Research and Policy Internships - Heartland Alliance

Who: Heartland Alliance is grounded in over 130 years of experience providing housing, healthcare, jobs and justice to individuals living in poverty and seeking safety. Heartland Alliance’s Research & Policy Division engages in research on social issues and solutions, policy and systems change, and field building nationwide. The department is home to the Social IMPACT Research Center, Heartland Alliance’s Policy & Advocacy team, and Heartland Alliance’s National Initiatives on Economic Opportunity team. Our policy and research efforts strengthen communities, advance human rights, and foster equity and opportunity. The Research & Policy Department’s work is rooted in and informed by people with lived experience, and the experiences of our program participants.

What: Heartland Alliance has three types of internships available:

1. Policy and Advocacy Internships: Heartland Alliance’s Policy and Advocacy team has one internship available. At the state level, the team works to advance legislative and administrative solutions to poverty by drafting legislation, advancing legislative and administrative proposals, producing information to inform decision-makers and advance our campaigns, and building strategic alliances and coalitions to lift up an amplified voice to create systemic change. The team also weighs in strategically on national and local issues to advance the needs of Heartland Alliance programs and participants. Areas of expertise include health care, financial security/asset building, human services/safety-net, criminal justice, and workers’ rights. The work of policy interns typically includes research and analysis to inform policy proposals and shape advocacy; monitoring state legislation; drafting materials for external communications including fact sheets and reports; and supporting the team’s special initiatives and events, such as planning and development of annual hearings on poverty, and periodic convenings on financial security.
2. Research Internships: Heartland Alliance’s Social IMPACT Research Center (IMPACT) typically has two research internships available. IMPACT conducts applied research for Heartland Alliance and a diverse array of organizations including nonprofits, foundations, advocacy groups, government entities, and sociallyconscious private-sector companies. We specifically focus on research related to human services, health care, employment, homelessness, nutrition/hunger, asset building, and poverty. Research interns work in a highly collaborative learning-oriented environment on a wide variety of research project components, including literature reviews, secondary data mining/analysis, database design, dashboard design, data entry, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, fact sheet development, infographic design, GIS analysis, data collection, study recruitment, assisting with report writing, thought work, data quality assurance, and research dissemination (including media work, social media, and presentations).

3. National Initiatives on Poverty and Economic Opportunity Internships: The National Initiatives team typically has one internship available. This team is dedicated to ending chronic unemployment and poverty. The National Initiatives (NI) team believes that every person deserves the opportunity to succeed in work and support themselves and their families. Through field building efforts, NI provides support and guidance that fosters more effective, equitable, and sustainable employment efforts. NI’s policy and advocacy work advances solutions to the systemic issues that drive chronic unemployment. Working at the intersection of practice, policy and research, the NI team catalyzes change that is practical, informed by evidence, and grounded in experience. National Initiatives interns typically engage in the following areas of work: best practice research literature mining and synthesis; publication development; stakeholder engagement; event planning and coordination; communications activities including writing blogs and action alerts, website support, and social media; tracking federal legislation; writing issue-specific letters to members of Congress; and engaging in other federal advocacy. Heartland Alliance Research & Policy Graduate Student Internships 2019-2020 2

Internship Details: 1) Intern applications typically open between January and April each year. 2) Priority will be for individuals who need both summer and school-year internships, beginning in June and ending in May. These are paid positions at $15 an hour for 19.5 hours per week. Secondary priority will be for individuals who need school-year internships beginning in August/September and ending in May. As space/project needs allow, summer-only interns may also be considered. 3) Off-campus Federal Work Study program participation may also be available for interns.

Applicant Requirements: Wondering whether you have the right credentials or background to apply? The truth is, we don’t care where you went to school or what your connections are. We value lived experience. We are looking for people who care about addressing poverty and fighting for equity, and who have shown the potential to do great policy advocacy or research. These qualities can come from people with all kinds of experience — not just people who are in school for public policy. If we’re not looking for a specific educational or professional background, what are we looking for? Some of the specifics depend on the position (see the above descriptions), but there are traits and standards we value across the board:

• Commitment to social justice and equity: We are looking for people who are passionate about social justice, ending poverty, and advancing racial and gender equity. We are looking for these values to be exhibited in your life (personal and professional) and experiences. 
• Curiosity: The best researchers and advocates ask good questions, dig deep to understand the details of complex issues, and are always learning and growing. 
• Collaborative: While the amount of independent work varies from team to team, the work to end poverty ultimately cannot be done alone. We are looking for people who will contribute to the team and are open to feedback and working with others. 
• Ability to perform some of the skills and tasks associated with the internship. This may be acquired through lived experience, advanced education, and/or employment. 
• For summer internship positions, when available, students must be available to work for either 10 weeks full time or 15 weeks part time. 

Applicant Process: Interns who meet the Applicant Requirements outlined above are asked to submit the following in order to be considered for an internship.

• Please submit a cover letter and resume to Jean Lam at jlam@heartlandalliance.org. Designate in the cover letter: 
• If you’re available for school-year, school-year and summer, or summer-only internship. Priority is given to candidates available during both the school-year and summer. 
• Specify which Research & Policy team best fits your interest and qualifications; whether it's the Social IMPACT Research Center, National Initiatives, or Policy & Advocacy. If you are interested in more than one, please explain. Interest in multiple positions does not impact prioritization. 
• Teams will review the information and let you know if you have been selected for an interview. 
• Interviews are often conducted by several staff from different teams and typically last one hour. Before or after the interview, you will be asked to complete a short writing exercise at our office lasting about an hour. We will provide a laptop. 
• If applying for a Research internship, you will be asked to do a short data interpretation exercise.