Internship in Applied Animal Welfare Research (Spring or Summer 2027)

Summary:

Housed within the ASPCA’s Strategy Vertical, the Research and Impact Measurement Teams conduct program evaluation and original research to guide organizational strategy and drive progress in the animal welfare field using high-quality science. The Research and Impact Measurement Teams seek dedicated, highly motivated, and passionate interns in Applied Animal Welfare Research to develop knowledge and skills in leveraging data to create impact for animals under direct supervision of staff in the vertical. Interns will become familiar with the role of research and program evaluation in guiding organizational decision-making and driving action in the animal welfare field. ASPCA research broadly includes topics related to access to veterinary care, animal sheltering and behavior, and animal cruelty.

This remote-based position is open to all candidates based within the United States.

The deadline to submit your application is Monday, August 24, 2026 at 9am ET.

Intern opportunities may include, but shall not be limited to:

•    Assisting with program evaluation or research planning and design, literature review, data collection, statistical analysis, qualitative analysis, and writing manuscripts

•    Learning and practicing project management skills

•    Developing field-facing and public-facing research communications plans

•    Participating in webinars, conferences, and other opportunities for sharing research findings

•    Attending internal meetings, including Strategy Vertical meetings and meetings with with collaborating programmatic teams

•    Assisting with miscellaneous tasks and projects as needed

Details:

Start: For more details on internship structure, please view this website.

Duration: One semester in length; potential to extend pending the Strategy team’s availability

Hours: 10-20 hours per week (negotiable)

The internship will require at least some availability during Monday - Friday working hours to attend meetings

Compensation:

The pay rate is based on where the intern works, which for remote roles is the intern’s primary location of residence. You can view which zone applies to you based on your location (aspca.app.box.com/v/aspcazonetable). For questions regarding locations not on the list, please send an email to Careers@aspca.org for more information.

The pay rate for this seasonal intern role is:

• Zone 1: $18.00 per hour

• Zone 2: $19.00 per hour

• Zone 3: $20.00 per hour

Pay will not be below any applicable local minimum wage.

Location: Remote. A laptop will be provided.

Candidate’s Field: Open to candidates in any field; recent projects have related to the following topics:

• Veterinary Medicine

• Animal Behavior/ Ethology

• Psychology/Human Behavior

• Human-Animal Interactions

• Social Work

• Public Health

• Geographic Information Systems

• Economics

Responsibilities:

Qualifications/Experience:

• Students currently enrolled in an academic degree or certificate program (Graduate or advanced undergraduate (junior/senior year) level preferred). Individuals not currently enrolled in an educational program may be considered.

Required:

• Proficiency with Excel including functionality such as creating and formatting spreadsheets, sorting and filtering data, using simple formulas for basic calculations, and creating basic charts. Additional expertise in Excel a plus

• Solid critical thinking skills

• Ability to work independently (self-starter)

• High level of maturity and professionalism

• Strong written and oral communication skills

Exemplifies the ASPCA’s Core Values:

• Has Commitment and dedication to improving the lives of animals

• Demonstrates Ownership and feels responsible for outcomes

• Believes in Team – that we are stronger together

• Seeks to Elevate others and reimagine what is possible

• Focuses on Impact, specifically making change for animals

A plus:

• Coursework completed in research methods, statistics, data science, or similar topics

• Experience using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R, etc.) for data management and analysis as a part of your coursework; experience using statistical software on a research project an additional plus

• Experience with program evaluation, research design and/or data collection as a part of your coursework; experience using program evaluation, research design and/or data collection on a research project or on an independent research project an additional plus

• Familiarity with animal welfare topics and issues through academic studies, volunteering, and/or working in the animal welfare field

• Animal welfare interests that align with current ASPCA research topics within access to veterinary care, animal sheltering and behavior, and/or animal cruelty

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