Student Opportunities

External Organizations: Educational, Professional, and Scholarship Opportunities

The following organizations offer resources for students interested in political science and data science.

The American Political Science Association (APSA) is a professional organization dedicated to political science research. Students can become APSA members.

Data Science Programs provides data science education guides to help job seekers, professionals, and students understand the changing landscapes of data science programs and their impact on careers and employment.

Pi Sigma Alpha is the National Political Science Honor Society. Their website provides information about opportunities in political science, as well as undergraduate and graduate scholarships. 

DisinfoLab Spring 2022 Internship [NEW]

DisinfoLab is a student-run disinformation and technology think tank at William & Mary. We use a multidisciplinary approach to investigate emerging trends in disinformation and develop novel strategies to counter them. Our previous research has included:

This semester, DisinfoLab will be conducting another semester-long research project to be published in World in 2050, Diplomatic Courier’s think tank that explores the trends and tech shaping the future.

DisinfoLab seeks highly motivated, detail-oriented, and entrepreneurial student disinformation analysts, technical analysts, and communications team members for the Spring 2022 semester. This internship is 7 hrs/week, remote, and begins Monday, February 14th, 2022.

DisinfoLab: Technical Disinformation Analyst Position

Responsibilities include:

  • Web scraping social media platforms to create data sets
  • Conducting analysis on online activity
  • Machine learning/data visualization

Coursework in computer/data science required. Research experience and/or interest in international relations, public policy, government, and economics preferred. To apply, please send a resume (including a list of relevant coursework), and a 1-page description of a past project (personal, or academic) to disinfolab@gmail.com by Wednesday, February 9th, 2022.

DisinfoLab: Disinformation Analyst Position

Responsibilities include:

  • Writing and editing reports, op-eds, and articles about disinformation conducted by the lab
  • Working alongside a technical team to support analysis of online disinformation

Research experience in international relations, public policy, government, and economics preferred. To apply, please send a resume, cover letter (including a list of relevant coursework), and a writing sample (<5 pages) to disinfolab@gmail.com by Wednesday, February 9th, 2022.

DisinfoLab: Communications Team Position

Responsibilities include:

  • Designing social media outreach strategies on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to increase audience engagement
  • Producing informative and digitally innovative social media content
  • Reposting and sharing disinformation-related content across social media platforms

Marketing, international relations, economics, and government majors are strongly encouraged to apply. Experience in graphic design and communications preferred. Demonstrated interest in political affairs is strongly preferred. To apply, please send a resume, cover letter (including a list of relevant courses), and 3 infographic samples to disinfolab@gmail.com by Wednesday, February 9th, 2022.

Congressional Budget Office: Assistant Analyst [NEW]

“The Congressional Budget Office, a small nonpartisan agency that provides economic, policy, and budgetary analysis to Congress, is seeking Assistant Analysts to work in various divisions. Specific duties vary by division, but most include research assistance, statistical analysis, database management, literature review, and quality assurance. 

This is an entry-level position limited to three years. The position is ideal for those interested in substantive work experience before attending graduate school in economics, public policy, or a related field. The position is only for those who have or are completing a bachelor’s degree; it is not for those who have or are completing a master’s degree.” 

Per the job description, following list summarizes the application requirements/preferred qualifications:  

  • “A bachelor’s degree by June 2022.
  • A strong academic background in economics, mathematics, statistics, finance, computer science, policy analysis, or a related field with economics coursework. 
  • Strong quantitative skills. 
  • Attention to detail, strong written and oral communication skills, perseverance, the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and a desire to work on issues of current interest to the Congress. 
  • Experience with Excel and other Microsoft Office products. (Proficiency with at least one statistical software package or programming language—such as Python, MATLAB, Stata, R, or SAS—is preferred for some positions.)” 

Application: To apply, access the online application here. This webpage also provides more information on the Congressional Budget Office divisions that seek analysts, as well as salary projections. 

Deadline: The application does not have a set deadline, but it will close after February 14 if enough applications have been received.  

Questions? Contact Olivia Yang, a recent W&M graduate via email ojyang@email.wm.edu.

Charles Center: Summer Research Funding Applications [NEW]

Charles Center applications are open for undergraduate students who would like to secure research funding.  

Applications: All applications require input and a letter of support from a project advisor.  

More information and links to the applications are available at the following webpages:  

Deadlines: 

  • Summer Research grants (usually rising juniors and seniors): February 13, 2022 
  • Honors student fellowships (usually rising seniors): February 13, 2022 
  • Monroe Scholars (first year or sophomore/junior): March 6, 2022 

Global Research Institute (GRI) Summer Fellows Program

“Interested in gaining summer work experience overseas? With the support of the Robert and Susan Trice International Fellowship Endowment, the Global Research Institute Summer Fellows Program provides international experiential learning opportunities to W&M students and recent graduates. 

Past GRI Summer Fellows have hailed from a variety of disciplines, including data science, government, biology, public policy, and economics. Successful applicants are paired with W&M faculty and international organizations to conduct research and promote capacity building around the world. 

Past projects include: creating a dataset on Indonesian electoral outcomes, an evaluation of the Monrovia Football Academy, a white paper on applications of blockchain technology for Korean reunification through reforestation, a set of data governance policies for a new geospatial platform within a UN agency, and a randomized controlled trial on community policing and public trust in Colombia. 

To learn more, check out past Fellows’ experiences on the blog and watch this video.” 

Application: You must complete a pre-application if you are interested in the GRI Summer Fellowship. Complete part one of the application here. Part two is completed in early 2022.  

Deadline: Part two of the application opens in January 2022. Final deadline TBA. 

Past Opportunities

 For a list of past opportunities, visit the archive here.