The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a non-profit whose mission is to transform global security by driving systemic solutions to nuclear and biological threats imperiling humanity, is now taking internship applications for Summer 2026.

Our highly competitive program offers a summer internship opportunity to undergraduate students with at least two years of study, graduate students, and/or those who demonstrate co-equal qualifying experience. 

 

NTI interns play a critical role within each of our teams by working to advance our mission objectives while learning more about existential risks to humanity. Our 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. NTI’s internship program prioritizes building skills and experience and includes structured professional development opportunities—many intern alumni have gone on to have stellar careers in their chosen fields and some have returned to NTI with a full-time position.

 

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 striving 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 30 hours a week, beginning June 1 and continuing for the 10 week internship

 

This is an in-person internship. We believe 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. 

 

Our summer interns work a minimum of 30 hours per week. The hourly pay rate for interns is determined by a tiered compensation structure based on level of education:

• $18.00/hour for interns with a bachelor’s degree or enrolled in a bachelor’s program
• $19.50/hour for interns with a master’s degree or enrolled in a master’s program
• $21.00/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. Interns are also issued a dedicated laptop to be used exclusively for NTI work and to be returned at the end of the internship.

 

NTI is not able to provide employment sponsorship for its intern positions. At this time, NTI cannot accept applications from individuals who do not have a legal right to work in the United States. Applicants currently attending a U.S. 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. The local address must be provided to NTI before the start date of the internship.  

 

The online application is open for submissions. The deadline to submit your application is Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 11:59pm (ET). Please be sure to answer all questions on the application, as incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applicants will receive an auto-reply message stating "Your application has been successfully submitted" to acknowledge their application submission. Please save that screenshot as your confirmation. Due to the volume of applications we tend to receive, we will not respond to calls/email inquiries about the status of an application during our review process. However, we will notify all applicants via email of the final decision at our earliest convenience. 

 

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. Submissions that appear to be generated or significantly influenced by AI may be disqualified from consideration.

All selected interns 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. 

 

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.