The Nicholas Institute is seeking a student intern for summer 2026 to support our work to develop a nature-based solutions (NBS) accessibility index. NBS offer cost effective, climate resilient, and socially beneficial pathways to mitigate environmental risks and support sustainable livelihoods, yet their uptake remains fragmented and uneven. NBS adoption is constrained by variation in policy, regulatory, financial, and institutional conditions across jurisdictions.
This project will develop an index that can systematically identify and compare enabling conditions and barriers for NBS adoption across all U.S. states and, through targeted cross-country analysis, Peru, Mexico, and Indonesia. The Index will endeavor to cover NBS in a diverse portfolio of ecosystems— wetlands, forests, coastal, habitats, climate-resilient fisheries, and regenerative agriculture practices. Information included in the index will cover NBS policy and guidance; funding, finance, and market factors; technical and institutional capacity, and; social context and equity.
The intern would support with literature review, review of datasets, data collection and organization, and data analysis.
This position will report to Executive in Residence Elizabeth Losos and Senior Policy Researcher Sara Mason. The intern will also work with collaborators and researchers at Duke and other institutions. This is a full-time (40 hours/week), paid position for summer 2026. Work will be conducted in person or on a hybrid model. This position is open to students enrolled at Duke University.
Key Tasks
- Literature searches and literature review
- Dataset review and exploration
- Data collection, cleaning, and organization from a wide variety of sources
- Data analysis
Skills
- Literature searches and literature review
- Interest in nature-based solutions, ecosystem management, and/or ecosystem services—though a natural resources/ ecosystems background is not required
- Strong organizational skills, specifically data organization
- Statistics and/or data science experience is a plus
To Apply
To apply, please send your resume or CV and a cover letter to Sara Mason (sara.mason@duke.edu). We will begin interviews on Monday, March 30th on a rolling basis.
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
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