Listing details
- Applications closed Feb 6
- Last verified Nov 3
About the job
WIDA offers summer research internships in language assessment to graduate students. Interns will participate in WIDA assessment research projects and collaborate with WIDA researchers on projects that address academic language development in the K-12 context.
About the Assessment Team
The WIDA Assessment Team pursues a validation research agenda that supports the WIDA suite of language assessments, including WIDA ACCESS, WIDA Screener and WIDA MODEL. Interns may contribute to various aspects of this research agenda, such as study design, data collection and analyses, manuscript/report authoring and review, and presentation of findings. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods projects may be assigned to interns, depending on the background of qualified applicants. Interested applicants may also participate in test development activities, such as content reviews. Specific projects will be assigned to each intern, based on individual interests and strengths at the beginning of the internship. Interns have enjoyed opportunities to co-present with WIDA researchers at conferences and to co-publish their work in the field.
In some cases, depending on the needs of specific research projects, interns may be invited to continue contributing to their assigned project after the completion of the summer internship. Such opportunities for extended compensated work are optional for interns and shall not extend beyond the end of the same calendar year nor exceed a total of 100 hours.
Important Dates for Summer 2026
Application Submission Opening: December 15, 2025 Application Deadline: February 6, 2026 Notification of Decision: March 31, 2026 Internship Dates: June 8 – August 14, 2026 (dates are somewhat flexible) Compensation: Paid internship with a competitive hourly salary (interns typically work 30 hours per week)
Eligibility
- Full-time enrollment in a doctoral program related to language assessment in a U.S. institution.
- Completion of a minimum of two years of coursework toward a doctoral degree, prior to beginning the internship
Application Procedure
To apply, submit the following via email to internships@wida.wisc.edu:
- Statement of purpose (1-2 pages maximum) that highlights your
- Interest in the WIDA internship
- Research training and skills
- Previous research experience
- Understanding of WIDA's mission, vision and values
- Curriculum vitae
- Unofficial or official copies of graduate transcripts
- Contact information of two academic/professional references
Selection
Interns will be selected based on their scholarship and alignment of research interests with the current WIDA assessment research agenda. Finalists will be invited to Zoom interviews.
Contact
For more information, contact internships@wida.wisc.edu.