Consider a Graduate Internship with the SPSSI United Nations NGO Team!
The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) welcomes applications from graduate students in psychology to serve as interns with its United Nations NGO Team.
SPSSI is an organization of approximately 3000 psychologists are committed to ensuring that public and social policies are informed by sound science. SPSSI is accredited as a Non-Governmental Organization in consultative status at the United Nations (UN) with the Department of Global Communications (DGC) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). SPSSI brings psychological knowledge, understanding and perspective to issues on the UN Agenda, including:
- human rights
- disaster relief
- mental health and psychosocial wellbeing
- education
- climate change
- environmental justice
- gender equality
- migration
- ageing
- sustainable development
Interns regularly attend committee meetings and work collaboratively with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the UN, UN Agencies, and UN Missions. They function as advocates, researchers, program planners and organizers, and they regularly draft science-based statements for UN conferences and meetings.
Position Description: The position begins in September of 2023 and continues through the end of September in 2024. Interns will learn about the UN system, and will engage with SPSSI UN/NGO representatives, other UN psychologists and other NGO interns on social issues of interest to the UN Community. Interns participate in a variety of UN events, and assist in disseminating information about the priorities of the UN to SPSSI members and other psychologists through policy statements, reports, newsletter articles, and presentations. The internships may include a stipend.
The ideal candidate will:
- be a student or recent graduate of a masters or doctoral program in psychology, familiar with research methodologies, statistical analyses, and literature reviews
- have a strong interest and commitment to the ideals and principles of SPSSI and of the UN
- have excellent oral and writing skills, computer fluency, and social media skills
- be able to exercise initiative and work collaboratively with others
- exhibit cultural sensitivity and have experience working in international contexts
- reside in or near NYC and be willing to commute several times each month to meetings
- be available to meet on several Thursdays a month
Candidates should submit a letter detailing your interest, a recent CV, a brief writing sample, and the names and contact information of three references to SPSSI’s Executive Director, Anila Balkissoon (abalkissoon@spssi.org) with the words “UN Internship Application” in the subject line. Applications will be accepted until June 1, 2023, or until positions are filled.
Click here to read about SPSSI's current United Nations NGO Interns.
Click here to read more about the work of SPSSI's United Nations NGO Team.