Summer Internship Program

The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) internship program provides an excellent opportunity for students to experience and observe the federal budget process and policymaking in a nonpartisan environment. Interns contribute to CBO’s analytical work while developing research, data, and communication skills relevant to careers in public service, policy analysis, and related fields.

Most of CBO’s employees are in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and the internship program operates in a hybrid workplace. The summer internship program runs from May 26, 2026, to August 7, 2026; there may be some flexibility in those dates.

Specific duties vary by project and are designed to match interns’ skills and academic interests. Interns will have opportunities to contribute meaningfully to CBO’s work and to network with budget and policy professionals across the agency. Interns will contribute to CBO’s work and will have opportunities for networking with budget and policy professionals. Please see CBO’s page on internships for additional information.

Qualifications

All CBO internships require solid writing and communication skills. Most projects require familiarity with computer programming, statistics, or quantitative methods. U.S. citizens and permanent residents seeking citizenship are eligible.

Students must:

• Be enrolled in an undergraduate (sophomore, junior, or senior) or graduate program, unless specified.
• Have a major or graduate study in economics, data science, public policy, mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering or a related field (MBA or JD students are not eligible).
• Be proficient in data analysis software (e.g., Excel, SAS, STATA, Python, R).

Potential Internship Projects

Interns are matched to projects based on their skills, academic background, and CBO’s needs. Examples of potential summer internship projects include:

Infrastructure and Permitting Analysis
Assist in building a database that documents the planning, permitting, and construction timelines for major infrastructure and construction projects. Interns may work with publicly available datasets and use research and AI-assisted tools to supplement and validate existing information.

Climate Change and the Federal Budget
Support analysis of how climate change and environmental policies may affect the federal budget. This work may involve applying existing fiscal modeling tools and contributing to research that informs collaboration among international budget offices.

Data and Regulatory Analysis Using Large Language Models
Help construct datasets that analyze how federal permitting statutes affect different industries. Interns may apply programming and large language model tools to extract and structure information from regulatory text to support economic analysis.

Cost Estimates and Policy Analysis
Assist with preparing cost estimates by reviewing legislative proposals, analyzing budgetary effects, and summarizing findings. Projects may involve health policy or other federal policy areas and include analysis of state responses to federal policy changes.

Acquisitions and Contract Support

Provide administrative and technical support to the acquisitions team in support of the federal procurement lifecycle. Interns will assist with organizing contract documentation, supporting vendor-related activities, tracking invoices and payments, and communicating with internal staff and external vendors. This project offers exposure to federal contracting processes and procurement systems. This project is intended for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, economics, public administration, supply chain management, management, or a related field.

Projects are illustrative and may change based on organizational needs.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit the following materials through CBO’s website:

• A cover letter.
• A résumé.
• Contact information for two references (who may know the applicant either from academic work or from employment).
• An unofficial copy of transcripts that include coursework for the spring semester. First-year graduate students must submit both an undergraduate transcript and a graduate transcript.

A complete application must be submitted through CBO’s website by March 2, 2026, EST, to be considered; there will be no exceptions.

This position is covered by the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998, as made applicable to CBO by the Congressional Accountability Act, as amended.

Salary and Benefits

This internship is unpaid. If funding becomes available, current applicants will be considered for the paid program. The internship will follow a hybrid format, with interns expected to work in person on core days: Tuesday and Wednesday. Selections will be made by April 24, 2026.