Research Analyst Intern

Research Analyst Intern On-Site in Ashburn, VA Position type: Internship Department: Project Research Division Reports to: Research Team Lead Date posted: January 30, 2026 Closing date: Open until filled About IPA Independent Project Analysis, Inc.

(IPA) is a global company with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, and Singapore.

IPA improves the competitiveness of our customers through enabling more effective use of capital in their businesses.

It is our mission and unique competence to conduct research into the functioning of capital projects and project systems and to apply the results of that research to help customers create and use their capital assets more efficiently.

Intern Duties and Responsibilities IPA is currently seeking bright, motivated, and intellectually curious undergraduate and graduate students across multiple academic disciplines for positions in IPA's 2026 summer internship program.

The internship program will be managed out of our corporate headquarters in Ashburn, Virginia from May 2026 to August 2026.

The internship is a full-time (40-hours per week) paid position, with compensation depending on years of school/experience.

For those interested, there may also be opportunities to continue into the fall on a part-time basis remotely (up to 25 hours per week). If you have an interest in research or building products that target prominent challenges faced by companies in a variety of industry sectors, you may be a great fit for IPA!

The intern will spend the summer working on a department project that will contribute to product or business area development or growth in an area of research.

Major responsibilities include: * Conduct literature review and synthesize project documentation on specific research topics * Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of capital project characteristics * Collect, clean, and organize data to perform analyses * Ensure data accuracy and consistency through validation and quality control * Identify trends, patterns, and correlations using statistical and analytical tools * Collaborate with subject matter experts and research analysts to develop data-driven insights and benchmarking products Ideal intern candidates would demonstrate and possess the following: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities * Excellent quantitative and analytical skills * Excellent oral and written communication skills * Good organization skills, ability to manage competing priorities * Knowledge of Excel and other programming languages is a plus * Knowledge of Stata or other statistical software such as R, SPSS * Experience with data cleaning and exploratory data analysis Characteristics * Strong work ethic * Self-motivated and able to work independently * Positive attitude and willingness to work in a team Qualifications and Experience Students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering, science (physics, chemistry, geology), project management, data science, economics, statistics, mathematics, social sciences, or related field is required.

Educational and Mentoring Plan for this Internship Over the course of the summer, interns will have an opportunity to collaborate with industry professionals while fostering technical and organizational skills.

In past summers, interns have supported projects in a variety of research departments including Teams & Organizations and Cost Analysis as well as business areas including Energy and Infrastructure.

All interns are assigned a day-to-day supervisor who will be responsible for orienting, training, and overseeing their progress on a given department task/project.

IPA's internship program offers several opportunities for professional development.

In past summers, the program has offered employee panels and workshops on topics ranging from industry knowledge to effective presentation skills.

At the end of the summer, the intern will be required to develop and deliver a presentation to the company outlining the findings of their research project and the value it brings to IPA's clients.

How to Apply Interested candidates should complete the form below and include a cover letter and resume (including your undergraduate and/or graduate GPA) outlining your academic and professional interests.

Specify any IPA research topic area(s) that interest you.