Intern, Computational Social Science, Global Restoration Initiative, University of Chicago

Feb 20, 2021 | World Resources Institute
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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. They are working to address critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. 

Internships at WRI are learning experiences designed for current students, recent graduates, or 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 and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.   

Internship Summary 

The year 2021 will usher in the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. The next 10 years will be instrumental in creating the opportunity for Nature Based Solutions to help adaptation and mitigation for climate change, to support food and water security, biodiversity conservation as well as support livelihoods.  Much emphasis has been placed on monitoring biophysical changes through satellite data, seeing the trees regenerate across landscapes. Little attention, however, has been paid to the impacts that restoration is having on people. Computational Social Science offers a wealth of methods for charting social progress. The Global Restoration Initiative is developing a series of prototypes using a series of computational social science methods. These include using Natural Language Processing to understand policy incentives, land rights and climate hazards. We are experimenting with satellites, census and Open Street Map data to map well-being, as well as using media mining to understand land conflict. The intern will support external partnerships and assist in validating proposed approaches. They will support the documentation of methodologies, literature reviews and writing of peer reviewed journal articles. They will help manage and support large groups of data analysts and identify opportunities for scaling and limitations in methodological approaches.  

Learning Outcomes 

The intern will gain experience in the following areas:  

  • Support data science partnerships and assist in verifying proposed methodologies 
  • Assist in the design and development of natural language processing approaches for a variety of use cases 
  • Create and deliver presentations and webinars explaining computational social science approaches to a variety of technical and non-technical audiences 
  • Promote a culture of teamwork that balances individual accomplishments and projects with broader team goals and deliverables 
  • Co-author peer reviewed journal articles 
  • Work with large teams of data analysts on innovation sprints 

Internship Qualifications 

  • University Sponsored: You must be a student currently enrolled in the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago returning for Fall 2021. 
  • Experience with natural language processing APIs in Python 
  • Experience with extract transfer load (ETL) protocols for unstructured data, including data cleaning, feature engineering, and exploratory data analysis (EDA) 
  • Understanding of statistical applications to big data  
  • Interest in analytic applications in global environmental change 
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Information Science, or a related field 
  • Experience with GitHub 
  • Critical understanding of limitations of computational social science approaches 
  • Strong research skills 
  • Ability to communicate complex insights in a clear and precise manner 

Desirable Qualifications 

  • Knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, French, Bahasa or other languages 
  • Knowledge of Forest & Landscape Restoration implementation, environmental science or international development 

General Internship Requirements 

  • Applicants must have personal health insurance coverage.  
  • U.S. work authorization is required for this opportunity. WRI does not sponsor interns for visas. 

Compensation  

  • University Sponsored: Students will receive compensation from their university program.   

Duration and Location  

  • This is a full-time summer internship with start date options of May 17, June 1, or June 16, 2021 based on the student’s availability and need for the project.   
  • This is a remote-based internship with the option to work out of the Washington D.C. office once it reopens.    
  • WRI will provide a laptop for the duration of your internship. 

How to Apply 

Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.