Most think tanks are funded through private donations, grants and in some cases, public funds. Many think tanks have some type of internship program for undergraduate students which can help you figure out if you are a good fit for the industry. Though senior positions at think tanks typically require a higher level degree i. When deciding whether to intern or work at a think tank, it is important to consider the following questions source: Oxford Career Page :. Essential Skills Though the type of work done varies from think tank to think tank, it is essential to be able to think critically, have good quantitative research and writing skills, and synthesize research and information and communicate them in easily understood ways.
Directories: there are many think tanks both nationally and internationally. The following resources provide extensive lists and information about prominent think tanks in the US and abroad. Skip to main content.
Handshake Hive. Introduction to Think Tanks. Nicole D. Types of Think Tanks There are many different types of think tanks out there and it is important to be aware of any special interests, political affiliations or profit structures they have before you begin applying to positions.
Below is a list of the types of think tanks that exist: Autonomous and Independent: Significant independence from any one interest group or donor and autonomous in its operation and funding from government.
The Institute works both in the United States and globally, evenly splitting its energies between the two. The Center analyzes the impact of federal and state government budget policies from a Progressive viewpoint, and as such, generally argues for more spending for social programs and fewer tax cuts.
The Center has been involved in the establishment of a number of influential government programs over the years, including the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative and the International Budget Partnership.
In recent years, NBER has developed additional research programs in subjects such as aging, children, education, and healthcare, among others. At first, EPIC focused solely on government surveillance and issues having to do with cryptology. Since then, it has expanded to include programs and research on a much wider variety of topics, including government transparency, electronic voting, identity theft, medical record privacy, commercial mining data, and the use of the Freedom of Information Act to publicize documents.
Appropriately, EPIC's publications are practically all online. In addition to maintaining websites and groups such as privacy. Washington, DC Founded in by C. Fred Bergsten, the Peterson Institute for International Economics devotes itself to the study of international economic policy. CSIS regularly publishes books, reports, newsletters, and commentaries targeted at major decision-makers. Today, Urban conducts nearly individual projects at any given time, the subjects of which range from the cost-effectiveness of crime prevention to the success of immigrant children in US schools.
Most of Urban's researchers are economists, social scientists, or public policy researchers, and past Board of Trustee members have included such heavyweights as McGeorge Bundy and Robert McNamara. EPI deals with 12 main issues including education, immigration, race and ethnicity, and health , and runs three major programs: the Economic Analysis and Research Network, a nationwide network of advocacy groups; the Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, which addresses economic inequalities faced by minorities; and the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education, a national campaign that seeks to remedy issues faced by children in education.
EPI also publishes State of Working America, a regularly published book that breaks down the economy's impact on the living standards of working families. Washington, DC The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is a DC-based think tank dealing primarily in issues of international development, science and technology, and security and international affairs.
The Woodrow Wilson Center Press publishes a number of books each year by fellows and other resident scholars, as well as the Center's journal, Wilson Quarterly. To do this, it publishes a number of books, articles, op-eds, and interviews targeted towards politicians, scholars, and journalists.
The Manhattan Institute also publishes the quarterly City Journal. They also maintain a popular blog, and publish books and articles relating to both illegal and legal immigration. The Center is highly controversial, and in recent years has been accused by the Wall Street Journal and the Southern Poverty Law Center of having ties to white supremacist groups and a eugenics foundation.
Though its headquarters are located in the Embassy Row neighborhood of Washington, DC, it also has centers in Moscow, Beirut, Beijing, and Brussels, which make it a unique global network of policy research centers. Each center worldwide houses local experts who produce top-notch work on critical national, regional, and global issues.
As intended, these experts often provide national capitals and institutions with a deeper understanding of the circumstances shaping various policy choices. Affiliated with the Soros Foundation Budapest, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and the Soros Foundation New York, the Open Society Foundation releases information and funds to civil society groups around the world in an effort to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media.
In the US, the Institute has focused recent efforts on advocating for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, net neutrality, and the organization of mass protests, including the Occupy Movement. It is also worth mentioning that George Soros remains a very polarizing and controversial figure.
Critics on the Left have argued that the Open Society Institute and Foundation serve only to advance a capitalist order, while figures on the Right have claimed the Foundation works with the intention of establishing a unitary global government. Originally established in response to the threat of Nazism, Freedom House has remained consistent in its vigorous opposition to any and all threats to democracy: dictatorships in Central America, apartheid in South Africa, the suppression of the Prague Spring, genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda, and various human rights atrocities worldwide.
Today, Freedom House publishes a number of books and reports by both its fellows and prominent statesmen, though it is most famous for its annual "Freedom in the World" report, which ranks each country's degree of political freedoms and civil liberties. This report is frequently cited by political scientists, journalists, policymakers, and those in academia. Through unique initiatives and its Fellowship Program, the Foundation deals in a variety of research, and often organizes conferences and special events focusing on the most important issues of the time.
