Internships - Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau

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  • Bureau/Office - Position 1 of 7
    Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau –
     
  • Office of the Bureau Chief

    The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau’s Office of the Bureau Chief is seeking part‐time and full‐time unpaid interns to work alongside Bureau leadership.  The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau is responsible for developing, recommending, and administering the agency's rules and policies pertaining to national security, homeland security, and public safety communications issues, including network reliability and security, 911 and E911, operability and interoperability of public safety communications, emergency alerting, communications infrastructure protection and disaster response, and network security and reliability.
     
  • Internship Period(s)
    Internship Period(s) Fall/Spring semesters and Summer
  • General Duties:
    Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable insight on the FCC’s role in addressing preparation for, and response to threats facing the nation’s communications networks. The intern will: (1) assist in the analysis and preparation of Commission documents, including briefing materials for FCC senior officials; (2) conduct research; and (3) participate in meetings with Commission personnel and outside entities, including communications providers, federal, state, and local government stakeholders.
  • Selection Criteria
    To be considered you must:
    • Be a U.S. Citizen and possess strong academic credentials, good interpersonal skills, excellent research and writing abilities, as well as an interest in communications and public service.
       
    • For technical interns:
      • Be enrolled at least half time in a master’s or doctorate degree program at an accredited college or university with a major in computer science, engineering, network security, information assurance, information technology, mathematics, business with a specific concentration in one of the above, a focus on cybersecurity policy or a closely related discipline.
      • Be an undergraduate student in your junior or senior academic years of school with a major in one of the above.
    • For legal interns:
      • Be a second or third year law student enrolled at least half time in an accredited law school with coursework and/or experience related to cybersecurity policy, information technology, or information security.
  • Send Application to
    Maureen Bizhko, Chief of Staff, maureen.bizhko@fcc.gov or by mail to PSHSB/OBC Internship Program, Federal Communications Commission, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554, c/o Maureen Bizhko.
  • Application Information
    Cover letter, resume, references, brief writing sample, and most recent transcript. Applicants should clearly indicate the period(s) for which they are applying, and the amount of time (days/hours) they would be available to work each week.
  • Additional Information
    Multiple internships are offered on a year-round basis through the Pathways Program.  Priority may be given to students supported by fellowship, stipend funding, or those receiving credit from the educational institution.  Available intern positions are located at the FCC headquarters in Washington DC.  For additional information please contact Maureen Bizhko at maureen.bizhko@fcc.gov or (202) 418-0011.
  • Applications Deadline
    Rolling basis.
  • Bureau/Office - Position 2 of 7
    Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau –
    Data Analytics for Public Safety and Homeland Security
     
  • Office of the Bureau Chief
    The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) welcomes proposals for Capstone Projects from students with an interest in data analytics who wish to extend their skills by contributing to focused projects in emergency communications and communications resiliency.
     
  • Project Time Frame
    Fall/Spring Semesters, Summer or as arranged
     
  • Bureau Mission and Responsibilities
    PSHSB advises, makes recommendations to, or acts for the Commission under delegated authority in all matters pertaining to public safety, homeland security, national security, emergency management and preparedness, disaster management, and ancillary operations.
     
  • Focus of Projects
    The Federal Communications Commission customarily receives information about emergency and commercial communications networks directly from communications providers – either as required by Commission rule or by request. Both methods require us to follow specific processes to update information models, posing a challenge for keeping up with the pace of change in network technology. Therefore, the Commission’s information about communications services, including critical emergency services, tends to look at yesterday’s technology using near-static information systems. We are interested in uncovering new sources of data, new ways to analyze existing sources of data, and new ways to analyze new sources of data. Examples include:
    • Analysis of Real-Time Emergency Alerting Information
    • Analysis of 911 Location Determination Technologies
    • Analysis of Disruptions to Communications During Disasters
    • Analysis of Disruptions to Communications During Sunny Days

Working with the Bureau’s Chief Data Officer, the team will complete a specific project to be defined. In general, however, the project will supplement existing carrier-provided data collections with open systems as well as develop algorithmic subscription services to better mine existing sources of information to create policy insights.

