Internships

American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Internships 2026 – Apply Now

Apply for American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Internships 2026 in Washington, DC. Undergraduate and graduate internship opportunities in public policy, economics, defense strategy, communications, and data analysis. Start your career at one of the nation’s leading think tanks.

GID Team

Jan 28, 2026 - 21:19

Jan 30, 2026 - 09:14

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American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Internships 2026 – Apply Now

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) invites experienced undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates to apply for AEI Internship Opportunities 2026.

Internship Location: Washington, DC (In-Person)
Closing Date: Not specified

These internships are designed to provide students with a unique opportunity to gain experience in research, writing, business, and communications at one of the nation’s leading think tanks.

About American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

The American Enterprise Institute is a distinguished public policy think tank located in Washington, DC. Dedicated to defending human dignity, expanding human potential, and building a freer and safer world, AEI scholars conduct independent research on the most critical challenges facing the nation and the world. The Institute provides an intellectually stimulating environment, rich with critical thinking, scholarship, and lively debate.

About the AEI Internship Programme

The AEI Internship Programme is a 12-week, in-person experience structured to help young professionals launch their careers in public policy. Interns learn from some of America’s most renowned scholars, economists, political scientists, and foreign policy specialists.

Program Dates:
The summer program dates are flexible between two options:

Option 1: Tuesday, May 26, to Friday, August 21
Option 2: Tuesday, June 2, to Friday, August 28

Interns benefit from:

Hands-on Experience: Work directly on research, business, and communications projects.
Mentorship: Learn from renowned scholars and experienced staff.
Skill Development: Instruction on strategic media communication, data analysis, and policy research.
Networking: Build professional connections within the Washington, DC policy landscape.

Working at AEI

Interns at AEI work in a professional, academic environment.

Work Hours: Candidates who can intern 40 hours per week in person are preferred. Hours must fall within normal business hours in Eastern Time (Monday through Friday).
Location: All related programming will take place in person in Washington, DC.
Academic Excellence: Competitive candidates will generally have a GPA of 3.5 or higher from a top-ranking college or university.

Available AEI Internship Opportunities 2026

Domestic Policy & Economics

Summer Intern: Economic Policy – Quantitative analysis and research on public finance.
Summer Intern: Data Analysis and Education Policy – Statistical modeling and dataset analysis.
Summer Intern: Housing Center – Maintaining indexes and researching mortgage lending policies.
Summer Intern: Education Policy – Research on school reform and higher education financing.
Summer Intern: Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility – Researching policies for low-income Americans.
Summer Intern: Vocation, Career, and Work – Researching workforce development and AI economic trends.
Summer Intern: Survey Center on American Life – Survey analysis and public opinion projects.

Foreign & Defense Policy

Summer Intern: Asian Securities – Research on China’s military modernization and US defense policy.
Summer Intern: Asian Economics – Monitoring Chinese outward investment.
Summer Intern: Critical Threats Project (Africa) – Tracking security dynamics in the Horn of Africa and West Africa.
Summer Intern: Critical Threats Project (Iran & Middle East) – Analysis of the Israel-Hamas war and Iranian activities.
Summer Intern: Military Strategy and US Defense Budget – Defense investments and congressional oversight research.
Summer Intern: National Security Strategy – Quantitative research on defense issues.
Summer Intern: Coalition Defense of Taiwan – Research on cross-Strait relations.
Summer Intern: South Asia and International Security – Research on Indian politics and security.

Politics, Legal & Society

Summer Intern: Legal and Constitutional Studies – Analyzing Congress and election reform data.
Summer Intern: Office of the President – Supporting work on poverty and social services.
Summer Intern: FREE Initiative – Research on family, religion, education, and entrepreneurship.
Summer Intern: Demographics and Political Economy – Global demographic trends (Mandarin preferred).
Summer Intern: Center for Technology, Science, and Energy – Science policy and technology regulation research.

Communications, Events & Operations

Spring / Summer Intern: Media Relations – Press office work and strategic communication.
Summer Intern: Events – Execution of over 1,200 annual events and logistics.
Summer Intern: Editing Services – Copyediting and book promotion support.
Summer Intern: Communications and Marketing Systems – Email marketing and CRM database management.
Summer Intern: Critical Threats Project (Comms) – Social media strategy and content curation.
Summer Intern: Coalitions – Connecting scholarly work with external audiences.
Summer Intern: Academic Programs – Event planning for college campuses.
Summer Intern: Accounting – Financial reporting and audit assistance.