Application & Deadlines

Opens
01/05/2026 at 12:00am EST
Closes
02/01/2026 at 11:59pm EST
Apply Here

Overview

The Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) serves as industry’s primary point of contact within the U.S. government to facilitate testing and collaborative research related to harnessing and securing the potential of commercial AI systems. To that end, CAISI:

  • Works with NIST organizations to develop guidelines and best practices to measure and improve the security of AI systems, and works with NIST staff to assist industry to develop voluntary standards.
  • Establishes voluntary agreements with private sector AI developers and evaluators, and leads unclassified evaluations of AI capabilities that may pose risks to national security. In conducting these evaluations, CAISI focuses on demonstrable risks, such as cybersecurity, biosecurity, and chemical weapons.
  • Leads evaluations and assessments of capabilities of U.S. and adversary AI systems, the adoption of foreign AI systems, and the state of international AI competition.
  • Leads evaluations and assessments of potential security vulnerabilities and malign foreign influence arising from use of adversaries’ AI systems, including the possibility of backdoors and other covert, malicious behavior.
  • Coordinates with other federal agencies and entities, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Intelligence Community, to develop evaluation methods, as well as conduct evaluations and assessments.
  • Represents U.S. interests internationally to guard against burdensome and unnecessary regulation of American technologies by foreign governments and collaborate with NIST staff to ensure U.S. dominance of international AI standards.

Location & Format

Various
Industries
Federal / State / Local Government
Format
Hybrid
Format Details

Based in Washington, DC or San Francisco, CA; the intern can work in-person or remote depending on mutual preference.

Eligibility

An internship offer (if made) is contingent on the intern passing the following security screening and/or obtaining the following security clearances:

  • Public Trust

If selected as a finalist, applicants may be asked to submit the following directly to the Host Organization:

  • Writing Sample

Program Details

If placed within one of CAISI's divisions (Partnerships, Applied Systems, Tech, International Engagement), the intern will support the functions and activities of the team which could include preparing Talking Points (TPs) and memos, supporting office activities and events, attending meetings, and capturing feedback, and executing on special projects.

Moderate Supervision: Intern will meet with their supervisor regularly, but will be given the opportunity to work on independent projects.

CAISI is a small organization of 20-30 staff. Our headquarters office is in Washington, DC, with a second office in San Francisco, CA. We have regular social events after work in addition to periodic lunches.

This Director's Internship Host will host additional undergraduate interns outside of the Director's Internship Program.

The ideal candidate would be an independent researcher with strong writing and communication skills.

Access to high-speed Wi-Fi

If you have any questions about this opportunity or the Director's Internship Program in General, please reach out to IOP_ICS@hks.harvard.edu