The Institute's nearly research fellows research, write, and publish their findings for everything from public consumption, to the basis for conferences, to information for media programs. Its most successful publication is undoubtedly the peer-reviewed Independent Review , which includes articles on economics, political science, law, history, philosophy, and sociology. Since , the Institute has run a satellite website called MyGovCost. Chicago, IL The Heartland Institute was founded in Chicago in , and has become a rapidly up-and-coming public policy think tank.
The Institute is heavily involved in advocacy and research, especially on such topics as government spending, taxation, healthcare, tobacco policy, global warming, information technology, and free-market environmentalism. In fact, in recent years the Institute has made waves as the primary American supporter of critics of the scientific "consensus" on climate change, and has published countless articles and even a billboard campaign pointing out the economic dangers of some of the suggested regulations on the burning of fossil fuels.
Harkness, the Commonwealth Fund was one of the first foundations established by a woman. Since then, it has expanded into a think tank that promotes a high-performing healthcare system and advocates for low-income families, the uninsured, minorities, young children, and the elderly.
Since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, the Fund has become a main source of information about the law's reforms, enrollment numbers, the effects of insurance reforms and sustainability of insurance marketplaces, and much more. The Fund also hosts an international healthcare policy symposium each year in Washington, DC.
Since its founding in as a branch of the Hudson Institute, Discovery has been a target for controversy. Lewis on Science, Scientism, and Society , among others. Today, BPC claims it is the only Washington, DC--based think tank that actively works to address key national issues while promoting bipartisanship.
On the research end of things, BCP's main topics of interest include economic policy, healthcare and nutrition, energy, housing, national security, and transportation. Interestingly, Acton has successfully built a network of international affiliations in Italy, Brazil, Austria, and Zambia, all of which further promote and defend human rights and the free market.
Some examples of political risk organisations that Oxford students go on to work for after graduating include: Oxford Analytica, iHS, Control Risks, Eurasia Group and the Economist Intelligence Unit, as well as specialist units of accountancy, banking and management consultancy firms. Freelance and other opportunities also exist in this area across a range of employers and sectors, from international organisations to financial and oil companies and consumer businesses.
For more information about these opportunities please refer to the website links towards the end of this briefing. Recruiters are keen to have a diverse workforce and many will have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting students and graduates from diverse backgrounds.
An increasing number of recruiters are offering traineeships, internships and Insight events and many are being recognized for their approach to being inclusive employers. To find out the policies and attitudes of the recruiters that you are interested in, explore their equality, diversity and inclusion policy.
Search their website to see if they have any specific staff networks, look out for external accreditation such as whether they are a Disability Confident employer, a Stonewall Diversity Champion or part of the Mindful Employer charter promoting mental health at work.
Check to see if they are partnering with organisations such as Rare Recruitment, SEO London, MyPlus Students' Club disability , EmployAbility disability and neurodifference and there are many more that are working for specific communities. A key place to look is to see what they do to celebrate diversity on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
The UK Equality Act has a number of protected characteristics to prevent discrimination due to your age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation.
Check the CareerConnect platform for all our upcoming events and opportunities, book appointments, find jobs and internships, and more. Login to CareerConnect. Skip to main content. Working in a think tank can be exciting, influential and very fulfilling. Think tanks also differ from other research organisations such as risk consultancies see note below , pressure groups or voluntary organisations, in a number of ways: They are usually identified with particular positions on the political spectrum, such as left, centrist, right, green, and liberal etc.
They often use the media and direct contacts with the senior leaders in their sector to disseminate their work in an attempt to influence government as well as wider public debate. They can initiate their own work and seek funding for it or can conduct research at the behest of a third party. They are generally funded from charitable and corporate sources. Expand All List of Think Tanks. Skills and Experience. Getting experience If you do not have much research experience or a postgraduate degree, short internships are a good way to gain experience and start building your network, and are an invaluable addition to your CV.
Will the internship provide a range of experiences and contacts? Will the experience provide a tangible project to talk about in your CV and later interviews? Entry Points. Getting a Job. Talk to people contacts, alumni, colleagues, tutors, supervisors who are already working in a field within which you might want to specialise, or who may know people who are in that field. If you are planning a thesis, already writing one, or undertaking research, think about how this may relate to your future aspirations.
Individual think tank websites are the most common sources for vacancies and consultancy opportunities. Contact think tanks you would like to work for; even if they are not advertising it is worth contacting them and asking about any opportunities, particularly if your research interests correspond strongly with their concerns. A note about Risk Consultancy Risk Consultancy is sometimes also considered by those seeking to use their research and communication skills beyond their degree.
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