Sodium Monitoring and Evaluation Internship - Spring 2022
The Center for Science in the Public Interest offers a paid internship program for students in undergraduate, graduate, law and medical schools, and we also consider postgraduates. These paid internships offer structured work experiences and an opportunity to:
- Gain substantial knowledge of the policy-making process and the role science plays.
- Participate in group meetings and strategy brainstorming sessions.
- Obtain general research and communication skills by working closely with science, policy, legislative and outreach experts.
- Meet with staff at all levels of the organization to discuss career roles and paths.
- Assess your own interests and skills.
About CSPI
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, America’s food and health watchdog, is one of the nation’s leading public health advocacy organizations with a 50-year record of fighting for science in the public interest and working to improve the food environment for all. CSPI led efforts to win passage of many state and local policies to improve school food, remove sugary drinks from children’s menus, and require calorie labeling on chain restaurant menus.
About the Internship Opportunity
On October 13, 2021, the FDA released the long-awaited Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals for Commercially Processed, Packaged, and Prepared Foods. These sodium targets were first issued in draft form in 2016 in response to petitions and a lawsuit CSPI filed with the FDA. The final guidance was intended to provide recommendations for voluntary short-term (2-year) and long-term (10-year) sodium reduction targets across >160 specific food categories for the food industry to meet. However, the final guidance, once released, included only 2.5-year targets, and no commitment to a 10-year target or a plan for monitoring sodium reduction.
CSPI’s Science team plans to develop a protocol to monitor the extent to which the voluntary 2.5-year targets are adopted across the food industry (e.g., in packaged and restaurant foods). We are searching for a graduate student with coursework or experience in study design and statistical analysis to lead development and initial testing of this protocol, including:
- Identifying appropriate data sources.
- Developing a sampling scheme based on the specified food categories and creating an analysis plan.
- Testing this methodology by estimating baseline (2021) compliance with sodium targets.
Our long-term goal is to apply this methodology longitudinally, with particular interest in compliance at the 2.5-year mark (2024).
Qualifications
- Currently enrolled in a science-related graduate degree program with 1-2 years of coursework or experience conducting public health/epidemiological research. Understanding of public health nutrition research methods and proficiency working with large nutrition databases preferred.
- Scientific curiosity and a strong commitment to scientific integrity.
- A sense of mission and passion for public interest and public health advocacy.
- Proficiency with MSOffice applications, including Excel and Access; and statistical programs such as Stata/SAS.
What Else You Should Know
CSPI pays interns $15.20 per hour. Our 10-week spring intern program is part-time, and interns will work 10 hours per week. The ideal start date is the beginning of February 2022, but we will work with applicants if there’s a schedule conflict. The spring internship program is remote as CSPI is still a work-from-home office.
CSPI on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
CSPI is committed to including and valuing diverse voices and fostering a culture that ensures all staff feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to be their best selves. In that spirit, each of us is committed to putting in constant work to live up to our organization’s core values:
- We are inclusive. We seek to foster an environment where all staff feel a sense of belonging and are affirmed. We are not looking for everyone to think and look the same. We actively welcome and value staff with different experiences, backgrounds, attributes, abilities, and perspectives.
- We are open. We are honest and direct in how we communicate with each other in order to build trust and integrity within our organization.
- We are accountable. We acknowledge and assume responsibility for our actions.
- We are kind. We communicate and treat one another in a respectful, generous, considerate, and compassionate way.
- We are collaborative. We work together for the common good and shared success.
To Apply
Please utilize CSPI's Paylocity Applicant Tracking System to apply for the Spring 2022 Sodium Monitoring and Evaluation Internship. You must submit a resume/CV and cover letter indicating your interest, qualifications, and relevant skills and experience. The application deadline is December 17, 2021 with an estimated start date in early February 2022.
CSPI is committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills and encourages people of diverse ages, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, disabilities, religions, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, work, and life experiences to apply.