  • Selection Criteria
    To be considered you must —
    • Be a U.S. Citizen and possess strong academic credentials, good interpersonal skills, excellent research and writing abilities, as well as an interest in communications and public service.
    • Be enrolled at least half time in a master’s or doctorate degree program at an accredited college or university with a major in computer science, engineering, network security, information assurance, information technology, mathematics, homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, or business; and should have a focus on communications technology, network security policy or a closely related discipline.
      OR
    • Be an undergraduate student who has completed their junior academic year of school with a major in one of the above.
       
  • Send Application to
    Kelly Richards, Administrative Management Specialist, at kelly.richards@fcc.gov.
     
  • Application Information
    Send proposed project description, cover letter, resume, references, brief writing sample, and most recent transcript.  Applicants should clearly indicate the projected project time frame and identify one or more academic sponsors.
     
  • Additional Information
    Multiple internships are offered on a year-round basis through the Pathways Program.  Priority may be given to students supported by fellowship, stipend funding, or those receiving credit from the educational institution.  Available intern positions are located at the FCC headquarters in Washington DC.  For additional information please contact Kelly Richards at kelly.richards@fcc.gov.
     
  • Applications Deadline
    Rolling basis.

 

  • Bureau/Office - Position 3 of 7
    Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau –
    Communications Security Technical Internships

    The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau’s Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability Division and its Operations and Emergency Management Division are seeking part‐time and full‐time unpaid interns to work alongside the FCC’s communications resiliency and incident management teams. The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau is responsible for developing, recommending, and administering the agency's rules and policies pertaining to public safety communications issues, including network reliability and security, 911 and E911, operability and interoperability of public safety communications, emergency alerting, communications infrastructure protection and disaster response.
     
  • Internship Period(s)
    Fall/Spring semesters and Summer
  • General Duties
    Interns will have the opportunity to contribute to and gain valuable insight on the FCC’s role in improving the nation’s communications networks’ reliability and resilience.  The intern may:
    1.  assist in the analysis of technical proposals, security issues or network reliability data including data on network failures and network disasters;
    2.  assist in the preparation of Commission documents, reports and orders, including briefing materials for FCC senior officials;
    3.  conduct research on issues affecting the reliability, resiliency and security of communication networks; and
    4. participate in meetings with Commission personnel and outside entities, including communications providers, federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government stakeholders.
  • Selection Criteria
    To be considered you must —
    • Be a U.S. Citizen and possess strong academic credentials, good interpersonal skills, excellent research and writing abilities, as well as an interest in communications and public service.
    • Be enrolled at least half time in a master’s or doctorate degree program at an accredited college or university with a major in computer science, engineering, network security, information assurance, information technology, mathematics, homeland security,  intelligence, emergency management, or business; and should have a focus on communications technology, network security policy or a closely related discipline.
    • Be an undergraduate student who has completed their junior academic year of school with a major in one of the above.
    •  A security clearance is beneficial though not required.
  • Send Application to
    PSHSBTechnicalInternship@fcc.gov or by mail to PSHSB Technical Internship Program, Federal Communications Commission,45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554, Attention:  Steven Carpenter.
  • Application Information
    Cover letter, resume, references, brief writing sample, and most recent transcript.  Applicants should clearly indicate the period(s) for which they are applying, and the amount of time (days/hours) they would be available to work each week.
  • Additional Information
    Multiple internships are offered on a year-round basis through the Pathways Program.  Priority may be given to students supported by fellowship, stipend funding, or those receiving credit from the educational institution.  Available intern positions are located at the FCC headquarters in Washington DC.
    Other questions may be addressed to Steven Carpenter, steven.carpenter@fcc.gov or (202) 418-2313.
  • Applications Deadline
    Rolling basis.
  • Bureau/Office - Position 4 of 7
    Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau –
    Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability Division (Legal) 

    The Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability Division (CCR) provides legal, engineering, and other technical advice and expertise to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and the Federal Communications Commission regarding public safety and homeland security issues, particularly with respect to ensuring that communications networks are reliable, resilient, and secure.  CCR develops and recommends Commission and PSHSB policies on network and other infrastructure reliability, including 911 reliability, and other public safety issues as assigned.  CCR also administers the Commission’s information collection requirements with respect to communications reliability (such as network outage reports, disaster information reporting, and 911 reliability certifications) and performs analyses and studies on public safety, homeland security, national security, disaster management and related issues.
     
