Project Background
BPC’s Health Program strives to develop policy recommendations that improve the nation’s health outcomes and reduce preventable health care costs, geared towards the public and private sectors. The policy areas we focus on span public health and prevention, cost and coverage, behavioral health, long-term services and supports, chronic care, digital health, nutrition, workforce, pandemic preparedness, and rural health.
Responsibilities
Prospective interns may work on a variety of policy areas across the Health team’s portfolio and will be assigned base on the intern’s policy interests and the team’s current project needs. Applicants are encouraged to review the policy areas within the Health Program prior to applying to determine which areas they would be most interested in exploring and to include areas of interest in their application.
Interns will work with project staff on policy research, writing info briefs and blogs, event planning, congressional tracking, communications tasks, and administrative responsibilities, as needed. Topics of research and policy development could include:
- Reforming the nation’s public and private health care systems.
- Increasing efficiency of service delivery in Medicare and Medicaid.
- Promoting the integration of behavioral health and primary care services.
- Improving nutrition in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- Accelerating the use of digital technologies to support patients, new models of care, research, and improvements in population health.
- Increasing investments in treatments for unmet or public health needs, and promoting policies that accelerate safe and effective treatments through the Food and Drug Administration.
- Improving access to long-term services and supports for those with complex needs.
- Addressing health care infrastructure, workforce, and health IT barriers to health care services in rural areas.
- Engaging large employers to improve the health of individuals and communities and fostering linkages between business and public health.
- Encouraging traditionally non-health federal agencies to support a “health in all policies approach” focused on the multiple determinants of health.
Qualifications
- Must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate school
- Strong research and writing skills
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively
- Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
- Strong interest in health policy issues
SPRING PROGRAM
During the fall and spring semesters, internships are part-time and paid. Interns will receive a stipend of $3,000. Applicants must currently be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate program or a recent graduate. Fall and spring internship hours are flexible, allowing students to gain valuable experience while maintaining their regular class schedules. Interns will provide functional support, conduct research, and work directly with project analysts and staff in various capacities. *Please note that our Spring internship will be hybrid with an option to be virtual.*
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until a qualified candidate has been identified. Please apply early as applications will be reviewed on a first come first served basis. Please do not send multiple submissions. Incomplete applications and applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Due to the number of applications received, we are unable to contact those who have not been selected for an internship. No phone calls, please. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply but must have a valid work permit or visa verifying eligibility to work in the United States. We do not offer visa sponsorship.
Required materials (in one PDF File):
- Cover letter tailored to the team(s) you are applying for
- Resume
- College or university transcript (unofficial is acceptable)
- Phone and email contact information for two professional references, including a professor or other individual familiar with your work.
- Brief response to the prompt "What does bipartisanship mean to you" (5-8 sentences)
- 2-3 page writing sample
APPLICATION DEADLINE
- Spring Internships: November 22nd
BPC Diversity Statement
The Bipartisan Policy Center defines diversity as the range of human qualities that make us unique as individuals, including—but not limited to—age, disability, ethnicity, gender expression, geographic location, nationality, political philosophy, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
To celebrate diversity and ensure equity and inclusivity, BPC is committed to:
- Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce with insights and solutions for our increasingly divided society.
- Creating a workplace culture where all employees feel valued and their perspectives are heard.
- Developing policy solutions and undertaking research that reflect a diversity of thought and experience.