KIP Summer 2025 - Research Intern - Common Sense Institute

The Koch Internship Program (KIP) is a paid, 10-week experiential learning program run by Stand Together Fellowships that offers meaningful work experience at non-profits all over the country tackling some of our nation’s most pressing challenges. Throughout your internship with a partner organization, Stand Together Fellowships hosts virtual professional development sessions every Thursday from 1-5 pm ET, wherein you will be mentored by seasoned professionals as you craft a capstone project on the topic that matters most to you.  Interns will receive either a $5,500 or $3,300 stipend from Stand Together Fellowships depending on whether they are participating full-time (40 hours/week) or part-time (28 hours/week).

Successful candidates will interview with both our non-profit partner organizations and Stand Together Fellowships staff, so we strongly encourage you to apply in advance!

We believe sound fiscal and economic research is essential to uphold our economy, vitality, future, and individual opportunity.

Founded in 2010, Common Sense Institute (CSI) is a non-partisan research organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of our economy. As a leading voice for free enterprise, CSI’s mission is to examine the fiscal impacts of policies and educate voters on issues that impact their lives.

CSI’s founders were a concerned group of business and community leaders who observed that divisive partisanship was overwhelming policymaking and believed that sound economic analysis could help people make fact-based and common sense decisions. CSI operates in Colorado, Arizona, Iowa and the Pacific Northwest as well as on a national level with our Policy Centers.

Research Interns at CSI participate fully in the research process. This includes developing informative research, data collection, and report construction.

Interns will be assigned a specific policy area and support the CSI research team in that area. This includes informative research, data collection, report construction, and report engagement. Successful candidates will conclude their internship with an understanding of the research process and new analytical skills. Interns will also be recognized as authors on research studies in which they participate.

Interns will also have the opportunity to attend events, meet with policymakers and thought leaders, be involved in social media creation and event planning, while researching and writing reports to advance free enterprise.

We are happy to entertain remote work, but would have a preference toward in person. We can support an intern in any one of our offices in Phoenix, AZ, Des Moines, IA, or Greenwood Village, CO. 

• Informative Research & Data Collection: gathering background information and collecting data on the policy topics that the CSI Board of Directors and senior management team prioritize.
• Locate effective sources.
• Incorporate findings into Excel (generate usable databases that properly reflect the data that has been collected).
• Manipulate and interpret the data for the purpose of generating information for the reports.
• Report Construction: writing and summarizing the data collected and translating it into a reader-friendly format for our audiences.
• Summarize and communicate the key findings of research.
• Collaborate with management and other Research Analysts to curate findings.
• Work with Community Engagement in finalizing the report in keeping with brand standards (website images and report graphics).
• Report Engagement: supporting report release process by communicating with the CSI team.
• Help to sustain the shelf-lives of CSI research by staying up to date on new data and how CSI can re-interpret ideas.
• Be informed about the topics that CSI is researching.
• Work with Community Engagement in disseminating key findings for the broader public (social media, e-newsletter, presentations, podcasts, press releases).
• Administrative Support: provides administrative support for research, community engagement, and general operations.
• Maintain updates in Airtable and other software tools.
• Support webinars, events, and other efforts as needed.

Stand Together Fellowships believes that diversity in experiences, perspectives, knowledge and ideas fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participants and applicants with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of color, race, religion, religious creed, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (including medical needs which may arise from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), military and veteran status, genetic information, marital or familial status, political affiliation, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.