Research Internships &
Fellowship Programs at Social Insights

 
 

  • Do you have a passion for learning about the journeys and stories of the most marginalized communities to bring their most authentic voices to the world?

  • Do you love working alongside motivated experts and leaders, and being part of a movement that revolutionizes research and evaluation?

  • Do you have a strong commitment to social justice and equity framework, and would like to work in an environment that centers on these principles?

  • “I feel like this fellowship gave me a vision for what I could want in my life…I had a hard time explaining the type of research I wanted to do outside of academia. So I feel like it definitely showed me how liberatory research could be utilized outside of that space and leaning more towards purposeful, meaningful research with our communities.”
    - Ugochi

  • I really liked the opportunity to gain a new research experience. I think it was cool to see how the work we're doing can directly impact a client and be responsive to the needs of an organization. And I also really enjoyed the interactions I had with folks on both projects.”
    - Ruby

  • "I liked the mentoring component of the program. I really enjoyed that. I really enjoyed having a space outside of project work to just get to talk through some of my goals, get to meet [my mentor] more deeply, and kind of plan around what I’m hoping to do…and I really enjoyed the diversity in the type of projects we got to work on, both in content and in where they’re at on the project timeline.”
    - Jabarey

  • “I really liked a lot of things. I liked the projects generally, in learning about them and people’s approaches to answering the questions that the clients needed answered. [My mentor] has been great. The mentorship relationship has been really great for me and really insightful...And [my mentor] did a really good job of pushing me and challenging me to think about things more deeply…everyone was just very welcoming and very helpful.”
    - Hamzeh

Internship and Fellowship Overview

Social Insights Research is offering an internship and fellowship opportunity for graduate students and early-career research and evaluation professionals, starting in the summer of 2024. In 2025, the program will run for 9 months, from February 3 to October 31. This program aims to provide graduate students and early-career research/professionals with hands-on experience using liberatory research methods to conduct program evaluation and community-based research. Interns and fellows will learn methods and approaches outside of the traditional Westernized research canon, the research and evaluation principles that minimize harm and exploitation in the research process, and experience working in an environment where their voices and identities will be honored. By participating in this program, interns and fellows will have the opportunity to be part of a movement that aims to revolutionize the way research is done with community and marginalized populations.

About Social Insights Research

Social Insights Research (SI) is a Black Woman-led and BIPOC-staffed research and evaluation firm based in Atlanta, GA. We are an interdisciplinary team that provides research, strategy, and evaluation services to large and small institutions, grassroots organizations, and non-profits. Our team includes psychologists, public health professionals, social scientists, and evaluators. Utilizing the Liberatory Research approach, we work to decolonize and aim to shift the evaluation and research paradigm through partnerships with organizations that resource and center marginalized populations.

Internship and Fellowship Description
Graduate Student Internship

This internship is offered to full-time graduate students of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized populations, either as part of their program requirements or outside of their coursework. This internship is designed to help graduate students acquire essential skills beyond the campus environment by learning non-traditional methods and approaches in research and evaluation. Interns will be working remotely with Social Insights part-time (10-15 hours/week) for 9 months (from February 3 to October 31, 2025), and receive $30/hr compensation. For this internship, SI is looking for graduate students with the following criteria:

  • Must be a full-time student enrolled in a master's or doctoral program.

    1. Have knowledge and some experience in conducting quantitative and/or qualitative research in the field of social science (e.g., have taken a Research Methods course, have experience as a Research Assistant, etc.).

    2. Must be committed to social justice and equity

    3. Have a strong commitment to BIPOC and other marginalized populations.

    4. A good team player.

Early-Career Research Professional Fellowship

This fellowship is offered to researchers, scholars, and practitioners who are of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized populations and have one to three years of working experience in research and/or evaluation. This fellowship is designed to support professionals in advancing their knowledge and skills in conducting innovative research methods while centering equity. During the fellowship, fellows will be working remotely with Social Insights part-time (10-15 hours/week) for 9 months (from February 3 to October 31, 2025), and receive $45/hr compensation. For this fellowship, SI is looking for research/evaluation professionals with the following criteria:

  • Have 1-3 years of quantitative and/or qualitative research/evaluation experience in a professional setting.

    1. Have completed a graduate program (master’s or doctoral degree).

    2. Must be committed to social justice and equity.

    3. Have a strong commitment to BIPOC and other marginalized populations.

    4. A good team player.

    5. If employed or affiliated with an organization/institution, selected fellows must receive approval from the affiliated organization or institution to participate in this fellowship.

Note: This internship and fellowship program is available to all eligible graduate students and research professionals, both in and outside of the United States. If based in the U.S. but are not U.S. citizens, selected interns and fellows must have legal authorization to work in the U.S.

Interns & Fellows Responsibilities

All Social Insights Interns and Fellows must commit to the following responsibilities during the program:

  • Attend the Internship & Fellowship Welcome Call on February 20, 2025, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM ET.

  • Participate in the Liberatory Research e-course, which includes attending the following virtual meetings scheduled from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM on these dates:

    • Orientation Call: March 6, 2025

    • Session 1: March 20, 2025

    • Session 2: April 17, 2025

    • Session 3: May 15, 2025

  • Attend Monthly Check-Ins with the Internship & Fellowship Program Lead, scheduled for the last Monday of each month from February to September 2025, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. The dates are as follows:

    • February 24, 2025

    • March 31, 2025

    • April 28, 2025

    • May 26, 2025

    • June 30, 2025

    • July 28, 2025

    • August 25, 2025

    • September 25, 2025

  • Attend Joy Hour with the Social Insights team, scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month from March to October 2025, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The dates are:

    • March 11, 2025

    • April 8, 2025

    • May 13, 2025

    • June 10, 2025

    • July 8, 2025

    • August 12, 2025

    • September 9, 2025

    • October 14, 2025

  • Attend bi-weekly mentorship meetings with your assigned mentor, scheduled between the mentor and mentee.

  • Fully participate in assigned projects, including internal and external meetings, as well as completing any assignments.

  • Attend the End-of-Program Meeting on October 27, 2025, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM ET.

  • Participate in all required activities and project assignments for a minimum of 10 hours and a maximum of 15 hours each week during the program.

  • Complete mid-program and end-of-program feedback surveys.

Application Process:

  • 2025 Deadline: January 6, 2026

  • Application Requirements:

    • Complete Application Form:

    • Resume/CV

    • If shortlisted, candidates will be asked to submit:

      • For graduate students: a letter of recommendation from the graduate program’s supervisor or program/department chair

      • For employed research professionals: letter of approval from their organization/institution to participate

Please note that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted via email to schedule an online interview. The interview will take place approximately two weeks after the submission deadline.

If you have any questions, please email Dr. Yopina Pertiwi at yopina@socinsights.com.

Click Below to Apply for the
2025 Internship & Fellowship Programs

Graduate Student Internship
Early-Career Research Professional Fellowship

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