Research Culture Survey Intern

About the Program:

The Research, Data and Impact team (RDI) fosters a culture of research excellence and ensures high quality research across WRI. The Research Integrity team (part of RDI) provides guidance and mentoring to staff and oversees the peer review process for research products, which include both traditional documents and interactive applications. We measure the success of publications in terms of the quality of research and its ability to drive change in the world in ways that support our mission. 

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days per month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC Office. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. To be eligible for this position, you must be a resident of DC, Maryland or Virginia at the start of employment.

What you will do:

You will be responsible for integrating equity into your work. In this role you will help the RDI team update and administer our recurring Research Culture Survey. The Research Culture Survey is an on-line survey that collects information from WRI staff worldwide on their perceptions of WRI’s research culture, including the value of existing research activities, and on their training needs. You will be supported by the Publications Manager and a small team of stakeholders from around the institute.
You will report to the Global Director, Research Integrity.

Internship Learning Outcomes:

Survey Design:
You will help craft and refine the survey questionnaire, collating feedback from several members across the institute, research good practices for survey administration, and ensure the survey is ready to launch at the end of April.

Internal Communications:
You will help craft communications to promote the survey and increase the response rate for all WRI offices (Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States).

Analysis:
You will also analyze the results of the survey and identify trends over time. You will document your data analysis (e.g. in Python, R, Stata).

Presentation:
You will develop materials that can be used for presenting the survey results to multiple audiences and help draft a report on the results.

What you will need:

•         Pursuing or completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

•         Familiarity with writing and administering online surveys.

•         Able to document the steps they have taken to collect, clean, organize, analyze and visualize data, using programming tools like R, Python, or others.

•         Familiarity with how to interpret survey results and test for similarity of results across different groups, e.g. statistical hypothesis testing

•         Able to communicate research approach and findings effectively to internal audiences.

•         Knowledge of different cultures and interest in research methods and processes is a plus. 

Compensation

The pay for this internship opportunity is $20/hour for undergrads; $22/hour for graduates and $24/hour for PhD students.

Length of Contract:

This is a part-time, 6-month internship with a flexible start and end date.

Location:

•         This is a hybrid internship that will be based out of our Washington D.C. office.

•         You will be required to work in the Washington DC office at least 8 days per month.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with a cover letter by November 13, 2024. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

About Us: Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia, and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  
 

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Internships at WRI are learning experiences designed for current students, recent graduates, and other candidates who wish to gain knowledge about a specific area of our work. We strive to attract diverse, intellectually driven candidates who have a passion for sustainability and development. WRI provides many internship opportunities throughout the year in all our programs.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender, racial, and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. 

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.