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For grant and funding opportunities, please go to www.grants.gov to search for federal grants.
To search for jobs throughout the federal government please go to www.usajobs.gov. For up-to-date federal internships, government job opportunities, Pathways and student programs available for current students or recent graduates: www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/students/.
Internships, Fellowships, & Professional Development in the Federal Government
Below is not an exhaustive list but a helpful list of the variety of opportunities available throughout the federal government.
White House Opportunities:
- Program: The White House Fellows Program
Founded in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson, the White House Fellows program is one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. White House Fellowships offer exceptional young men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. Selected individuals typically spend a year working as a full-time, paid Fellow to senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries and other top-ranking government officials. Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with leaders from the private and public sectors, and trips to study U.S. policy in action both domestically and internationally. Fellowships are awarded on a strictly non-partisan basis. The purpose of the White House Fellows program is to provide gifted and highly motivated young Americans with some first-hand experience in the process of governing the Nation and a sense of personal involvement in the leadership of society.
- Program: The White House Internship Program
The White House Internship Program is a public service leadership program that provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office, and prepare them for future public service opportunities.
Department-Wide Internship, Fellowship & Scholarship Opportunities:
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) – Internships
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) – Recent Graduates Program
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
U.S. Department of the Treasury – Internships
U.S. Department of the Treasury – Law Student Internships
U.S. Department of the Treasury – Pathways Program
U.S. Department of Defense – Recent Graduates Program
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of Energy – Stipend-based Internships
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Internships
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Graduates and Post-doctoral Program
U.S. Small Business Administration
U.S. Social Security Administration – Legal Intern Program
More Federal Opportunities:
- Department/Agency: Administrative Conference of the United States
Program: Internships & Research Fellows
Interns are exposed to a broad range of legal topics, with emphasis on administrative law and procedure. Interns directly assist Conference attorneys with ongoing projects through legal research and writing, participation in various ACUS-sponsored events, and other substantive work. For Research Fellows, individuals from academia, non-profit organizations, state government, foreign governments, or the private sector may apply for an unpaid visiting fellow position at the Conference. Visiting Fellows must have demonstrated expertise in the fields of administrative law, public policy, economics, social science, or regulatory reform.
- Department/Agency: Advisory Council on Historical Preservation
Program: Internships and Fellowships
Selected interns complete projects contributing to or broadening awareness of the work of the ACHP and our historic preservation partners nationwide. Interns become familiar with the full range of work of the agency and participate in meetings and programs with others interning at related agencies and organizations. Advisory Council members, staff, and the ACHP Foundation assist interns with networking and advice.
- Department/Agency: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Program: Student Employment
NIST employs students and recent graduates of all ages and backgrounds through the Pathways Program. The Pathways Program offers clear paths to Federal internships for students from high school through post-graduate school and to careers for recent graduates, and to provide meaningful training and career development opportunities for individuals who are at the beginning of their Federal service.
- Department/Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Program: Student Fellowships and Internships
NOAA offers approximately 13 internship and fellowship opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students listed on the website ranging from American Meteorological Society Graduate Fellowship to Chesapeake Bay Summer Internship Program.
- Department/Agency: U.S. Agency for Global Media
Program: Student Internships
Internship opportunities that provide real world experience in a diverse and dynamic international broadcast organization through one of the Departments: Public Affairs, Engineering, Office of Research and Assessment
- Department/Agency: U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Programs: Exchange Programs for U.S. Citizens and Non-U.S. Citizens
The U.S. Department of State offers many programs for non-U.S. citizens wishing to come to the U.S. for cultural, educational, or professional exchange. The exchange programs engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries. In addition to exchange programs, ECA also administers a variety of other initiatives that support cultural understanding by protecting Cultural Heritage across the globe, and providing educational resources for people interested in learning about American culture and the English language. ECA is well known for its flagship exchange programs such as The Fulbright Program and International Visitor Leadership Program.
- Department/Agency: U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
Program: Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
WRP provides work experience for college students with disabilities through summer or permanent jobs. Successful individuals may be non-competitively appointed to career positions.
- Department/Agency: U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
Program: Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally recognized credential. Have a career path or location in mind? Use the Job Finder search engine to find your next opportunity.
- Department/Agency: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Program: Presidential Management Fellowship
The PMF Program is a flagship leadership development program at the entry level for advanced degree candidates (professional or graduate degree). It includes 160 hours of formal interactive training (on leadership, management, policy and other topics), one 4-to-6-month developmental assignment, ultimately encouraging and leading to a career in the government.
