2026 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 Stanford’s Natural Capital Project (NatCap), and IDB Country Offices in Belize or Chile.
Location: Washington, D.C. (2 weeks), Chile or Belize (4 weeks), and remote/Stanford (4 weeks). The intern is responsible for obtaining the visa required to enter the country. The IDB does not provide visa sponsorship. The Bechtel International Center can assist.
Duration: 35-40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer
Reports to: Jade Delevaux (Senior Scientist, NatCap) or Hector Angarita (Senior Scientist, NatCap) , IDB collaborators (TBD)
Areas of Interest: Biodiversity, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Policy, Sustainable Development, Natural Capital, Climate Policy
Requirements
- Citizenship: Be a national of an IDB member country.
- Active student: enrolled in an undergraduate (bachelor’s) program as of the starting date of the Internship program.
- Academic Credit: IDB requires that this experience be connected to your transcript in some way to indicate a learning opportunity. EPIC does not have a course affiliated with our program, but there two other options: 1) enroll in UAR14: InternPrepare – How to make the most of your summer experience in spring quarter; or 2) apply for a Cardinal Service notation in fall quarter after you complete your summer fellowship (this is only open to students in undergrad status).
- Consanguinity: Not have family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB or IDB Invest.
- First job at the IDB Group: Be a first-time participant in an Internship Program held by the Bank or Inter-American Investment Corporation (“Corporation” also known as “IDB Invest”). In addition, you have not been a former staff member, Complementary Workforce (“CW”), contractor for the Bank or the Corporation, or have previously provided services to the Bank or the Corporation through a contractor or under any other contractual modality.
Note
- If selected for the internship program, participants must provide identification and academic documents to verify eligibility and facilitate the issuance of an agreement.
- If you are an international student in the U.S., your work authorization must be obtained through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT). These documents will be required to issue the letter of agreement. Before applying, consult your school advisor to ensure compliance with your institution’s policies. You must be able to work 40 hours per week; however, some international students may have restrictions on work hours based on their academic standing.
About The Inter-American Development Bank:
About the IDB Group
The IDB Group, composed of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), IDB Invest, and the IDB Lab offers flexible financing solutions to its member countries to finance economic and social development through lending and grants to public and private entities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
About IDB
We work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through financial and technical support for countries working to reduce poverty and inequality, we help improve health and education and advance infrastructure. Our aim is to achieve development in a sustainable, climate-friendly way. With a history dating back to 1959, today we are the leading source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. We provide loans, grants, and technical assistance; and we conduct extensive research. We maintain a strong commitment to achieving measurable results and the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability.
About our Culture:
At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.
In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives. We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.
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 undergraduate internship opportunity in either Belize or Chile and hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This internship involves the next phase of work in Belize and Chile that stems from a Regional Technical Cooperation project with IDB 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 worked 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 Chile or Belize.
List of Potential Projects:
As an intern, you will collaborate closely with Stanford Natural Capital Project leads, national project coordinators, and experts from country government agencies and IDB.
Your responsibilities could include:
- Assisting in the collection, organization, and analysis of data for NCAA implementation.
- Support the training of project team members and the development of ecological and economic assessments of ecosystem 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 English (written and spoken).
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
- Fluent in Spanish (written and spoken).
- 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, funded by Stanford, 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 6, 2026), however it is ideal if the student can participate in IDB’s in-house internship orientation day in Washington D.C. that will likely begin on June 16, 2026.
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Structure:
- In-person work: Two weeks based at IDB Headquarters in Washington D.C. to coincide with their in-house internship orientation day (anticipated for June 16, 2026) and four weeks based in-country in Chile or Belize working in-person/hybrid at and/or IDB offices (specific dates to be determined).
- Remote or in-person work: Four weeks of collaboration working remotely or based at Stanford, including regular check-ins and the submission of agreed upon deliverables.
Stanford EPIC Fellow: Tom Ramsay
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. Students may not be serving a suspension and may not be on a Leave of Absence (LOA).
Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Co-terms are eligible; Graduating seniors cannot apply for the February deadline, and are ineligible for additional financial aid beyond the base stipend. Graduating seniors may apply if there is a Round 2 deadline in the spring quarter. All students, including co-term students, must be in the undergraduate billing group in spring quarter (this is important!). Student athletes should confirm the impact of any awarded stipend on their athletic eligibility by contacting the Compliance Services Office prior to submitting their application. 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
- If you are working internationally, complete the International Academy Canvas course, and participate in pre-departure orientation with Stanford Global Risk
- 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
- 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 6, 2026; 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
- 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
*Failure to complete any of the requirements may result in the student's stipend being rescinded in part or in full.
Fundamental Standard:
Violations of Undergraduate Fellowships program policies are violations of the Fundamental Standard and may be referred to the Office of Community Standards. Students who fail to abide by the policies set forth by the Undergraduate Fellowships Program, the Haas Center for Public Service, and Stanford University will have low/no priority for future Haas Center funding opportunities and programs. The Haas Center reserves the right to rescind funding at any given point and time should they be apprised of any policy violations as outlined above.
More information about this fellowship opportunity is available through Cardinal Quarter. This program is one of more than 500 Cardinal Quarter opportunities through which Stanford students pursue a full-time summer or quarter-long public service experience with Stanford support. Check out Stanford University's Cardinal Service site.
