The Brookings Institution, a Washington, DC public policy research organization, takes paid interns in spring, summer and fall cohorts — nearly 150 a year.
Interns join one of five research programs (Governance Studies, Economic Studies, Foreign Policy, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Metro) or a business unit such as communications or finance. Each posting is a separate role; the spring 2027 cohort runs about 12 weeks.
Benefits & funding
- Paid hourly: spring 2027 postings list US$18.40 an hour, at least 20–24 hours a week depending on the role.
- Some interns are paid through an external partnership (a university or organization) arranged before the start.
- Hybrid roles need regular time in the DC office; some roles are open to remote interns.
Eligibility
- Current undergraduate or master’s students; some postings take only juniors, seniors or graduate students. PhD students are not eligible.
- Recent graduates only where a posting says so, and only if they graduated within one year before the internship starts.
- Must be physically in the US for the whole internship and already authorized to work there, or hold F-1/J-1 student status and use CPT. No visa or OPT applicants.
- Remote interns cannot work from Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island or Washington State.
- Current and former Brookings interns cannot apply again.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“Current undergraduate and master's students (PhD students are not eligible) … Individuals selected for a Brookings internship must have graduated within one year prior to the start of their internship” Eligibility
Residence required
USA
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Pick a posted spring 2027 opening and apply on Brookings’ iCIMS portal by November 7, 2026.
- 2Submit a cover letter, resume and transcript, plus a writing sample if the posting asks for one.
- 3Finalists give two references or two recommendation letters; externally funded interns also send a funding letter.
Program timeline
Openings posted
From week of Oct 5, 2026
Application deadline
Nov 7, 2026
Selections made
Dec 18, 2026
Cohort starts
Jan 19, 2027 or Feb 1, 2027
Cohort ends
Apr 9, 2027 or Apr 23, 2027