Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program – Summer 2025

Selected participants will receive:

• A 10-12-week summer internship at a federal agency.
• A stipend of $5,000 – $6,500 for full-time positions (a minimum of 32 hours/week) depending on agency placement.
• Professional development sessions, including orientation and networking events throughout the summer.

Selected participants will receive:

• A 10-12-week summer internship at a congressional or executive branch office if an internship placement is needed.
• A stipend of $5,000 if funding is not secured from an outside source and the position is full time (a minimum of 32 hours/week).
• Professional development sessions, including orientation and networking events throughout the summer.

To apply to the program, candidates must be: 

• U.S. citizens at the time of application submission.
• Currently enrolled at an accredited educational institution in an undergraduate or graduate program. Undergraduates must be current second-year students/sophomores and above.
• Able to demonstrate superior academic achievement and have a GPA above 2.5.
• Interested in at least one of the following career tracks:
  • Data Science
  • Government Contracting and Acquisition
  • Integrated Prevention (graduate students only)
  • Liberal Arts
  • Public Administration
  • Public Interest Technology & AI
  • Science, Mathematics, and Engineering

Students admitted to the program must successfully complete a background check before beginning the internship in June 2025.

To apply to the program, candidates must be:

• U.S. citizens at the time of application submission.
• Currently enrolled at an accredited educational institution with one year remaining in an international relations or international affairs graduate program. Undergraduates are not eligible for this opportunity.
• Able to demonstrate superior academic achievement and have a GPA above 2.5.

U.S. citizens currently enrolled at an accredited educational institution in an undergraduate (current 2nd years/sophomores and above) or graduate program with a 2.5 GPA or above are eligible to apply. Students must be current second-year students/sophomores and above.

Optional reference letters may be uploaded directly through the application portal or emailed to internships@ourpublicservice.org with the applicant’s name referenced in the subject line.

All reference letters must be emailed by November 22, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST.

Stipend amounts vary by agency and opportunity type. Please refer to the Program Benefits section on each page to learn more.

In-person internship opportunities in the Washington, D.C., area and fully virtual internships are available. Future Leaders can participate fully remote within the United States throughout the duration of their internship. Future Leaders internships cannot be completed abroad.

In-person internship opportunities in the Washington, D.C., area and fully virtual internships are available. Future Leaders can participate fully remote; however, they must be in the United States throughout the duration of their internship. Future Leaders internships cannot be completed abroad.

Participating agencies for the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program vary by each term. Please refer to this website for any updates.

Applicants can select up to two preferred career tracks at the time of application. After the application closes, the Partnership will review all candidates for this program. If candidates move to the next round, some will receive communication from the Partnership seeking the candidate’s agency preferences for their internship placement depending on their program track selections. At that time, candidates will have the opportunity to rank from their choice of participating agencies in this program.

Not all program tracks will be offered among multiple federal agencies. Agencies will be announced throughout the fall, and past partners include the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration.

To increase access to the program and reduce administrative burden, we will no longer require universities to nominate students. Interested and eligible students should apply directly to the program

In the application, students will be able to indicate if they have secured their own internship placement and/or funding. Universities that have historically nominated and funded students may have reserved spots in the cohort for them.

Prospective applicants must be international affairs graduate students who exhibit outstanding scholarly achievements, a commitment to the study of international affairs and an interest in public service. Applicants must have at least one year left in their studies following the fellowship.

Summer positions change each year depending on the needs and space constraints of participating executive branch agencies and congressional offices. In recent years the program has sent finalists to interview with the Office of the Secretary of Defense; various offices at the State Department, the Department of Treasury and the Department of Labor; the United States Trade Representative; and numerous congressional offices. Each year, an increasing number of interns identify their own positions ahead of the interview process, particularly at the State Department and in the Intelligence Community.

Students must apply directly for the opportunity. Program staff will review and score all applications. Candidates with a high application score will be forwarded to our agency partners. Candidates who have not already secured a summer position will interview with congressional and executive branch offices, who will make final selections.

While we make every effort to match finalists with the office they prefer, we cannot guarantee that all finalists will be able to interview with their first choice. The hiring offices have ultimate discretion as to whether to extend a summer position to a given finalist.

For candidates who do not secure funding from an outside source, the Partnership will provide a stipend of $5,000. Receipt of that funding is contingent upon successfully completing all requirements to start the summer position, including any necessary security clearance requirements. The stipend is generally treated as taxable income.

Some positions at executive branch agencies may require interns to hold a security clearance before they begin work. While interns are usually able to secure an interim clearance by the beginning of the summer, any factors that delay clearance processing could delay the start date. Internship positions in congressional offices do not require security clearances.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens to qualify for Future Leaders and the Rosenthal Fellowship.

In addition to a program orientation, participants will attend professional development sessions offered by the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program on topics such as the federal hiring process, writing skills and careers in the federal government. Participants are also encouraged to organize informal lunches, happy hours and other social networking opportunities.

If you are interested in serving as a host office for fellows, please contact internships@ourpublicservice.org. We are always looking for executive and legislative branch partners that offer meaningful opportunities for students to gain direct experience in the field of international relations.

This program is made possible with the support of individual donors and the Robertson Foundation for Government. Program supporters care deeply about our government, international affairs and national security. We invite you to learn more about supporting this program by contacting internships@ourpublicservice.org.