The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous research institute within the UN system that undertakes multidisciplinary research and policy analysis on the social dimensions of contemporary development issues. Through our work, we aim to ensure that social equity, inclusion and justice are central to development thinking, policy and practice.

UNRISD is now accepting applications for a three-month internship position, starting in May 2015, to assist with the projects “New Directions in Social Policy: Alternatives from and for the Global South”, "Towards Universal Social Security in Emerging Economies", and "When Security Meets Social Security: Social Policy in Post-Conflict Settings".

Apply here

While at UNRISD, the intern will be asked to:

• provide research assistance for the projects indicated above, and other related projects as required;
• conduct library and Internet searches, and assist with editing and formatting of publications;
• contribute to ongoing tasks related to project management, fundraising activities, external relations, or event organization;
• produce a short paper, literature review, article or similar output, on a subject related to the Social Policy for Inclusive Development programme.

Qualifications, skills and competencies:

• The applicant should be pursuing, or have completed, a degree in social policy, development policy, public policy or another related social science discipline, dealing with developing countries as cases;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and proofreading skills in English;
• Ability to work effectively on a team;
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and take initiative; and
• Ability to fully own projects.
• Experience conducting research is an advantage.

Knowledge, skills and competencies the intern would ideally gain:

• Improved understanding of social policy and social security issues in developing and fragile contexts;
• Research skills;
• Organizational skills (organisation of events, workshops, other activities);
• An understanding of fundraising and the writing of funding proposals;
• Improved editorial and proofreading skills; and
• Improved time management skills.

This UNRISD internship is in accordance with the rules and regulations of the UN Internship Programme.
At the time of application, applicants must meet one of the following requirements (as per UN Secretariat rules regarding interns):

• be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or
• be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or
• have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (i) and (ii) above) and, if selected, commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.

Interns are not financially remunerated.
UNRISD is not responsible for interns' travel expenses to and from Geneva, or for mandatory medical insurance during the period of the internship.

The deadline for applications is Sunday, 8 March 2015 (23:59 Central European Time), with a start date between Monday, 4 May and Monday, 11 May 2015 to be mutually agreed. The usual duration of the internship is three months with the possibility of extension.

If you have the required qualifications and are interested in this position, please apply online by clicking the button below. Please use the "motivation" section for a cover letter specifying your interests and qualifications. Kindly note that, due to limited staff resources, only those candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.