Cognitive Warfare Project Internship Fall 2026
About The Position
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is offering in-person, remote, and hybrid internships for Fall 2026. ISW seeks motivated and experienced college students or recent graduates to join our intern team. Interns will support the new Cognitive Warfare Project (CWP) at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which studies, analyzes, and visualizes adversary cognitive warfare against the United States and its allies. Interns are expected to collect, process, analyze, and synthesize open-source intelligence (OSINT) relating to adversary cognitive campaigns. Interns will support long-term research assignments and may also have valuable interactions with software partners who are transforming the national security space. Interns will learn to analyze the cognitive domain and how it impacts policymaking, kinetic activities, and strategy. This is a full-time internship (five days per week), but part-time work will be considered on a case-by-case basis. ISW internships starts on September 8, 2026, and will run until December 11. Interns must both be authorized to work in the United States and be physically present in the United States during their internship tenure. Working remotely outside of the United States is not authorized. If you attend a US university on a student visa, you must be eligible for and obtain a CPT authorization before beginning at ISW. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until July 24, 2026. ISW will work with students to gain academic credit for internships where applicable. The Institute for the Study of War will offer intern candidates up to a $1,000 monthly living stipend as part of a scholarship program. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until July 24, 2026. Candidates will be assessed based on their ability to contribute as a member of one of ISW’s research, operations, business development, or external relations teams, and financial need such that an unpaid internship would not be possible without assistance. The up to $1,000 monthly scholarship is classified as taxable income.
Requirements
- Demonstrated interest in cognitive and information warfare; disinformation/misinformation; artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology; international affairs; or propaganda and media studies.
- Demonstrated interest in national security or regional studies, particularly relating to Russia, Ukraine, Europe, or China.
- Excellent writing, editing, research, and oral communication skills.
- Ability to conduct complex tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
- Self-motivated, independent, creative, and capable of working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
- Commitment to—and interest in—the core mission and values of ISW.
- Authorized to work in the United States.
- Physically present in the United States during internship tenure.
Nice To Haves
- Strong critical language capabilities in Russian, Ukrainian, or Mandarin.
- Experience conducting research using primary sources in a foreign language.
- Experience with data visualization tools, large data sets, AI, and data management systems.
Responsibilities
- Collect, process, analyze, and synthesize open-source intelligence (OSINT) relating to adversary cognitive campaigns.
- Support long-term research assignments.
- Interact with software partners who are transforming the national security space.
- Analyze the cognitive domain and how it impacts policymaking, kinetic activities, and strategy.
Benefits
- Up to a $1,000 monthly living stipend as part of a scholarship program.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
