Research Intern - Health Policy

To be considered for this role, you must apply directly through our online application. 

Overview

Cato's Health Policy Studies team analyzes the full scope of US health policy through the perspective of individual liberty, market competition, and limited government—including insurance regulation, the tax treatment of employer-sponsored coverage, Medicare and Medicaid, FDA drug and device regulation, pharmaceutical access, harm reduction, and patient autonomy. 

Michael F. Cannon is the leading libertarian health policy scholar in Washington, covering topics from ACA reform and insurance markets to FDA regulatory overreach and international health system comparisons. Jeffrey Singer, a practicing general surgeon, focuses on drug policy, harm reduction, opioid prescribing regulation, FDA barriers to drug access, and the intersection of clinical practice and public policy. 

Interns support scholars with research, writing, data, and event tasks that directly contribute to published analyses, media commentary, and public engagement.

Responsibilities

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research along with fact-checking to support op-eds, blog posts, policy analyses, and events.
• Draft weekly briefing memos and background materials for scholar media appearances and public commentary.
• Monitor pending federal and state legislation and regulatory developments in health care, insurance, drug policy, and FDA regulation, and prepare clear, accurate summaries.
• Gather and organize data for comparative policy research across states and countries, creating clear visualizations and tables.
• Summarize research reports, conference proceedings, and policy literature into clear background notes for scholarly use.
• Assist in planning and organizing events, such as policy forums and public programs.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge of and interest in US health policy—including insurance markets, Medicare and Medicaid, FDA regulation, drug policy, and health care delivery—grounded in and aligned with Cato's principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.
• Strong economics background, with the ability to analyze health policy questions through a market-competition and patient-autonomy framework.
• Clear, concise policy writing with accurate citations to primary sources, including CMS data, FDA regulatory filings, academic literature, and government statistics.
• Ability to monitor and accurately summarize state and federal legislative and regulatory developments concisely.
• Data literacy for policy analysis, including clear documentation, source-labeled tables and charts, and careful management of units and definitions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Professionalism, reliability, and attention to detail — this work requires accuracy in sourcing, citations, and written output, as well as consistent follow-through on assigned tasks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in health policy, health economics, or a related field—through a research assistantship, policy organization internship, published or submitted paper, or independent project with verifiable results.
• Familiarity with the team's research areas, including insurance regulation, the ACA, FDA drug approval policy, opioid and drug policy reform, and harm reduction; applicants are encouraged to review the team's recently published work before applying.
• Experience with quantitative data analysis related to health policy, including familiarity with CMS datasets, health insurance survey data, or similar sources.
• Coursework or independent projects in health economics, pharmaceutical policy, or health law.

The Cato Internship Program

Cato’s paid internships are available for undergraduates, recent graduates, graduate students, law students, and early-career professionals who are strongly committed to individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace—principles that together form libertarianism, also known as “classical liberalism,” “market liberalism,” or, to many of our international friends, simply “liberalism.” 

All Cato interns participate in the same intensive seminar series, which covers a wide range of history, philosophy, policy, and professional development topics. Interns also assist with events and occasionally support Cato staff with other daily tasks. 

Interns receive competitive pay. Part-time roles are adjusted accordingly and require a minimum of 25 hours per week. Program participants must be able to attend in person in Washington, DC.

For more information about the internship program and experience, we encourage you to explore our website. If you have any questions, email studentprograms@cato.org.