2025-08i: Paid Evidence to Practice Intern

MDRC will offer a paid eight-week internship for one master's student who is interested in working with organizations at different stages of building evidence. This includes learning how to support organizations to: (1) use data to learn the best ways to support their clients; (2) identify and solve challenges that get in the way of strong services; (3) answer questions about how their program or services make a difference; or (4) launch a new program, service, or strategy to improve the well-being of those in communities with low incomes. Interns will have the opportunity to support projects within one or more of MDRC's five policy areas, two centers, or one of its research support units:

• Economic Mobility, Housing, and Communities Policy Area
• Family Well-Being and Children's Development Policy Area
• K-12 Education Policy Area
• Postsecondary Education Policy Area
• Youth Development, Criminal Justice, and Employment Policy Area
• Center for Applied Behavioral Science
• Center for Data Insights
• Data Collection Unit

Field Exposure and Skill Building

The paid internship provides the opportunity to work with MDRC teams on a range of activities, including:

• Collaborating with MDRC's team of field liaisons and technical assistance staff (known at MDRC as "evidence-to-practice" staff) who have expertise in program design, program assessment, evaluation start-up, and technical assistance on program implementation to learn about how we work with practitioners and support programs to develop a learning agenda and strengthen services.
• Partnering with program sites and MDRC researchers to ensure that the organizations participating in our evaluations have strong programs.
• Delivering a presentation to MDRC staff based on the intern's summer internship experience.

In addition, the internship may include the following organizational, administrative, and analytical opportunities to support an intern's skill development:

• Collaborating with colleagues and MDRC staff to learn about the process for implementing large-scale impact evaluations and what role evidence-to-practice staff play in supporting these efforts.
• Observing and learning about the strategies and methods used to translate research evidence into practice and policy.
• Learning various approaches for building partnerships with program staff and supporting program improvement.

Qualifications

• Must be in good standing academically at a college or university in North Carolina or South Carolina and enrolled in a master's program with an expected completion date of December 2025 or June 2026.
• Must be pursuing a degree in public policy, public administration, psychology, sociology, child development, child welfare, family relations, criminal justice, education, or related fields.
• Must be interested in learning about how MDRC designs and conducts social science research.
• In addition to academic experience, MDRC evidence-to-practice staff often have backgrounds in direct service delivery and management within government agencies or nonprofit organizations. Applicants with such experience are preferred.

Deadline and Notification

• Applications are due by 11:59 pm (ET) on Friday, January 23, 2026. Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed.
• The application review process will begin after the application deadline.
• Only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.
• Interviews (when scheduled) will be conducted via video conferencing.
• Please see "What to expect from MDRC's recruitment process" for more information.

How to Apply

Instructions: Complete applications must include:

• A resume, including relevant academic and work experience.
• A personal statement (up to two single-spaced pages), which must include the following: (1) your specific interest in social policy issues and research, (2) your immediate career interests and goals after graduating from college, (3) how you expect this internship, coupled with your academic pursuits and/or prior experiences, will contribute to your professional growth, and (4) how your background, academic studies, and life experience have impacted your professional pursuits and why they make you a strong candidate for the Gueron Scholars Program master's internship. In addition, applicants who intend to receive academic credit for the internship must state this in their personal statement.
• A copy of your unofficial graduate school transcript(s), which must document your status as a registered student in good academic standing.
• The names, email addresses, and phone numbers of two academic or professional references.
• Please note: Applications that do not include all the required materials will be deemed incomplete and removed from consideration. This includes personal statements that do not explicitly address in detail the four points outlined above under the second bullet.

Important Things to Know

• Interns will be expected to begin their internships in June of 2026 and participate for the full 8 weeks through mid-August 2026.
• Interns are paid $23.00 per hour.
• Interns are expected to work 35 hours per week.
• Interns will be required to work in the New York office five days a week to participate in all program activities.
• This position may require minimal local travel for site visits and professional networking.
• Applicants enrolled in North Carolina and South Carolina colleges and universities are eligible for housing, limited travel reimbursement, and a commuter stipend to support their participation. Applicants invited to interview will receive more information about these benefits.
• To learn more about the internship experience at MDRC, watch this video: Meet Selena McLurkin, 2023 Gueron Operations Intern | MDRC.
• Direct questions about the internship to HRQuestions@mdrc.org