  • Internship Period(s)
    Fall/Spring semester and Summer
  • General Duties: Unpaid Legal Intern
    Fall, Spring, and Summer interns will assist with analysis of a broad variety of legal and policy issues relating to potential and existing programs and regulations of the agency.  They will perform legal assignments which address Division/Bureau issues and that may involve technical or complex information.  Additionally, the intern will assist in the preparation of legal memoranda and other Commission documents.  The intern also may attend and participate in meetings with Commission personnel and outside parties.  The intern will assist staff attorneys and Division leadership in an often fast-paced environment on a variety of issues.  They may interact with industry counsel and other third parties on several issues.
  • Selection Criteria
    Seeking second and third year law students with strong analytical, research, writing, and communications skills that demonstrated a strong interest in communications law, public interest, or federal government.  Students must be enrolled in an accredited law school at least half-time to apply.  Students may apply during their first year of law school, but they must have completed their first academic year of law school before the internship starts.  Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Application Information
    Send application materials to Scott Cinnamon, Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at Scott.Cinnamon@fcc.gov.  A completed application packet should include: cover letter, resume, law school transcript, and a brief writing sample.  Applicants should clearly indicate the period(s) for which they are applying, and the amount of time (days/hours) they would be available to work each week.
  • Additional Information
    Multiple internships are offered on a year-round basis through the Pathways Program.  Priority may be given to students supported by fellowship, stipend funding, or those receiving credit from the educational institution.  Available intern positions are located at the FCC headquarters in Washington DC.  Other questions may be addressed to Scott Cinnamon, Scott.Cinnamon@fcc.gov.
  • Applications Deadline
    Rolling basis.

  • Bureau/Office - Position 5 of 7
    Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau –
    Operations and Emergency Management Division
    Legal Intern

    The Operations and Emergency Management Division (OEMD) is seeking Spring, Summer and Fall Unpaid Interns to work on a variety of operational and emergency management/response issues to enhance the security and resilience of our nation’s critical communications capabilities. OEMD’s mission is to increase the resilience of communications infrastructure to support life-saving, life sustaining, and national security communications. OEMD maintains the readiness of the Federal Communications Commission to respond to emergencies, conducts and coordinates incident management activities, and coordinates with a broad range of national security and public safety partners, including: the National Security Council staff; key federal partners in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Justice; the intelligence community; and state and local emergency response officials. Policy areas include national security and emergency preparedness communications, continuity of operations, national level exercises, and priority communication services.

  • Internship Period(s)
    Spring, Summer and Fall Semester(s)
  • General Duties
    Legal interns will work on a broad variety of legal and policy issues relating to existing programs and regulations of the agency. They will perform assignments and provide legal support which address Division issues that involve complex information. In addition, legal interns will assist in the preparation of legal memoranda and other Commission documents, assisting staff attorneys and Division leadership in an often fast-paced environment on a variety of policy issues.  Interns will also prepare senior Commission officials for meetings with outside Executive Branch organizations and national security partners including the National Security Council Staff, DoD, DHS and Federal law enforcement agencies.  Past interns have also had the opportunity to attend these interagency meetings, depending on topic areas and security clearance requirements.
  • Selection Criteria
    OEMD seeks second and third year law students with strong analytical, research, writing, and communications skills that demonstrate a strong interest in communications, public interest, or federal government.  Legal interns must be students enrolled in an accredited law school at least half-time to apply.  Legal interns may apply during their first year of law school, but they must have completed their first academic year of law school before the internship starts.  Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  • Send Application to
    Chris Smeenk, Operations and Emergency Management Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at Chris.Smeenk@fcc.gov.
  • Application Information
    A completed application packet should include: cover letter, resume, undergraduate (for non-law technical interns) or law school transcript (for legal interns), and a brief writing sample.  Applicants should clearly indicate the period(s) for which they are applying, and the amount of time (days/hours) they would be available to work each week.
  • Additional Information
    Multiple internships are offered on a year-round basis through the Pathways Program.  Priority may be given to students supported by fellowship, stipend funding, or those receiving credit from the educational institution.  Available intern positions are located at the FCC headquarters in Washington DC.   Other questions may be addressed to Chris Smeenk at Chris.Smeenk@fcc.gov.
  • Applications Deadline
    Rolling basis.


