Contracted Student Interns - Coastal Decision Support Fellow Fall 2026 (UNPAID)

About the role

This unpaid contracted student internship runs from September 21, 2026 through December 4, 2026 at 20 hours per week. The position is based at 131 Waquoit Highway, Waquoit, MA.

Responsibilities

• Use artificial intelligence and natural language processing tools to review Conservation Commission and Natural Resource Board meeting minutes from Massachusetts communities.
• Develop a framework to identify and categorize recurring topics, emerging issues, and decision-making trends across meetings.
• Track the progression and outcomes of key topics over time to understand their “fate” (e.g., approved, denied, modified, continued, or withdrawn).
• Summarize findings through reports, visualizations, and dashboards that highlight statewide and regional patterns.
• Collaborate with the Training & Engagement Program to translate findings into a needs assessment that informs future trainings, technical assistance, and engagement initiatives.
• Document AI workflows, prompts, and methodologies to create a repeatable process for future analyses.

Preferred Skills

• Interest in applying AI and large language models to real-world environmental and public policy challenges.
• Interest in qualitative research methods and social science approaches for understanding decision-making and governance.
• Experience with or coursework in qualitative data analysis preferred.
• Experience with AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar) and willingness to experiment with prompt engineering and workflow development.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to synthesize large volumes of text into clear themes, trends, and actionable insights.
• Familiarity with municipal government, environmental permitting, or natural resource management is a plus.
• Strong written communication skills and ability to present findings in reports and visual summaries.