PGPF Fiscal Internship Program in Washington, DC

The American Action Forum is a forward-looking policy institute dedicated to keeping America strong, free and prosperous. It seeks to promote common-sense, innovative, and solutions-based policies that will reform government, challenge outdated assumptions, and create a smaller, smarter government that will serve its citizens better.

The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a nonprofit organization that combines the best ideas from both parties to promote health, security, and opportunity for all Americans. Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchel, BPC drives principled and politically viable policy solutions through the power of rigorous analysis, painstaking negotiation, and aggressive advocacy. As the only Washington, DC-based think tank that actively promotes bipartisanship, BPC works to address the key challenges facing the nation.

The Brookings Institution is a private nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions. For 100 years, Brookings has analyzed current and emerging issues and produced new ideas that matter for the nation and the world.

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Our aim is not just to change the conversation, but to change the country.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization committed to educating the public about issues that have significant fiscal policy impact. The Committee is made up of some of the nation's leading budget experts, including many of the past Chairmen and Directors of the Congressional Budget Committees, the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Federal Reserve Board.

The Economic Policy Institute's mission is to achieve shared prosperity by raising the economic status of low- and middle-income Americans. To this end, EPI works to reshape the way policymakers think about the economy to persuade them to adopt policies that are good for working Americans.

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) — a nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization — was created in 1978 for the purpose of contributing to sound employee benefit programs and public policy through independent, objective, fact-based research and education.

The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) seeks to expand economic opportunity to those who least have it, using the tools of individual liberty, free enterprise, technological innovation, and pluralism.

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) is a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, and is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people.

The Niskanen Center works to change public policy through direct engagement with the policymaking process; looks to develop and promote pragmatic proposals for policymakers, build coalitions to facilitate action, and marshal the most convincing arguments in support of our agenda.

The Progressive Policy Institute's Center for Funding America’s Future works to promote a fiscally responsible public investment agenda that fosters robust and inclusive economic growth. To that end, the Center champions "radically pragmatic" proposals for strengthening public investments in the foundation of our economy, modernizing federal health and retirement programs to reflect an aging society, transforming our tax code to reward work over wealth, and putting the national debt on a downward trajectory.

Founded in 2012, the R Street Institute is the leading think tank engaged in policy research and outreach in support of free markets and limited, effective government. We work to bolster American innovation, increase consumer choice and protect individual liberty and believe in smaller, smarter government.

The Tax Policy Center (TPC) is a joint venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, both nonpartisan research organizations in Washington, D.C. (This listing relates to the Urban Institute.) The Center is made up of nationally recognized experts in tax, budget, and social policy who have served at the highest levels of government. TPC provides timely, accessible analysis and facts about tax policy to policymakers, journalists, citizens, and researchers.

Rising juniors, rising seniors, and current graduate students are eligible to apply. Students must have taken at least two courses in economics, math, statistics or political science, and have a working fluency with numbers. Experience with Microsoft Excel is highly recommended.

• Résumé
• Personal Statement
• Statement of Policy Interest
• Unofficial copy of school transcript
• Contact information for two academic or professional references

December 15, 2023: Applications Open
January 28, 2024: Application Deadline
April 2024: Interns Notified of Selection
June 3 – August 9, 2024: Fiscal Internship in Session

This internship is ideal for upper-level college and graduate students with:

• An academic background in economics, political science, public policy, public administration, or a related field
• A demonstrated interest in fiscal and economic policy
• An open mind and willingness to engage with those who share different opinions and beliefs
• A natural curiosity for learning new things
• A desire to live and work independently in Washington D.C.

After your application is submitted, the Peterson Foundation staff will check your application for completeness. Then, within a couple weeks, all completed applications will be made available to the host organizations. Host organizations will be responsible for assessing, interviewing, and hiring candidates from that point on. Candidates may be contacted directly by one or more of the host scholars for an interview. Interviews typically take place in March and April. If offered an internship by a host scholar, applicants will have 5 days to decide to accept or reject the offer.

