United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) Internship Program 2019


The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous research institute within the UN system that undertakes interdisciplinary research and policy analysis on the social dimensions of contemporary development issues. Through our work, we aim to ensure that social equity, inclusion and justice are central to development thinking, policy and practice. UNRISD is now accepting applications for an internship position, starting in June 2019, to assist with work related to its Social Policy and Development programme. This will include preparing final publications for a research project on New Directions in Social Policy: Alternatives From and For the Global South, as well as activities related to new project development. While at UNRISD, the intern will be asked to:

  • provide research assistance for the projects indicated above, and other related projects as required;
  • assist with proofreading, copyediting and preparing publications;
  • contribute to ongoing tasks related to project development, fundraising activities and general administration;
  • produce a short paper, literature review, article or similar output, on a subject related to the Social Policy for Development programme.
Qualifications, skills and competencies:
  • The applicant should be pursuing, or have completed, a degree in social policy, development policy, public policy or another related social science discipline, dealing with developing countries as cases;
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills and proofreading skills in English, other UN languages an asset;
  • Ability to work effectively on a team; and
  • Ability to handle multiple tasks and take initiative.
  • An interest in topics covered by the above-mentioned projects/events.
This UNRISD internship is in accordance with the rules and regulations of the UN Internship Programme.
  • At the time of application, applicants must meet one of the following requirements (as per UN Secretariat rules regarding interns); (i) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (ii) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent) or; (iii) have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (i) and (ii) above) and, if selected, commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation;
  • Interns are not financially remunerated;
  • UNRISD is not responsible for interns' travel expenses to and from Geneva, or for mandatory medical insurance during the period of the internship.
As UN internships are currently not remunerated, applicants wishing to undertake a part-time internship will be actively considered. The deadline for applications is Sunday, 12 May 2019 (23:59 Central European Time), with a start date in June 2019, to be mutually agreed. The usual duration of the internship is three months with the possibility of extension to six months. If you have the required qualifications and are interested in this position, please apply online by clicking the link below. Click Here to Apply Please use the "cover letter" section to explain your qualifications and interest in this position. Please use the “statement” section to explain your understanding of social policy in a development context. Kindly note that, due to limited staff resources, only those candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.