Summer Research Intern - Econometric Research on Household Energy Affordability

Summer 2026 Research Internships – Application Period is Now Closed

We are no longer accepting applications for summer research internships for 2026. If you applied, thank you for your interest! We are reviewing all applications and plan to make hiring decisions by end of April.

Do you want to begin a career in economics or policy research? Are you interested in contributing to impactful, balanced research that is aimed at improving environmental, energy and natural resource decisions? A summer research internship with Resources for the Future (RFF) might be right for you.

The RFF summer internship program provides an opportunity for students to prepare for careers that engage in rigorous, policy-relevant research. Interns are essential members of RFF’s Research and Policy Engagement team; they are responsible for providing technical support that, under the direction of RFF Fellows, allows for the production of compelling and impactful research that aligns with RFF’s mission of improving environmental, energy and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement.

At RFF, interns will have the opportunity to connect with researchers and other staff members through seminars, coffee chats, and RFF staff events. Further, the internship co-coordinators will organize an external intern event near the beginning of the summer to foster DC-wide connections with interns from other environmental organizations. The internship program will culminate with presentations from interns about their summer projects and an end-of-summer celebration.

The internship program will run June 15–August 21, 2026. Start or end dates for individual interns can be adjusted as needed. All internships will be conducted in RFF’s offices in Washington, DC.

Econometric Research on Household Energy Affordability

Working with Jesse Buchsbaum (Fellow) and Jenya Kahn-Lang (Fellow), the intern will have a chance to explore customer-level electricity utility data to analyze various aspects of household energy affordability. The intern will be able to help guide the direction of the work. The internship will contribute findings to an academic paper, and depending on circumstances, the intern may have the opportunity to continue collaborating with the Fellows on the paper beyond the paid internship.

Education level

By and large, RFF summer research internships are geared toward graduate students (either Masters or PhD), although some openings are available to advanced undergraduates. In the past, some graduate-level interns have also chosen to continue collaborating with RFF on academic journal articles beyond their paid internships. Please see individual job descriptions (linked above) for specific education requirements of the various roles.

Compensation

All RFF internships are paid. We offer a sliding pay scale for interns based on the level of completion in their degree programs, ranging from $17.95 per hour to $26 per hour.