Who We Are
AAU is an organization comprised of 71 of America’s leading research universities. Founded in
1900, it is the premier higher education advocacy association in Washington, DC. Interns at AAU work on issues that advance its members’ educational mission of teaching, research, and
service.
What You Will Learn
The major activities of the association are federal government relations, policy and public
opinion research, and public affairs - all devoted to maintaining a strong federal investment in
university-based research and education. Interns regularly attend Congressional hearings and
markups, press events, meetings, and conferences. This opportunity will provide you with a
solid understanding of AAU and help you gain practical and real-world work experience in
Washington.
Hands-On Experience
Primary Activities/Responsibilities during this internship may include some of the following:
- Attending and reporting on congressional hearings and meetings in the higher education community.
- Tracking legislation and congressional committee hearing schedules.
- Drafting congressional correspondence, briefing papers, and other written materials and analysis.
- Shadowing AAU staff in their daily activities and assisting them as appropriate - to gain exposure to Congress, other higher education and scientific associations, university government relations representatives, the executive branch, and federal agencies.
- Assisting AAU’s public opinion project in all aspects of the research process, from questionnaire design to analysis, data visualization, and presentation of results.
- Contributing to one of the many higher education research projects currently ongoing atAAU by writing memos, compiling reports, and analyzing data.
Successful interns will ideally have: (1) experience working with Microsoft 365 and a proven
ability to learn new technologies; (2) the ability to succeed in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment involving many different individuals with different backgrounds and interests; (3) strong time-management and organizational skills; (4) intellectual curiosity, a proactive mindset, and critical-thinking skills; and (5) a desire to work effectively and collegially with
other staff.
To qualify for AAU’s Internship program, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Applicants must be currently enrolled at an AAU member university: Our Members Association of American Universities (AAU)
- Applicants must be currently authorized to work for any employer in the United States.
- By the date of hire, applicants must be able to work from our Washington DC office for the duration of the internship.
This position is classified as a part-time, hourly, non-exempt position. AAU follows the DC
minimum wage of $17.00/hr. See the AAU website for a detailed job description.
Application Process
To be assured of full consideration, please send (1) a résumé, (2) a brief explanation of why you are interested in AAU and this internship opportunity and (3) if applicable, the details and
requirements of your internship program, including minimum hour requirements. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until December 1, 2023.
Email: internship@aau.edu (please reference AAU Internship)
Association of American Universities
1200 New York Ave NW, Suite 550
Washington, DC 20005
For additional information, please contact Giacomo Squatriti (Giacomo.Squatriti@aau.edu),
Alexander Perez (Alexander.Perez@aau.edu), Claire Berg (Claire.Berg@aau.edu), or Sean King
(Sean.King@aau.edu) of the AAU staff.