2025 Environment and Policy Internships (EPIC): Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Job Title: Natural Capital Evaluation and Policy Intern
Department/Team: Climate Change Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in collaboration with Uruguay's National Directorate of Biodiversity (DINABISE) and Stanford’s Natural Capital Project (NatCap)
Location: Montevideo, Uruguay (4 weeks) and remote (6 weeks)
Duration: 35-40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer
Reports to: Guillermo Sena (Project Coordinator), Hector Angarita (Senior Scientist, NatCap), Sofia Polcaro (Climate Change and Sustainability Consultant, IDB)
Areas of Interest: Biodiversity, sustainable development, natural capital, climate policy
*Please note it is required that candidates for this position be fluent in Spanish and English (written and spoken).
About The Inter-American Development Bank:
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is a cooperative development bank founded in 1959 to accelerate the economic and social development of its Latin American and Caribbean member countries. It is owned by a total of 48 member countries, including the U.S. and some European nations. Learn more at https://www.iadb.org/en.
About the Stanford Natural Capital Project:
The Natural Capital Project aims to improve the well-being of all by motivating greater investment in natural capital. With our global hub at Stanford University, NatCap is a partnership between interdisciplinary researchers, professionals, and leaders around the world. Together, we help people, governments, and corporations incorporate the value of nature into decision-making. Learn more at https://naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu/.
Position Description/Scope of Work:
Stanford University is offering a unique summer internship opportunity in Uruguay for an undergraduate student hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This internship is part of the Regional Technical Cooperation project titled "Transforming Public Policies and Investments through the Integration of Natural Capital Evaluation" aimed at supporting Uruguay's National Directorate of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (DINABISE) of the Ministry of the Environment integrate the Rapid Natural Capital Accounting (NCAA) methodology into the formulation and implementation of environmental policies. This technical cooperation is being developed under the People, Planet Prosperity (3Ps) project, a collaborative effort in which Stanford University's Natural Capital Project, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the World Bank are working with 16 pilot countries (Uruguay, plus Armenia, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Cook Islands, China, Philippines, Sri Lanks, Ecuador, and others) to co-develop natural capital approaches that inform policy and investment decisions.
Benefits:
- Gain hands-on experience working on an impactful regional project.
- Collaborate with experts in natural capital evaluation and climate policy.
- Contribute to innovative solutions for sustainable development in Uruguay.
List of Potential Projects:
As an intern, you will collaborate closely with the project’s national coordinator, experts from DINABISE and the Climate Change Division (CSD/CCS) of the IDB in Uruguay.
Your responsibilities could include:
- Assisting in the collection, organization, and analysis of data for NCAA implementation in Uruguay.
- Support the training of DINABISE team and the development of valorization of ecosystems services using InVest (NatCap software that interfaces with state-of-the-science based modeling of ecosystem service provision).
- Contributing to the development of policy briefs and case studies that highlight the integration of natural capital into decision-making.
- Providing support in model development and data visualization to inform policy recommendations.
- Participating in team meetings and providing logistical and organizational assistance as needed.
Required Skills/Qualifications:
- Strong interest in natural capital evaluation, climate change, and sustainable development.
- Fluent in Spanish and English (written and spoken).
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
- Solid background in data analysis and/or environmental modeling, with experience using tools like GIS, Excel, R, or equivalent.
- Expertise in InVEST software for ecosystem service modeling.
- Self-motivated, proactive, and eager to learn and adapt.
Logistics:
- EPIC fellows are required to work full-time (35-40 hours per week) for 10 weeks over the summer, and will receive a stipend of $8,000 - $9,500, depending on financial need. This stipend is intended to help cover living and transportation expenses during the fellowship, which the student is expected to arrange and coordinate.
- Start and end dates are flexible (start date no later than July 7, 2025).
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Structure:
- In-person work: Four weeks based in Montevideo, working remotely while in the city and attending in-person meetings at the DINABISE offices and the IDB offices in Uruguay (specific dates to be determined).
- Remote work: Six weeks of remote collaboration, including regular check-ins and the submission of agreed deliverables.
Eligibility:
Stanford undergraduates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. Learn more about our previous EPIC cohorts! Students must be enrolled for winter and spring quarters of this year and be in good academic standing to be eligible for a fellowship. Applications will only be accepted from students who will be enrolled as undergraduates for the following academic year, so unfortunately, graduating seniors cannot apply. The one exception to this rule is seniors who will be working toward a co-term degree during the following academic year. Co-term students must be in the undergraduate billing group in spring quarter. Please refer to the Haas Center for Public Service's website for additional Cardinal Quarter Undergraduate Fellowship Program Policies and Requirements.
Note: students are only eligible for one Stanford-funded full-time experiential learning opportunity during the summer, and are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, coursework, or volunteer opportunity. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own housing and transportation during the fellowship.
Requirements:
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Spring Quarter:
- Commit to working full-time (35-40 hours week) for 10 consecutive weeks
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Complete an online program orientation through the Haas Center for Public Service
- This will include designing a personal learning plan that you will share with your site supervisor and academic mentor
- Complete the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service in-person workshop or worksheet
- Meet with your assigned Stanford academic mentor at least once prior to the start of the fellowship (more check-ins during and after your experience are encouraged)
- Attend EPIC cohort building events and activities in spring quarter, as your schedule allows
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Complete and submit all required forms and paperwork
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Summer Quarter:
- Engage in your full-time fellowship (starting no later than July 7, 2025; exact start date to be determined with your site supervisor)
- Attend EPIC cohort building events and activities in the summer, as your schedule allows
- Submit a mid-summer evaluation
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Submit a final project report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with donor(s) as requested by program staff
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Fall Quarter:
- Debrief with your academic mentor at least once
- Attend a de-briefing meeting for the purpose of reflecting upon and evaluating summer experiences
- Participate in outreach activities to share your experiences and help publicize the program
