The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a national consumer organization that focuses on health and nutrition issues. CSPI offers internships for a small number of qualified students in undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical schools each summer and during the school year.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is an aggressive non-profit consumer organization conducting innovative programs in nutrition, alcohol, and food safety. CSPI publishes Nutrition Action Healthletter, the nation's premier health newsletter. CSPI strives to provide useful, objective information to the public, represent citizens' interests before legislative, regulatory, and judicial bodies, and ensure that advances in science are used for the public's good. CSPI is supported by nearly 800,000 members nationwide, sales of educational materials, and foundation grants.
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Generally, an internship is for ten weeks. Undergraduate interns are paid an hourly wage of $7.00/hour ($8.00/hour for graduate students). The specific dates of an internship are flexible and depend on our needs and the applicant's schedule. Applications are now being taken for fall/winter 2007-8.
If you are interested in obtaining a summer internship at CSPI through the Everett Public Interest Internship Program, please indicate this on your cover letter. Learn more about the Everett Internships.
Application materials should include the following:
- A cover letter indicating issues of interest, future plans, and dates of availability.
- A résumé. Experience with advocacy groups is advantageous.
- Writing sample, if required by the specific project (a popularly written piece is preferred over a technical report).
- Two letters of recommendation from instructors or employers that address your academic/work ability and character.
- An official transcript of courses and grades.
The same materials are needed whether applying to the Everett Program or directly to CSPI. Mail to:
Internships, CSPI, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, #300, Washington, DC 20009.
Please submit the application materials as early as possible. Applications are taken on a rolling basis and until all positions have been filled. Awards for internships are very competitive. Applicants are advised to follow the application guidelines. If you have any further questions, please write to our Human Resources Director.
INTERNSHIP PROJECTS
NUTRITION & PUBLIC POLICY
This project covers a broad area of topics related to nutrition and health policies. Current issues include nutrition education, health-care reform, food additives, restaurant foods, vitamins, saturated fats, synthetic foods, pesticides and microbial contamination of foods. Projects may involve research for policy analysis and development, op-ed pieces, reports, tracking legislation and regulations and assisting in policy advocacy. Applicants should have a strong college-level science, public policy or law background and must submit a writing sample.
Nutrition Action Healthletter
The Healthletter is read by CSPI's 900,000+ members, as well as by the press and members of Congress. Interns assist with many aspects of the publication of this newsletter including research for future articles.
LEGAL AFFAIRS
CSPI's attorneys work with project directors and scientists to develop strategies for legislation and regulatory action. Interns help prepare legal documents and research issues involving food and drug law and consumer protection. Second and third-year law students who have completed administrative law are eligible to apply and must submit a writing sample. Preference will be given to students who have completed course work in food and drug law and/or consumer protection. A science background is useful, but not required.
ALCOHOL & PUBLIC POLICY
CSPI has taken the lead in advocating public health-oriented policies on alcohol. Through coalition-building, media attention, and information campaigns directed at legislators, the project campaigns to reduce the health and social consequences of alcohol use and abuse and to counter the industry view that alcohol is a necessary part of the good life. Current issues include tighter restrictions on marketing strategies aimed at minorities and youths, warning label legislation, and increases in alcohol excise taxes. Applicants should be senior undergraduates or graduate students and must submit a writing sample.
GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY
Grassroots interns work closely with CSPI staff to implement field campaigns by engaging citizen support of obesity and nutrition policy at the federal, state, and local level. Responsibilities include conducting outreach to CSPI members, organizations and grasstops, coordinating legislative and activists meetings, and implementing a free-media campaign. Other activities include circulating flyers and petitions at local community events, some data entry, and other duties as assigned. Interest in health and nutrition a plus.
FOOD SAFETY
This project covers a broad array of topics, divided into the following areas of concentration; the production and inspection of meat, poultry, and seafood, sustainable organic agriculture, food additives, and pesticide safety. Interns must have a strong background in either toxicology, biochemistry, biological sciences, law or public health. Applicants should have strong writing and computer skills and must submit a writing sample.
