International Agricultural Internship Program

Open to graduate students interested in international agriculture!

Interested in a career in international agricultural trade? Read on.

The International Agricultural Internship Program (IAIP) gives graduate students a chance to gain first-hand experience working at one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) overseas post in U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world.

Interns will get the opportunity to work in a FAS Office of Agricultural Affairs or Agricultural Trade Office located in a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Interns will carry out tasks in support of the Agricultural Counselor, Agricultural Attaché, and/or Agricultural Trade Officer in connection with USDA’s agricultural trade policy, analysis, and market development programs.

About FAS

  • Mission: Links U.S. agriculture to the world to enhance export opportunities and global food security
  • Location: Washington, D.C. + nearly 100 global offices covering 180 countries
  • Staff: 850+ people stationed in Washington, D.C. and overseas offices, including 300+ locally employed staff overseas
  • In Short: Facilitating trade and international cooperation, which are critical to the vitality of the U.S. agricultural sector.
  • How: FAS staff identify problems, provide practical solutions, and work to advance opportunities for U.S. agriculture and support U.S. foreign policy around the globe.

About the FAS Foreign Service

  • Foreign Agricultural Service is one of six Foreign Affairs Agencies in the U.S. government
  • Location: U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide.
  • Staff: A team of Foreign Service officers who are front‐line professionals representing the Department of Agriculture at nearly 100 U.S. embassies and other sites across the globe.
  • In Short: Serving as the eyes, ears, and voice for U.S. agriculture on the ground worldwide.
  • How: Foreign Service Officers represent the interests and needs of American agriculture at U.S. diplomatic missions abroad.

As an International Agricultural Intern

Interns in the IAIP have varied duties based on the mission of the specific FAS overseas office. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

  • Compiles, edits, formats, and transmits information required for the execution of USDA programs
  • Assists in researching and drafting agricultural reports
  • Solicits and compiles in-country agricultural trade intelligence
  • Monitors trade policy developments for food and agricultural products
  • Represents U.S. agriculture and promotes the interest of the U.S. food and agriculture product exports overseas
  • Travels, as necessary, to complete assigned tasks

Logistics

FAS will place up to seven IAIP Interns overseas offices based on qualifications and alignment with overseas office needs. Geographic location preference(s) should be noted in your application, along with specific skills that you may have in a particular region (former Peace Corps service, language capabilities, past work experience in a region, professional interests, etc.). Geographic preference does not necessarily result in placement in that region.

Internships will occur during the summer season, with departure to FAS overseas offices in late May/early June and return to the United States in late July/early August, depending on the availability of the intern and the FAS office. All interns will receive a stipend of $3,209 per month, equivalent to federal employee grade GS-7, in addition to round-trip air and land travel, travel health insurance, visas, a housing allowance, a dedicated one-on-one mentor during the internship, along with receiving internship support and training from the University of Missouri and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ Office of International Programs.

Eligibility

The IAIP is open to students who:

  • Are enrolled full-time or part-time in a graduate program or are accepted to graduate programs for the spring or fall of 2023, majoring in an agricultural or related field. Acceptable fields of study include agricultural economics, agricultural business, agricultural journalism, international economics, and international finance, business, or marketing.
  • Are at least 18 years of age.
  • Demonstrate a minimum grade point average of 3.3 at the graduate level (or at the undergraduate level if accepted to graduate school).
  • Have some experience (paid or volunteer) in agriculture; international affairs; international trade, business or marketing; agricultural development; and/or biotechnology
  • Are a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation before June 2023.

Desired Characteristics

The following qualifications are preferred for applicants in the International Agricultural Internship Program:

  • Relevant work experience (paid or volunteer) and/or completed coursework in agriculture; international affairs; international trade, business or marketing; agricultural development; biotechnology and/or international law
  • Understanding of international business, trade, agriculture and/or economics
  • Analytical skills demonstrated by research experiences, coursework related to research methods, statistics and related topics
  • Communication and writing skills
  • Initiative and self-motivated
  • Ability to work on cross-cultural teams

Benefits

  • Stipend, equivalent to a federal employee at grade GS-7 ($3,209/month)
  • Round-trip air and land travel included
  • Student travel health insurance
  • Costs of visa, mandated vaccinations and required medicine for travel
  • Housing allowance (based on U.S. State Department guidelines and country placement)
  • Access to IAIP Program Administrator before, during, and after internship
  • Pre-service, in-service, and post-service training and support from the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources to include:
    • Program orientation with FAS officials
    • Cohort pre-service virtual training sessions
    • Content and cultural competency webinars
    • Pre-departure seminar
    • In-service training and support (3 sessions)
    • One-on-one mentorship from subject matter expert during internship
    • Access to online academic resources from University of Missouri

International Agricultural Internship Program participants are not considered federal employees and do not have employment rights with the U.S. Federal Government.

How Applicants Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for these internships based on how well you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements above as evidenced by the education, experience, and training you describe in your resume, statement of interest, and application.

Your application will be reviewed to ensure that you meet the basic eligibility and qualification requirements and that all required supporting documentation has been submitted prior to review by the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will consist of FAS staff and six faculty from U.S. colleges and universities and will be a blind process with names omitted.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that your description of qualifications or experience is inaccurate, you may be found ineligible.

To Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement, Feb. 1, 2023.

Applying online via our application is highly encouraged or an application packet can be emailed to henowski@mail.missouri.edu. If applying online poses a hardship, contact the IAIP Program Administrator listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. Reasonable accommodation can be provided to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis.

For an IAIP applicant package to be considered complete, the following documents are required to be submitted either in the original online application (link above) or via email:

  • A Resume (no more than 2 pages), including
    • personal information such as name, address, contact information
    • education
    • detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, the beginning and ending dates of employment; job title, (and job series and grade, if applicable)
    • a description of the work performed for each past work/volunteer period
    • contact name and email for each work period listed for reference checks
    • other qualifications that may be pertinent to these internships.
  • Statement of Interest (1 page)
    The statement of interest must describe your motivation for seeking this internship and specify which region of the world is of interest to you. You can select multiple regions or state “worldwide availability,” clearly demonstrating why that is your preference.
  • College Transcripts
    You must submit copies of your undergraduate and graduate level transcripts (or undergraduate transcripts and a letter of acceptance to a graduate study program if you are a new graduate student). The transcripts must show your field of study, school name, student’s name, current GPA or academic standing, past and current course work, degree program, and major/concentration. An unofficial copy is sufficient. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • Proof of graduate student status – by submitting one of the following:
    • A letter of acceptance to a related graduate study program in an accredited college or university for an upcoming term; or,
    • Transcripts showing current enrollment in a graduate program in a related field of study at an accredited college or university; or,
    • A letter on college/university stationery stating that you are enrolled in a graduate program for the current or upcoming academic term.

Resources

Questions?

Please direct any questions to Holly Enowski, IAIP Program Administrator, henowski@mail.missouri.edu.