- Department/Agency: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Program: Extern Program, Trademark Law Student Extern Program
The unpaid, volunteer USPTO Extern Program provides talented high school and college students with unique opportunities to gain valuable skills and professional experience. Through this program, externs learn more about various career paths at the USPTO, network with our employees and their peers, and hear first-hand from our leadership about their own career paths.
Scholarships and Other Opportunities for Students Interested in Public Service
- Organization: Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN)
Program: The Scholarship Program
The scholarship program is designed for students in their continuing education to better prepare themselves for positions of leadership and trust in the Federal, State and Local governments. Two (2) scholarships for $1,500.00 and two (2) scholarships for $1,000 will be awarded in 2020. This is a one-time award; former AAGEN scholarship winners are not eligible.
- Organization: Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC)
Scholarship: Distinguished Public Service Scholarship Award
A non-profit organization that promotes the recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students who are interested in public service, exhibit academic excellence, and demonstrate a continuous effort to foster diversity and inclusion in AAPI communities. The awardee will receive a stipend of $5,000 toward his or her education.
- Organization: Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC)
Program: National Training Leadership Program
The NLTP is a premier training destination for Federal employees, including DC government, and military. The NLTP is designed to provide training in leadership, diversity, inclusion, career advancement, and management. Includes opportunities for current students and recent graduates, and for them to attend a career fair and meet government recruiters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US ARMY, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, and more!
- Organization: IEEE-USA (placed at U.S. State Department)
Program: IEEE-USA's Engineering and Diplomacy Fellowship Program
The State Department Science & Technology Adviser reached out to IEEE-USA and other science and engineering societies for help in building its S&T expertise; the result is the IEEE-USA's Engineering and Diplomacy Fellowship program. This fellowship program is designed to raise awareness of the value of STEM input into the public policymaking process and offers an opportunity for the fellow to provide technical expertise to the U.S. State Department, while learning about and contributing to the foreign policy process.
Mentorship and Leadership Opportunities for Federal Employees
- Organization: Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN)
Program: Leadership Workshop
This executive level leadership training program has been designed for emergent leaders in the Federal, Civilian, Military, and private workforces to gain effective and actionable executive level skills, information and lessons learned from current senior executives across the Federal and local Government, Congress, and industry.
- Organization: American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
Program: American Foreign Service Association Internships
This program offers internships in the areas including Communications and Educational Outreach, Editorial/Journalism, Labor Management, and Outreach (Part-Time).
- Organization: Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN)
Program: SES Development Program
The AAGEN SES Development Program is a tuition-free program that offers executive development courses, coaching in mock interviews, individual mentoring, and career counseling for candidates to gain the skills to effectively compete for SES positions. Each candidate will be assigned an SES or a Flag officer mentor who will provide guidance throughout the program. The training will include such topics as SES Resume Writing, Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), Leadership Coaching, Human Capital Management, Performance Leadership, SES Panel Discussion and Mock Interviews.
- Organization: Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC)
Program: Career Development Mentoring Program (CDP)
The CDP is six-month mentoring opportunity open to all federal, military and the District of Columbia employees with permanent career status at all levels. CDP mentors and mentees must be able to participate in all program components: orientation, mutually scheduled one-on-one mentoring sessions, professional development workshops, a mid-term progress review, leadership projects, and graduation.
- Organization: Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC)
Program: National Training Leadership Program
The NLTP is a premier training destination for Federal employees, including DC government, and military. The NLTP is designed to provide training in leadership, diversity, inclusion, career advancement, and management. Includes opportunities for current students and recent graduates, and for them to attend a career fair and meet government recruiters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US ARMY, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, and more!
- Department/Agency: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Program: Senior Executive Service Development Program (SESCDO)
A Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SESCDP) is one succession management tool agencies may use to identify and prepare aspiring senior executive leaders. An SESCDP is designed to further develop SES candidates’ competencies in each of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). Graduates of SESCDPs who are certified by OPM’s Qualifications Review Board (QRB) may receive an initial career SES appointment without further competition. QRB-certified graduates typically start their SESCDP with experiences normally obtained at the GS-15 level, or equivalent. However, some agencies open their SESCDPs to individuals at the GS-14 level, or equivalent. Note that QRB certification does not guarantee placement in the SES, and SESCDP participation is not required for selection into the Senior Executive Service.
- Department/Agency: U.S. Patent and Trade Office
Program: Mentoring Program
This mentoring program allows mentee’s development through exploring career aspirations, strengths, and weaknesses; implementing strategies; and evaluating along the way. The mentor will provide the “light” 9 for the mentee to follow. Learning from the wisdom and past experiences of the mentor will serve the mentee well and produce great benefits.