Cognitive Warfare Task Force Internship Fall 2025

ISW Internship Program Overview

ISW is offering remote hybrid and inperson internships for Fall 2025. Instructions to apply for the scholarship are below.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is committed to training the next generation of national security leaders through its innovative educational programs. ISW seeks motivated and experienced college students or recent graduates to join our intern team. ISW offers internships across diverse research portfolios and departments including Russia China and Irans Axis of Resistance. ISW also offers internships in National Security and Intelligence Analysis and Geospatial Intelligence and National Security Technologies and in nonprofit management including Communications.

Why Work for ISW

ISW believes that ground realities must drive the formulation of strategy and policy. In pursuit of this principle ISW conducts detailed opensource intelligence analysis to provide timely and accurate information on current conflicts and security threats directly to policymakers and warfighters.

Interns at ISW have an unparalleled opportunity to analyze conflicts in ways that directly inform policymakers on some of the most pressing issues facing American national security. Our interns work directly with analysts. They receive classroom education regular leadership engagement and a chance to work with cuttingedge technologies employed in business and the intelligence community. Interns have the opportunity to stand at the front lines of military research and policy development tackling the latest crises in the headlines.

The ISW Internship Program is one of three core education programs housed within The General David H. Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders launched to identify educate and develop the future cadre of leaders committed to Americas national security. ISW views interns as an integral component of its team. ISW has worked with interns to draft edit and publish their own research under the mentorship of senior analysts. It has also hired many interns onto its staff.

Cognitive Warfare Task Force Internship: Interns will support the development of the new Cognitive Warfare Task Force at ISW which aims to analyze and visualize adversary information operations and warfare against the United States and its allies. Interns are expected to collect process analyze and synthesize intelligence relating to adversary operations in the information environment psychological operations emerging information technologies narratives and influence campaigns among other related topics. Interns will also support longterm research assignments and may also have valuable interactions with software partners who are transforming the national security space. Interns will learn to analyze the information environment and how it impacts policymaking kinetic activities and strategy. This is a fulltime internship (five days per week) but parttime work will be considered on a casebycase basis.

• Candidates must have demonstrated interest in information warfare and operations; disinformation/misinformation; artificial intelligence and information technology; international affairs; propaganda and media studies; or strategic communications.

• Candidates should preferably have a demonstrated interest or expertise in national security or cultural issues particularly relating to Russia Ukraine China or the Middle East.

• Candidates should preferably possess strong critical language capabilities in Russian Ukrainian Mandarin Korean Arabic French or Spanish.

• Experience conducting research using primary sources in a foreign language is a plus.

• Experience with programming languages such as Python JavaScript or HTML; and data visualization tools such as Adobe Excel ArcGIS and photoshop are a plus.

• Experience with Excel and other data management systems is a major plus.

• Candidates must possess excellent writing editing research and oral communication skills.

• Candidates must display the ability to conduct complex tasks in a timely and efficient manner.

• Candidates should be selfmotivated independent creative and capable of working in a dynamic and fastpaced environment.

• Candidates must show commitment toand interest inthe core mission and values of ISW.

Fall 2025 Internship Program Dates: ISW internships starts on September 9 2025. The program will run until December 12. Interns must both be authorized to work in the United States and be physically present in the United States during their internship tenure. Working remotely outside of the United States is not authorized. If you attend a US university on a student visa you must be eligible for and obtain a CPT authorization before beginning at ISW.Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until July 25 2025.

Instructions:Please upload your resume cover letter and writing sample. Your cover letter and writing sample should be no longer than five pages combined; the writing sample can be excerpted from a longer paper.

ISW will work with students to gain academic credit for internships where applicable.

ISW Scholarship Application

The Institute for the Study of War will offer intern candidates up to a $1000 monthly living stipend as part of a scholarship program.* To be considered for the scholarship candidates must upload a scholarship application as part of their internship application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until July 25 2025.

Candidates will be assessed based on the following criteria:

1. Ability to contribute as a member of one of ISWs research operations business development or external relations teams; and
2. Financial need such that an unpaid internship would not be possible without assistance.

Within the scholarship application candidates should upload a 2 to 3page cover letter which answers each of the following questions. (This should be a different cover letter than the one used for the internship application itself.

1. Which ISW internship is your top choice Why do you believe you are qualified
2. What do you believe to be the most pressing national security problem the US faces today What solution(s) would you propose
3. Where do you see yourself in your future career How will an ISW internship help you get there
4. Why have you chosen to apply for this supplemental scholarship
5. Are you currently receiving federal financial aid and/or needbased aid from your university Feel free to describe using as much detail as you are comfortable.

*Please note that the up to $1000 monthly scholarship is classified as taxable income.

Questions Email for more information.