 

  • Bureau/Office - Position 6 of 7
    Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau –
    Operations and Emergency Management Division (National Security Emergency Preparedness)
    National Security Emergency Preparedness Plans and Policy Intern

    The Operations and Emergency Management Division (OEMD) is seeking Spring, Summer and Fall Interns to work on a variety of operational and emergency response issues to enhance the security and resilience of our nation’s critical communications capabilities.  OEMD maintains the readiness of the Federal Communications Commission to respond to emergencies, conducts and coordinates incident management activities, and coordinates with a broad range of national security and public safety partners.  For example, available staff and interns performed crucial tasks during the 2017 Hurricane Season that significantly contributed to a successful response to multiple hurricanes during that period.  Policy areas include national security and emergency preparedness communications, national level exercises, and priority communication services. 

  • Internship Period(s)
    Spring, Summer and Fall Semester(s)
  • General Duties
    National Security Emergency Preparedness Interns will work on a broad range issues relating to ongoing incident management operations, national security threats, and incident preparedness across potential and existing programs and regulations of the agency. Emergency Management interns will cover a range of operational planning, coordination, and execution tasks to enhance the Commission’s ability to support nationally significant incidents.  OEMD interns will prepare senior Commission officials for meetings with outside Executive Branch organizations and national security partners including the National Security Council Staff, DoD, DHS and Federal law enforcement agencies.  Past interns have also had the opportunity to attend these interagency meetings, depending on topic areas and security clearance requirements.
  • Selection Criteria
    OEMD seeks candidates with a background or concentration in operations planning or research, emergency response, national security, intelligence or public safety communications.  Eligible candidates are current students who are graduate students, undergraduate seniors, or juniors with an outstanding academic record.  Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  • Send Application to
    Chris Smeenk, Operations and Emergency Management Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at Chris.Smeenk@fcc.gov.
  • Application Information
     A completed application packet should include: cover letter, resume, undergraduate/graduate and a brief writing sample.  Applicants should clearly indicate the period(s) for which they are applying, and the amount of time (days/hours) they would be available to work each week. 
  • Additional Information
    Multiple internships are offered on a year-round basis through the Pathways Program.  Priority may be given to students supported by fellowship, stipend funding, or those receiving credit from the educational institution.  Available intern positions are located at the FCC headquarters in Washington DC.   Other questions may be addressed to Chris Smeenk at (202) 418-1630.
  • Applications Deadline
    Rolling basis.


 

  • Bureau/Office - Position 7 of 7
    Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau –
    Policy and Licensing Division
    Legal Internship and/or Clerkship - 911, Alerting, and Spectrum

    The Policy and Licensing Division of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission is seeking to fill various intern positions. The Policy and Licensing Division drafts, develops, and administers rules, regulations, and policies, including those pertaining to 700 MHz and 800 MHz spectrum, 911/Enhanced 911 (E911), Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), Emergency Alerting System, Wireless Emergency Alerts, operability and interoperability for public safety communications. In addition, the Policy and Licensing Division oversees the licensing of spectrum for public safety entities (e.g., police and fire departments).
  • Internship Period(s)
    Fall/Spring semesters and Summer
  • General Duties: Unpaid Legal Intern
    The intern will assist with analysis of a broad spectrum of legal issues relating to the policies, programs and regulations of the agency. He/she will perform legal research on a variety of issues and also may be required to prepare written summary of research findings. Additionally, the intern will assist in the preparation of legal memoranda and other Commission documents. The intern also will attend and participate in meetings with Commission personnel and outside parties.
  • Selection Criteria
    First, second and third year law students with strong analytical, research, writing and organizational skills. Students must be enrolled in law school at least half-time in order to apply. Must be U.S. Citizen.
  • Send Application to
    Ashley Tellier and Rachel Wehr at PLDInternProgram@fcc.gov.
  • Application Information
    Cover letter, resumé, official or unofficial transcript, and a 3-page writing sample.
  • Additional Information
    Multiple internships are offered on a year-round basis through the Pathways Program.  Priority may be given to students supported by fellowship, stipend funding, or those receiving credit from the educational institution.  Available intern positions are located at the FCC headquarters in Washington DC.  If you should have any questions concerning this internship, please contact Ashley Tellier and Rachel Wehr via email at PLDInternProgram@fcc.gov.
  • Applications Deadline
    Rolling basis.

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