RISE Internship: Global Adaptation and Resilience Research Intern at Environmental Defense Fund
Position Title: Global Adaptation and Resilience Research Intern
Hours/Week: 28 hours/week, Monday-Thursday
Internship Date Range: Summer 2025 (10 weeks)
Location: Remote. Intern supervisor is in DC, and many team members are in New York
About the Resilience Internships and Student Experiences (RISE) Program
The RISE Program is hosted by the Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR) and provides undergraduate and graduate students with paid internships related to resilient environments and societies. RISE internships give students experience in workplace settings with an opportunity to grow their interpersonal skills and prepare them for careers after graduation.
About the Environmental Defense Fund:
EDF’s Global Engagement and Partnerships (GEP) team facilitates EDF's global presence, advocacy, and policy work, while also building strong relationships with stakeholders worldwide, working to ensure that EDF’s activities and communications are culturally relevant and effective. The GEP team coordinates EDF’s engagement in key international fora like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other UN spaces, and serves as an institution-level coordinator for EDF’s partnerships with key multilateral stakeholders. GEP team members undertake original research and publish in peer-reviewed journals; participate in and regularly give presentations to international negotiators, representing EDF and broader NGO coalitions; and develop and present materials in a wide range of settings including multilateral meetings with governments, civil society organizations, corporations, and other stakeholders around the world.
Internship summary:
The intern will support EDF’s Global Engagement and Partnerships team on research, writing, and advocacy projects focused on climate adaptation and resilience, in the context of international climate negotiations and global environmental governance. The intern will support the GEP team on work related to the development of EDF’s global position on adaptation and resilience. Specific projects may include research on the role of adaptation and resilience within updated Nationally Determined Contributions and Biennial Transparency Reports, alongside researching other emerging adaptation and resilience-related issues in global policy processes. The intern will work alongside other team members to prepare a range of written products, including research briefs, policy memos, mappings of stakeholder initiatives, and other coordination support materials for EDF engagement in multilateral environmental agreements including the UNFCCC COP30. The intern will report to the Senior Analyst for Global Engagement and Partnerships.
Key Responsibilities
Tasks will include but are not limited to:
- Support in research and analysis on adaptation and resilience components in Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, Biennial Transparency Reports, and other relevant climate policy documents.
- Support in the preparation of short policy briefs as well as larger written research products to inform team preparations for and analysis of negotiations in Rio Conventions and other UN and international forums, including the UNFCCC and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
- Monitor and contribute to research on key and emerging issues in global environmental governance, including on climate adaptation and resilience, climate and biodiversity linkages, and climate migration.
- Support in overall coordination for EDF engagement in key multilateral spaces, including the UNFCCC and others.
- Assist in creating presentations, blogs, memos, fact sheets, and communications materials for both internal and external audiences.
- Participate in advancing EDF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.
Qualifications
- Enrolled in a degree program and/or demonstrated interest in international environmental policy, climate resilience and adaptation, environmental management, international relations, or related discipline.
- Coursework in international relations, global environmental governance, and climate treaty negotiations recommended
- Familiarity with UNFCCC or other UN conventions is a plus.
- Excellent research, writing, and oral communication skills.
- Must be well organized, motivated, and detail-oriented.
- Ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines.
- Ability to work in a team setting and have the ability to work independently when projects are due.
- Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
- Demonstrate initiative and problem solving skills.
Compensation:
The intern will be hired and paid by the University of Arizona. The pay rate is $18/hour.
How to Apply:
Applicants must be active U of A students enrolled in at least 6 credits. The intern will be hired as a U of A student employee. Please note:
- During the semester, student employees are limited to 25 hours/week (20 hours/week for international students) across ALL U of A positions.
- During the summer, student employees are limited to 35 hours/week across ALL U of A positions.
International students should consult with International Student Services (ISS) if work authorization is needed before securing an internship. ISS advising information can be found here.
Interested applicants should attach their cover letter and resume to the EDF application here.
Applications must be submitted no later than March 2nd, 2025.