MARKETING
CSPI solicits new members through a variety of venues including direct mail campaigns and inserting pre-printed advertising in newspapers throughout the country. Projects for interns primarily focus on reviewing and analyzing demographic data, coordinating and tracking the placement of acquisition packages in newspapers, and analyzing and tracking the results of the advertisements. Undergraduate students with an interest in marketing are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have strong organizational, phone, and computer skills. Experience with WordPerfect 6.1 and LOTUS 1-2-3 are required.
TECHNOLOGY
This department keeps everyone on staff “on-line.” Interns assist with software training and support, hardware troubleshooting and support, and basic programming. Applicants should be upper level undergraduate computer science students with extensive computer knowledge. Familiarity with Novell networks is advantageous.
FOUNDATION FUNDRAISING
This department works to identify and cultivate foundation funding sources for all of CSPI’s work. An intern would assist the Director of Foundation Development with researching foundation prospects, requesting information from foundations, and researching other organizations' funding sources. An intern would also assist with the drafting of foundation fundraising correspondence (such as acknowledgments and updates), proposals, and reports, assembling materials for grant proposals and updating foundation databases and files.
Applicants should be upper level undergraduate students with an interest in fundraising.
COMMUNICATIONS
Through public information campaigns, media attention, and through its Web site, CSPI advocates a variety of progressive public health policies including honest food labeling, healthier foods, safer food additives, sensible alcohol policies, and sustainable agriculture. The CSPI Communications Department plays a key role in the those efforts. Interns in the Communications Department help with a variety of assignments including: research using newspaper, magazine, LEXIS/NEXIS, and online sources; preparation of reports, press releases, press kits, and fact sheets; media database updating (maintenance of the media database requires a high degree of computer software literacy). Knowledge of nutrition or food safety issues is desirable. Preference will be given to students who have completed course work in public relations or communications.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
The CSPI Biotechnology Project addresses scientific concerns, government policies, and corporate practices concerning genetically engineered (GE) plants, animals, and other organisms that are released into the environment or that may end up in our foods. Current issues include advocating a mandatory approval process at the Food and Drug Administration for all GE foods, strengthening the environmental regulation of biotechnology products at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture, publicizing the benefits and risks of biotechnology, and ensuring that developing countries have access to biotechnology. Applicants should have some background in the biological sciences and must submit a writing sample.
INTEGRITY IN SCIENCE
The Integrity in Science project investigates and publicizes the destructive influence of corporate interests on scientific research and promotes policies for the ethical conduct and oversight of science. CSPI seeks greater disclosure and prevention of conflicts of interests that color research findings, news stories, and public policy decisions. Target audiences for the project include academic researchers, journalists, environmental and public health organizations, policymakers in Congress, and federal agencies (e.g., Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration). Candidates should possess strong research and writing skills and have an interest in public policy.
FOOD and AGRICULTURE - EATING GREEN PROJECT
The goal of the Eating Green project is to reduce meat consumption in order to improve both human health and the environment. Intensive animal agriculture production and the feed grains consumed by these animals are having an array of impacts on air, water, and soil. The current system of industrial farming also consumes more than twice the antibiotics of human medicine, and this overuse reduces the efficacy of these essential medicines. The result of this system is a cheap and abundant supply of high fat meat which Americans readily devour. Unfortunately, eating this meat has been linked to numerous cancers, obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and a shortened life expectancy. Depending on applicant abilities and interests, work may include research, data analysis, web design, and writing.
LITIGATION PROJECT
In addition to its long-standing advocacy before federal and state agencies such as the FDA and the FTC, CSPI has joined in existing private consumer fraud, products liability, and personal injury lawsuits where it can assist private lawyers to have the insights of CSPI. In addition, CSPI is developing its own advocacy lawsuits, working with private lawyers across the country to bring them. Many of the legal issues in these cases are developing issues with many interesting questions of both law and social policy. CSPI will offer at least one law student internship working with Director of Litigation Stephen Gardner (a nationally-recognized consumer advocacy lawyer) either in Washington or in Dallas, where CSPI’s Litigation Project is based.
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