Navigating the Nuclear Threat Initiative Internship: A Comprehensive Guide

The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a non-profit global security organization, offers internships to individuals passionate about reducing nuclear, biological, and emerging technology threats. These internships provide substantive opportunities to contribute to NTI's mission while gaining valuable experience. This article provides a detailed overview of the NTI internship program, covering eligibility, requirements, benefits, and application process.

About the Nuclear Threat Initiative

The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) is focused on reducing nuclear, biological, and emerging technology threats imperiling humanity, a non-profit global security organization. NTI transforms global security by driving systemic solutions to nuclear and biological threats imperiling humanity.

Internship Overview

NTI offers internships three times a year, providing opportunities to undergraduate students with at least two years of study, graduate students, and/or those who demonstrate co-equal qualifying experience. NTI also welcomes applicants from university-sponsored internship programs. Interns play a critical role within each of NTI’s teams by working to advance NTI’s mission objectives while learning more about existential risks to humanity. NTI’s internships are substantive opportunities where interns are deeply embedded into NTI’s teams, contributing research and analysis to ongoing projects, but do include administrative components as needed.

Key Requirements and Qualifications

NTI is seeking applicants who:

Care deeply about the existential threats facing humanity and want to work with some of the world’s foremost experts working to solve these problems.
Excel at writing, researching, organizing, and communicating with internal and external stakeholders.
Can balance being self-driven and a team player.
Can commit to working a minimum of 16 hours a week for at least 10 weeks.

In-Person Internship

NTI internships are in-person, as NTI believes that the intern experience is most beneficial when conducted in-person; therefore, in-office work hours are required. Some work-from-home hours are offered, as guided by internal policies, and with approval by the program lead.

Compensation and Benefits

NTI interns are paid and also provided with benefits. The hourly pay rate for interns is determined by a tiered compensation structure based on level of education:

\$17.50/hour for interns with a bachelor’s degree or enrolled in a bachelor’s program
\$19.00/hour for interns with a master’s degree or enrolled in a master’s program
\$20.50/hour for interns with a PhD or enrolled in a PhD program

Interns are also provided with paid holidays, up to 40 hours of paid sick leave (if needed), and up to $300 of SmarTrip® commuter benefits for public transportation to/from the office, as well as access to the building amenities. Hiring pay range: $18.00 - $21.00 per hour, based on the level of education.

Eligibility

NTI is registered to employ staff living in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia; therefore, applicants must be a resident of one of these states during their internship. At this time, NTI cannot accept applications from individuals who do not have a legal right to work in the United States. NTI is not able to provide employment sponsorship for its intern positions. College/university on a student visa may be eligible to apply but must obtain the accompanying required work authorization to allow for off-campus employment (e.g. CPT/OPT) prior to day one of employment with NTI. All applicants must establish and maintain a local residence in either Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia during the duration of the internship.

Application Process

The online application is open for submissions. Please complete all application questions independently and without the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools or automated writing services. We are evaluating your individual skills, experiences, and communication abilities, and it is important that your responses reflect your own original work.

Internship Dates

The Spring 2025 term begins on Monday, February 3, and continues for a minimum of 10 weeks. All interns must attend a mandatory in-person New Hire Onboarding session at NTI’s D.C. office on the first day, Monday, February 3, 2025, starting at 9:30am. A full day of events will be scheduled, please plan to be present until 4:30pm. The internship will end no later than Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Interns will have the ability to decide on a specific end date with their supervisor, based on personal circumstances. All selected interns for Summer 2026 must attend a mandatory in-person onboarding session on the first day, Monday, June 1, 2026, from 9:30am-4:30pm. The duration of this internship is ten weeks, starting June 1, 2026 and ending August 7, 2026.

Equal Opportunity Employer

NTI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages people of all backgrounds and identities to apply. All applicants will be considered without attention to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, family responsibilities, political affiliation, genetic information, disability, credit information, homeless status, status as a victim or family member of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking, or any other quality or circumstance protected by Federal or D.C. law.

Read also: SRNS Internship Program

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