Sustainable Diets Initiative Summer Intern

About the Program

WRI advances research-based solutions to ensure the world can feed a growing population while protecting nature and curbing climate change. We develop cutting-edge research and innovative partnerships to produce more food while protecting and restoring ecosystems and shifting toward lower-carbon consumption patterns. Our research identifies a menu of solutions to the world's food production and consumption problems.

WRI's behavioral science team explores ways to increase people's purchasing of plant-based foods, and help consumers waste less of the food they buy by leveraging the latest evidence from consumer research, behavioral economics, and psychology. The team synthesizes existing evidence and conducts original research to identify and scale promising solutions to shift consumers toward more sustainable food-related behaviors. The findings from our work also feed into WRI's Coolfood program, designed to help cities, institutions, organizations, and businesses source and offer more sustainable foods.

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days per month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC Office. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. To be eligible for this position, you must be a resident of DC, Maryland or Virginia at the start of employment.

What you will do:

You will be responsible for integrating equity into your work. In this role, you will support the behavioral science research team in conducting, synthesizing and analyzing results from academic research and practitioner surveys to present the most effective and feasible solutions for food retailers to support healthy and sustainable dietary shifts. Specifically, you will assist with the development of a "Playbook", or menu of behavioral science-based solutions, that food retailers (i.e., grocery stores, superstores, wholesalers, etc.) could implement to sell more plant-rich products (and fewer meat-based products).

You will be supported by the Sustainable Food Initiative team. You will report to Stacy Blondin, Food Program Behavioral Research Associate.

Internship Learning Outcomes:

You will gain experience in the following areas:

• Developing and implementing a systematic literature review protocol on strategies that food retailers can employ to promote sustainable food purchasing/consumption among customers.
• Extracting and synthesizing data from peer-reviewed journal articles on behavioral science-based approaches to shifting consumer choice in food retail settings.
• Assisting in the development of a framework to synthesize the food retailer strategies identified into a comprehensible tool.
• Developing and programming survey research questions; analyzing and summarizing survey data.

What you will need:

* BA or BS degree in a relevant field (e.g., social science, natural or environmental science, or other related field) required; candidate should be working toward a master's degree or doctoral degree.

Research Skills:

* Able to conduct discrete elements of research projects with manager guidance, e.g. formulating research questions, systematically reviewing and synthesizing existing literature; collecting, cleaning, organizing, analyzing and visualizing data.

* Able to document the steps taken to collect, clean, organize, analyze and visualize data.

* Familiarity with data analysis or visualization software desirable but not necessary.

* Familiar with how to calculate and interpret basic statistics, e.g. mean, median, variance.

* Adept at using MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Communication and Engagement:

* Able to communicate research methods and findings effectively to internal audiences with manager guidance, using compelling presentation skills.

* Able to write research style papers and other external-facing products with manager guidance.

* Attentive to detail and the ability to track, share and visualize relevant information to assist in decision making.

* Passionate commitment to WRI's mission and goals.

Compensation

The pay for this internship opportunity is $20/hour for undergrads; $22/hour for graduates and $24/hour for PhD students.

Length of Contract:

This is a full-time, 3-month internship with a flexible start and end date within the June- August time frame.

Location:

• This is a hybrid internship that will be based out of our Washington D.C. office.
• You will be required to work in the Washington DC office at least 8 days per month.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with a cover letter by Monday, February 10, 2025, Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

About Us:Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia, and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world's greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people's lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Internships at WRI are learning experiences designed for current students, recent graduates, and other candidates who wish to gain knowledge about a specific area of our work. We strive to attract diverse, intellectually driven candidates who have a passion for sustainability and development. WRI provides many internship opportunities throughout the year in all our programs.

WRI is committed to advancing gender, racial, and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.

Our mission and values:

WRI's mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission, including equal opportunities in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status.

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