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 at AAU by writing memos, compiling reports, and analyzing data.

Successful interns will ideally have:

• experience working with Microsoft 365 and a proven ability to learn new technologies;
• the ability to succeed in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment involving many different individuals with different backgrounds and interests;
• strong time-management and organizational skills;
•  intellectual curiosity, a proactive mindset, and critical-thinking skills;
•  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.

• 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 email:
• a résumé
• a brief explanation of why you are interested in AAU and this internship opportunity
• 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.

AAU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We make all employment decisions without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. AAU also complies with the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA). If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with AAU, please call 202.408.7500 or e-mail Sean.King@aau.edu.