Data Science Addressing Mis/Disinformation Team Intern null

Your role

Internship Overview:

• This internship is unpaid, in person, and full-time (35 hours per week) on the United Nations premise working arrangement from (New York, USA).
• This internship is designed to be full-time and in-person but can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote.
• This internship is located in the Addressing Mis/Disinformation Team in the Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS), Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training (DEPT) in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO).
• The Intern will report to the Data Scientist and the Senior Programme Management Officer of the Addressing Misinformation/Disinformation Team.
• Mis and disinformation have been identified as key threats to the safety and security of peacekeepers as well as the ability of peacekeeping missions to implement their mandate.
• The Addressing Mis and Disinformation Team in DPO is working to strengthen the monitoring, analysis, and responses to mis/disinformation and hate speech, in order to strengthen information integrity in mission settings.
• A key component of the work of the team is developing and leveraging data science methods and tools to monitor and analyze the digital information environment to support the work of peacekeeping missions, drawing on a wider range of online and offline media sources.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Within delegated authority, the intern will be responsible for the following duties:

• Contributing to the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of AI, data science, and visual analytics architectures and pipelines to analyze data for supporting decision-making
• Contributing to the development and application of analysis methods to support peacekeeping missions for misinformation and disinformation analysis
• Supporting monitoring and analysis and the rapid turnaround thereof, including country-specific and regional trends and patterns
• Supporting subject experts to visualize and report data findings creatively in a variety of formats, including the design and development of interactive visualizations and dashboards
• Supporting the team to create efficient data processing pipelines
• Reviewing and documenting scientific background research on relevant topics
• Assisting in drafting training materials, other policies, guidelines, doctrine, and analysis report
• Perform other duties as appropriate.

Expected duration:

• The duration of the internship is two (2) months with a possibility of extension up to six (6) months.

About you

Qualifications/special skills:

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher)
• Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree.
• Applicants must be students in the final year of their first university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent), Master’s, or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Masters, or PH.D. Programme.
• Please indicate which one and attach proof to the application.
• Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.
• Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience.
• However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
• The field of study should be computer science, physics, mathematics, statistics, computation social science, or a related field.
• Graduates of social sciences, including international relations, politics, law, and anthropology, who have computer science skills will also be considered.
• Do you have experience in Python, R, or an equivalent programming language?
• Are you familiar with any AI/ML frameworks and/or Natural Language Processing techniques?
• Do you have experience in data visualization techniques?

Languages:

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
• Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship.
• Knowledge of an additional UN language is an asset. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information:

• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving a 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
• Applicants who have previously served six months, in total, as an intern in one or more UN Common Systems cannot be engaged as an intern.
• Applicants who are children, siblings, and sons or daughters-in-law (including stepchildren, half-siblings, or stepsiblings) of an active staff member in a UN Common System cannot be engaged as an intern.

Intern Specific text:

• Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization.
• Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

Compensation & benefits

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions.

If you join as a full-time employee, you  will get the following benefits:

• Rental subsidy
• Dependency allowances
• Travel and shipping expenses
• Danger pay and rest and recuperation break
• Health insurance
• Holidays and leave
• Retirement pension
• Tax exemption
• Allowances and benefits

Training & development

An internship at the UN could be the ideal start if you are considering a career in the organization. It will give you exposure to high-profile conferences, political decision-making, or work on the ground, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the projects and mandates of the United Nations. 

As an intern, you will:

• Enhance your educational experience through practical work assignments
• Deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Organization’s goals, principles, and activities
• Work in an international environment, and network with international civil servants, career professionals, and senior management
• Provide the UN with assistance in your area of expertise
• Participate in tasks like drafting documents, analysis of data, research, the organization of conferences or events, work on media campaigns and outreach, and much more.

Career Progression

Internships with the UN do not guarantee immediate employment, but they provide valuable experience that may lead to interest in applying for General Service or consultancy roles. For those aiming for positions at the Professional and Higher or Field Service levels, it is recommended to wait at least six months after the internship ends before applying, ensuring qualifications meet both educational and work experience requirements specified in job openings.

How to apply

In your Motivational Statement, please indicate when you would like to start your internship. Please note that the start and end dates are flexible. A complete online application is required. reviewed.

The Motivational Statement must also include:

• Title of the degree you are currently pursuing.
• Graduation Date (When will you be graduating/have graduated from the programme?)
• Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship
• Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

Sources

The following sources were used in researching this page:

• careers.un.org/payandbenefits
• careers.un.org/job-level?language=en
• youtube.com/@unitednations