Education Finance Research Assistant Intern (Summer 2026) Bachelor's Students
About The Position
Join AIR as an Education Finance Research Assistant Intern and use your skills and curiosity to help us deliver on our mission: to generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all. The intern will focus on state education finance and will support various projects and initiatives at AIR. This role involves assisting with research, data collection, and analysis, as well as contributing to the development of reports and presentations. This internship is open to students who are currently pursuing their bachelor's degree and looking gain hands-on experience in a professional environment and have the opportunity to work with experts in the field. The Education Systems and Policy Program focuses on conducting research and evaluations and providing support and technical assistance to states, districts, and schools on a broad range of Kindergarten through Postsecondary education policies, strategies, and interventions. This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations but requires availability to participate in meetings across all continental U.S. time zones. This does not include U.S. territories. About AIR: Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.
Requirements
- Must be a current student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in such fields as economics, psychology, sociology, statistics, computer science, public policy, public health or other social science related fields.
- Basic understanding of research methodologies and data analysis techniques.
- Experience with state policy and state education finance systems.
- Experience with data collection and analysis.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Excellent organizational and project management skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Creative thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- Effective communication skills with the ability to collaborate efficiently in a virtual work environment.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills.
- Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing.
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with statistical software programs such as R, SPSS, or Stata is preferred, but not required.
Responsibilities
- Assist in conducting literature reviews to support research projects and proposals.
- Participate in the collection, analysis, and review of research and evaluation data related to state education finance.
- Develop spreadsheets and databases to support project activities.
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative research data and contribute to the reporting and interpretation of findings.
- Support the development of reports, presentations, and other project deliverables.
- Collaborate with team members to ensure timely completion of project tasks.
- Attend and participate in team meetings and training sessions.
- Provide administrative support as needed.
