INTERN, GIS ANALYSIS, ENERGY ACCESS EXPLORER, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. We are working to address critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

Internships at WRI are learning experiences designed for current students, recent graduates, or other candidates who wish to gain knowledge about a specific area of our work. We strive to attract diverse, intellectually-driven candidates who have a passion for sustainability and development. WRI provides many internship opportunities throughout the year in all our programs.

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.

Energy Program Overview

WRI’s vision is for clean energy to be available, affordable and accessible for all the world’s people.  Our projects and partnerships make the demand for clean energy visible and actionable. We focus on: (1) mobilizing large energy users such as business and governments to purchase renewable electricity and pursue efficient, zero carbon buildings;  (2) shifting and implementing new planning, policies and utility governance to speed deployment of clean and renewable electricity; and (3) improving energy access by identifying and matching unmet demand for energy services, including new finance and clean energy business models to improve development outcomes.

Internship Summary

This internship is a unique opportunity to learn from one of WRI’s high impact initiatives to improve how we create, publish, analyze, visualize, and share data to advance sustainable development. You will join a team of highly motivated individuals, including members of WRI’s senior leadership, to support data and analytical work to link energy access to socio-economic development. More specifically, you will work on the enhancement of Energy Access Explorer, an online, open, collaborative platform of actionable data to facilitate access to energy in unserved and underserved areas.

You will work on developing further Energy Access Explorer by incorporating additional spatial data layers on demand (such as demographics and socio-economic activities) and supply (such as energy resource availability and infrastructure), environment and access to finance among other. To ensure the platform reflects user needs, you will build on and expand WRI’s engagements with key international partners and local stakeholders in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.

WRI is committed to ensuring gender equity across our program portfolios. As such, the intern will support attention to gender where appropriate.

Learning Outcomes

You will gain experience in the following areas:

• Understanding the energy access challenge in developing countries and how geospatial data and analysis can support energy planning to achieve universal access;
• Collecting, harmonizing, processing, integrating and documenting geographic datasets in Energy Access Explorer;
• Understanding the role of renewable energy and the different supply options, such as standalone systems and mini grids, in energy access;
• Supporting the preparation of outreach material (e.g. training material, presentations, blog) to disseminate effectively Energy Access Explorer to its target users (clean energy entrepreneurs, energy planning institutions, development finance institutions and donors, development-oriented organizations);
• Liaising with WRI’s Energy Access team as well as external partners and local stakeholders to ensure Energy Access Explorer reflects the needs of the local users;

Internship Qualifications

• University Sponsored: You must be a student currently enrolled in the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University returning for Fall 2021.
• Proficiency in GIS software (either QGIS or ArcGIS Desktop 10.x)
• Experience in spatial analysis
• Experience in handling GIS datasets, from international and national databases and from crowd-sourcing platforms such as Open Street Maps.
• Understanding of the international energy access space
• Strong research skills and experience in evaluating research methodologies
• Strong communication skills, including presentation experience
• Excellent written skills with the ability to express complex concepts clearly and concisely
• Highly organized and attentive to detail

General Internship Requirements

• Applicants must have personal health insurance coverage.
• U.S. work authorization is required for this opportunity. WRI does not sponsor interns for visas.

Compensation

• University Sponsored: Students will receive compensation from their university program.

Duration and Location

• This is a full-time summer internship with start date options of May 17, June 1, or June 16, 2021 based on the student’s availability and need for the project.
• This is a remote-based internship with the option to work out of the Washington D.C. office once it reopens.
• WRI will provide a laptop for the duration of your internship.

How to Apply

Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org) is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI’s policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.