Undergraduate Intern in Survey Design, Pew Research Center Summer 2026

Organization Overview 

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research in the areas of U.S. politics and policy views; news and information; internet and technology; science and society; religion and public life; global attitudes; race and ethnicity; and U.S. social and demographic trends. Pew Research does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew Research Center’s work is carried out by a staff of about 180.  

Position Summary: 

The summer undergraduate internship is a paid opportunity during the summer of 2026. Interns are expected to work a minimum of 30 hours/week and are paid $18.50/hour. This internship is available to undergraduate students with an interest in how public opinion polls and other surveys are designed. 

The Center’s survey methodologists manage our American Trends Panel, a multi-mode, probability-based survey panel that is its primary source of survey data for U.S. public opinion research, as well as provide guidance for all of the Center’s domestic public opinion research. 

The intern works directly with the methodology team in designing, conducting and archiving the Center’s surveys. Interns are exposed to all aspects of the survey process within the Pew Research Center including questionnaire design, sampling, data collection, data management, survey weighting, statistical analysis, and quality control.   

Some typical tasks of our 2026 intern may include: 

• Reviewing questions to make sure they make sense to respondents who are completing surveys online or hearing them over the phone 

• Going through a web questionnaire as a respondent to make sure it was programmed correctly and without typos 

• Documenting new procedures for public data release to improve data privacy and reduce disclosure risk 

• Assisting with writing academic articles and/or research proposals related to the use of AI in surveys 

Note that the survey design intern will not have direct involvement with the Center’s substantive research, such as reporting on the survey results. Instead, this internship focuses on how surveys are designed and maximizing data quality. Candidates who are primarily interested in analyzing and reporting on survey results should apply for openings with the U.S. Politics, Global Attitudes, Religion, Social and Demographic Trends, Internet and Technology, Science and Society, Race and Ethnicity, or News and Information teams. 

Pew Research Center is an office-based workplace, with all staff working in the Center’s Washington, D.C., office three core days weekly (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday).  Staff have the flexibility to work remotely up to two days per week. A modest relocation stipend is available for candidates who need it.  

Internship dates: June 1-Aug. 14, 2026 (with alternative dates of June 15-Aug. 28, 2026 also available) 

Education/Training/Experience 

• College students who are pursuing a bachelor’s or associate degree and have completed a minimum of two years (in other words, rising juniors and seniors). 

• Interest in public opinion, polling and social science. Experience working with data and data analysis in SPSS, R, Stata, SAS or other statistical software. 

• Preference will be given to applicants who have completed at least one course in statistics or research design.  

Application Procedure 

A complete application will include the following required items: 

• A cover letter highlighting your skills and training related to public opinion research. Describe why you are interested in an internship with Pew Research Center’s survey design team. In addition, please discuss your professional aspirations and how this internship would align with your career trajectory. Please be sure to highlight your experience and proficiency with programming languages.  

• A resume, which should include a listing of relevant course work, and any data analysis software used. 

Applications that do not include a cover letter will not be considered complete. 

The deadline for applications is February 11, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. EST. 

Interviews will take place virtually in February and March, with the goal of all hiring decisions being made by the end of March 2026.