, personal appearance, creed, military or veteran status, religion, ancestry or national origin, union activities, disability, or other status protected by applicable law.