We believe participating in the internship program in Washington DC is a valuable experience, and as such, interns are expected to live in and work from the DC area for the duration of the program. While the program’s events will be held in person, some participating organizations may have a hybrid work schedule. Therefore, the fiscal intern’s work schedule may follow the hybrid work schedule consistent with that of the host organization. If you have any questions, please email our team at fiscalinternship@pgpf.org.

The application website will go live mid-December 2023. Once it does, you can create an application profile and follow the directions on how to submit your application. In the meantime, take a look at the required application materials listed in the "Applying" section.

Rising juniors, rising seniors, and current graduate students are eligible to apply. Those who are graduating in May 2024 and PhD Students are not eligible. Students must have taken at least two courses in economics, math, statistics or political science, and have a working fluency with numbers. Experience with Microsoft Excel is highly recommended.

Yes. In the application process, you can signal interest in all organizations for whose internships you would like to be considered. The host organizations vary considerably in their missions, focus areas, and political ideologies. Students are highly encouraged to research the participating organizations before applying.

Please keep in mind that your application materials will be read directly by the host organizations for which you have applied, so your application should be tailored appropriately to highlight your skills and areas of policy interest.

The application is now closed.

No, you only need to submit the contact information of two academic or professional references. Due to the number of applications received, letters of recommendation are not accepted and will not be reviewed by program staff.

Your application will be checked for completeness by PGPF staff. Then, within a couple weeks, all completed applications will be made available to the host organizations. Host organizations will be responsible for assessing, interviewing, and hiring candidates from that point on.

Hiring decisions are typically made throughout April and we aim to have all interns selected by the end of April. However, that time frame may vary for each organization.

Yes, international students are encouraged to apply. If offered an internship, international interns will work directly with their host organization to resolve any related visa concerns. While not every participating organization will be able to accommodate international students, a number of the host organizations have indicated that they would be able to accept students in the US on a visa, and we have had many international students successfully participate in the program in the past.

No. However, if you are selected to participate in the PGPF Fiscal Internship Program, the program coordinators can help you find resources to secure housing for the summer.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation Fiscal Internship program is looking for a diverse group of talented students who are passionate about policy and good with numbers. The most successful candidates are ambitious, actively involved on campus or in their communities, and have demonstrated superior academic performance.

There is no "typical" fiscal intern — participants come from schools across the country, and vary widely in their political beliefs, backgrounds, and extracurricular involvement. Most participants are early on in their career, majoring in economics or public policy. Interns tend to have working knowledge of fiscal issues prior to the summer, but are not expected to be an expert by any means.

The PGPF Fiscal Internship program provides students with a strong introduction to U.S. fiscal policy by exposing interns to a wide range of fiscal issues, challenges, and potential policy solutions throughout the summer. Interns work closely with a scholar at their host organization on major policy research and are paid directly by the institution for which they work.

The program is best suited for those who feel comfortable navigating a major city on their own. Interns live and work independently in Washington DC and come together about once a week to attend educational or social events offered by the program.

If you are interested in talking to a past intern about their experience, please contact fiscalinternship@pgpf.org.

The 2024 program will run from June 3, 2024 – August 9, 2024. Internship positions are full-time and interns are expected to participate fully throughout the program’s duration.

If you have additional questions, please send an email to the PGPF Fiscal Internship Program Director fiscalinternship@pgpf.org.

2023 Interns

Congratulations to the 2023 fiscal intern cohort. Over the summer, these individuals will work at leading think tanks in Washington, DC, to conduct research and analysis on some of the nation’s most pressing fiscal and economic issues.

Sujan Garapati
Bowdoin College
Interned at American Action Forum

Riley Stotzky
Clemson University
Interned at Bipartisan Policy Center

Gillian Tisdale
Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs
Interned at Center for American Progress

Santiago O'Neil
American University
Interned at Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

Emily Zhang
Yale University
Interned at Economic Policy Institute

Rei Kubota
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at University of Michigan
Interned at Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity

Meghan Salaga
College of William & Mary
Interned at Kaiser Family Foundation

Leon Kamenev
George Washington University
Interned at Mercatus Center

Stephen Verral
University of Michigan
Interned at Progressive Policy Institute

Sadie Bograd
Yale University
Interned at Urban Institute/Tax Policy Center