Federal Governmental Relations Internship Fall 2026

Is an internship passionate about changing the world's energy future intriguing? If so, we might have just the opportunity you're looking for!

Reporting to the Director of Federal Government Affairs, you will provide administrative and research support to the INL government relations staff. In this role, you will help coordinate and support meetings to INL-DC office, provide a welcoming environment for office visitors, aid in office reimbursements, attend and provide summaries of congressional hearings relevant to INL. You will also track relevant media and legislative activity and complete a legislative research project in collaboration with your mentor. Additional tasks may be assigned based on the needs of the office.

This team works a 9x80 schedule onsite at our Washington DC office.

Minimum Requirements:
* Enrolled full time as a Undergraduate or Graduate student.
* Seeking or earned degree in: Political Science, International Studies, English, or a related field.
* Minimum overall 3.0 Grade Point Average
* Authorization to work in the U.S. (including CPT and OPT)

Application Requirements:
* Current Resume or CV
* Unofficial Transcripts (include current and completed degree programs)
* Current class schedule and number of credits

Compensation and Benefits:
* Undergraduate Internships ($26.94/hour - $32.41/hour)
* Masters Internships and PhD Internships Pre-Candidacy ($35.34/hour - $37.73/hour)
* PhD Internships Post-Candidacy ($36.83/hour - $41.29/hour)
* Eligible interns are provided paid holiday time off, and many of our internships offer travel reimbursements.
* Multi-Level: This is a multi-level posting and you will be placed at the appropriate level dependent on degree field and level of education.

At this time, BEA will not sponsor any H1-B visas obtained outside of the United States of America (U.S.A.), including consular visas.

INL is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's mission in nuclear energy research, science, and national defense. With more than 5,800 scientists, researchers, and support staff, the laboratory works with national and international governments, universities and industry partners to discover new science and development technologies that underpin the nation's nuclear and renewable energy, national security, and environmental missions.

INL hosts over 550 undergraduate and graduate students each year to support INL's mission. Opportunities for interns at INL range from nuclear engineering to cybersecurity and include non-scientific positions in several operations and business subject areas.

Selective Service Requirements: To be eligible for employment at INL males born after December 31, 1959 must have registered with the Selective Service System (SSS). For more information see www.sss.gov.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of INL to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodation: We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
INL does not accept resumes from third-party vendors unsolicited.

Questions? UniversityRecruiting@inl.gov

Benefits and Relocation

• Paid holiday time off
• Travel reimbursement may be available for eligible interns

At this time, BEA will not sponsor any H1-B visas obtained outside of the United States of America (U.S.A.), including consular visas.

INL is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's mission in nuclear energy research, science, and national defense. With more than 6,300 scientists, researchers, and support staff, the laboratory works with national and international governments, universities and industry partners to change the world's energy future and secure our nation's critical infrastructure.

INL Mission:

Our mission is to discover, demonstrate and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options and critical infrastructure.

INL Vision:

Our vision is to change the world's energy future and secure our nation's critical infrastructure.

Selective Service Requirements:

To be eligible for employment at INL males born after December 31, 1959 must have registered with the Selective Service System (SSS). For more information see www.sss.gov.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of INL to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodation:

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Other Information:

When applying to positions please provide a resume and answer all questions on the following screens. Applicants, who fail to provide a resume or answer the questions, may be deemed ineligible for consideration.