Administrative Intern Policy & Legislative Research

Duke Careers•Durham, NC

2d•$18 - $23•Onsite

About The Position

Duke University is seeking an Administrative Intern (Policy & Legislative Research) to join a mission-driven team advancing evidence-based solutions to extreme heat and climate resilience. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a research-intensive environment, values public service, and wants hands-on exposure to policy development during a period of active legislative engagement. The intern will collaborate closely with senior staff and contribute analytical skills, academic training, and unique perspectives to real-world policy work that spans local, state, and national contexts. The intern will engage directly with live research and legislative analysis that informs decision-makers and strengthens climate resilience strategies.

Requirements

Current enrollment in or recent completion of a graduate program in public policy, public administration, environmental policy, law, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience in policy research, including use of legislative databases and government document sources.
Working knowledge of state-level budget processes and public finance instruments.
Experience with legislative analysis, including bill tracking and statutory interpretation.
Foundational understanding of extreme heat mitigation, climate resilience, or environmental hazard management.

Nice To Haves

Master of Public Policy (MPP) or equivalent advanced degree in progress or completed.
Familiarity with heat action planning, hazard mitigation frameworks, or climate resilience policy.
Experience supporting multi-stakeholder policy initiatives or government relations work.

Responsibilities

Research and synthesize state-level budget mechanisms, appropriations structures, and public finance instruments relevant to heat mitigation and climate resilience initiatives.
Support legislative tracking and statutory analysis across priority states, applying established codebook frameworks to identify trends, gaps, and emerging policy models.
Assist with literature reviews, background research, and memo drafting that support active policy development workstreams.
Contribute to documentation, organization, and coordination tasks that enable multiple concurrent policy projects to move forward efficiently.
Work closely with senior staff, gaining exposure to interdisciplinary policy research and government-facing analysis.