Internships: The Demetrios G. Papademetriou Young Scholars Program
The Demetrios G. Papademetriou Young Scholars Program, named in honor of MPI’s founding president, has two goals: harnessing the valuable contributions of interns for MPI's work and training the next generation of migration and communications leaders. Internships are available both in person and remotely, as well as to those residing outside the United States.
MPI is committed to recruiting and supporting interns who reflect the breadth of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives in the countries where it works. As such, the Institute is committed to making sure that interns and staff members of all backgrounds work in an inclusive environment with equity and access for all.
The application window for the Fall 2026 internship cycle (September - December) is open through June 15.
(For information on MPI Europe internship opportunities in Brussels, click here.)
History of the Demetrios G. Papademetriou Young Scholars Program
The internship program was named the Demetrios G. Papademetriou Young Scholars Program in 2021. Papademetriou, who led MPI from its creation in 2001 to 2014 and remained President Emeritus and Distinguished Transatlantic Fellow until his death, exhibited a career-long dedication to training, mentoring, and helping the careers of the next generation of migration thinkers globally.
To learn about MPI's interns, past and present, click here.
To support the Young Scholars program, click here.
General Internship Application Deadlines
- October 15 - Spring Semester (January - April)
- February 15 - Summer Semester (May - August)
- June 15 - Fall Semester (September - December)
Interns work in one of two areas:
Research Internships
Research Interns work within one of the following program areas:
U.S. Immigration: Tracking and analysis of policies relating to asylum and refugee pathways, border management, immigration enforcement, legal immigration (temporary and permanent), unauthorized immigration, and employment outcomes of highly educated immigrants; analysis of immigration, demographic, and economic trends; development of proposals for policy reform.
International Migration: Comparative analysis of immigration and integration policies in the areas of refugee resettlement and asylum, immigrant integration (including labor market integration and social cohesion), labor migration, borders and mobility, migration and development, and returns and reintegration.
U.S. Immigrant Integration: Issues related to early childhood education and care; Dual Language Learners and English Learners; K-12 immigrant education; adult education, training, and workforce development; state and local immigration/integration policy and services; and language access policy.
Latin America and Caribbean Initiative: Assessing policy responses to mixed migration flows, with a focus on northern Central America and Venezuela; evaluating migration management systems in key host countries, including Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia; tracking regional and international development policies; and identifying integration challenges and opportunities. Written proficiency and oral fluency in Spanish are required.
Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative: Research and analysis of policy and programmatic approaches that privilege refugee agency, lived experience, refugee livelihoods and self-reliance, host-country integration, and the role of faith in global responses.
Within each of these substantive areas, research intern duties include:
- Contributing to overall MPI research efforts, including through independent quantitative and/or qualitative research and policy analysis
- Writing paper drafts and preparing literature summaries
- Providing events support
- Summarizing hearings and other relevant public and private events
- Light administrative tasks.
Communications Internships
MPI typically offers communications internships, providing essential dissemination and other support across the Institute and with the ability to experience the breadth of its work across research areas. The Institute is not seeking applications for communications candidates for Fall 2026, but will be for the Spring 2027 cycle.
Program Details
The internship program lasts for four months and is divided into three cycles over the year. There is some flexibility in internship start and end dates, but the Spring internship cycle generally runs from January through April, the Summer cycle from May through August, and the Fall semester from September through December.
Internships are available on both a full- and part-time basis (with full-time sought for U.S. Immigrant Integration and Communications). A $1,436 biweekly stipend is offered to full-time interns and a prorated stipend to part-time interns. Students also may arrange to obtain credit for their work. MPI does not cover relocation expenses. Internships can be remote or in person.
Applicants do not need not be a U.S. citizen to apply; however, all applicants must be U.S. work authorized before the internship begins, unless they reside and work from outside the United States throughout the internship cycle. MPI is not designated by the State Department to be an exchange visitor sponsor and therefore cannot provide the supporting documents to apply for H-1B, J-1, H-3, or F-1 visas.
For all positions, applicants must be at least a junior in college and possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Current students, college graduates, graduate students, and early-career professionals are welcome to apply. Those without college experience who can demonstrate substantial relevant work experience will also be considered. Foreign language skills and proficiency in key Office and other software programs are helpful, as are strong quantitative skills. Minority applicants and/or applicants from immigrant or refugee backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should fill out this online form: https://forms.office.com/r/CFK2tucPHL. Separately send the following materials by June 15, 2026, to [email protected]:
- CV/Resume
- Cover letter (maximum 2 single-spaced pages) describing your personal or professional interest in migration and/or another public policy issue; specify the MPI program area(s) you wish to be considered for and describe relevant research, academic, and/or professional experiences.
- Writing sample (maximum 5 single-spaced pages in English) demonstrating your ability to write clearly and analytically about migration, integration, refugee issues, or other public policy topics. Acceptable writing samples include course papers, policy memos, research reports, or published articles. If submitting an excerpt from longer works, include the sections that demonstrate your writing or analytical skills the best.
- Transcript (official or unofficial) from all colleges/universities attended, showing courses and grades.
No AI policy: To fairly evaluate all applicants, we require application materials that reflect your authentic abilities and voice. Using AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to write or substantially revise your application will result in disqualification.
Our email address is: [email protected]. Include subject line: "First Name Last Name_Fall 2026"
Due to the high volume of applications received, we are unable to provide individual status updates. We will reach out directly to candidates selected for an interview. We kindly ask that applicants refrain from contacting us by phone or email to inquire about their application status.