Interns - Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) Projects

APHRC’s internship program offers entry-level professionals like you the chance to contribute to groundbreaking projects impacting Africa’s future. Work on real initiatives, sharpen your skills in data analysis, policy engagement, or even visual communication, and gain invaluable experience with a leading research institution.

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a premier research-to-policy institution, generating evidence, strengthening research and related capacity in the African research and development ecosystem, and engaging policy to inform action on health and development.

The Center, through its Research and Related Capacity Strengthening (RRCS) Division, seeks to strengthen individual and institutional research capacity to enable African researchers to fully participate in defining and implementing priority population and health programs on   the continent. As part of individual capacity strengthening efforts, APHRC has, over the years, been running a demand-driven research internship program whose objective seeks to nurture talented young Africans to become future scholars and research leaders.

For the 2026 period, the Research and Related Capacity Strengthening (RRCS) Division has opened internship opportunities in the following projects for 3-6 months, starting May 2026.

Project 22 – Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) (Work Package #2) – (1 intern)

Project Description

The Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) is a project under the Africa Union’s Africa Think Tank Platform (ATTP) expected to kick off in March 2026. It is led by APHRC (Kenya), in partnership with the Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies (ECES, Egypt), the Centre for Population and Environmental Development (CPED, Nigeria), the Centro de Integridade Publica (CIP, Mozambique), and the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rural (IPAR, Senegal). At APHRC, the project is led by the Synergy Program, with collaboration from the Research Program and the Operations Division.

The project will focus on different issues including climate change and food security, human development, and economic resilience and trade in Africa.

The Nutrition and Food Systems Unit is ci-leading Work Package 2 of the project, focused on climate change and food security in Africa. This is the Work Package under which we are seeking to host an intern.

Internship Activities

• Training of field enumerators.
• Data collection using qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Data analysis.
• Report writing.
• Scientific writing.
• Public engagement.
• Policy engagement.

Preferred background and skills

• Background on Nutrition, food security, food systems, sustainability, climate change.

Project 28 – Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPs) (Work Package #4) – (2 intern)

Project Description

The Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) project is a 30-month initiative funded by the African Union (AU) African Think Tank Platform (ATTP). The goal is to position Africa as a global policy leader through evidence-based, anticipatory governance that proactively addresses cross-border challenges, aligning with the AU’s Agenda 2063.

Internship Activities

• Collect secondary data from reputable databases and official portals relevant to developing new African Union economic metrics/indices.
• Organize and harmonize datasets across countries (e.g., education, health, and demographic datasets) to ensure consistency and comparability.
• Support indicator development by helping compute and check key measures (e.g., combining schooling and literacy data to create skills-adjusted schooling indicators).
• Assist with data cleaning and basic quantitative analysis to support the construction and validation of the indices (e.g., simple checks, summaries, and trends).
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Preferred background and skills

• Statistics and/or economics first degree economics 1st degree with a minimum of 2nd upper is preferable.
• Female applicants are especially encouraged to apply.

Project 29 – Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) (Work Package # 1) – (2 interns)

Project description

The Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) is a continental research and policy initiative funded through the African Union’s Africa Think Tank Platform. Led by APHRC, the consortium brings together five African think tanks to generate cross- border evidence that informs policy decisions across the continent. The programme focuses on key thematic areas including human capital development, economic transformation and governance, climate and food systems, and regional trade integration. Through research, continental indices, digital platforms, and policy engagement activities, the project aims to support evidence-based policymaking and strengthen collaboration between research institutions and policymakers across the 55 African Union member states.

Internship Activities

• Support research, policy engagement, and knowledge translation activities under the CACEPS programme. This will include conducting literature reviews and policy mapping on cross- border development issues, assisting with background research for policy briefs and reports, and supporting the synthesis of research findings into accessible knowledge products.
• Assist in organizing stakeholder engagements, webinars, and policy dialogues with partners including the African Union and regional institutions.
• Support documentation  of project  activities,  preparing  briefing  notes  for meetings,  and assisting with coordination across work packages within the consortium.

Through these activities, the intern will gain exposure to continental research collaboration, policy- oriented research processes, and the translation of research evidence into policy-relevant outputs.

Preferred background and skills

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Public Policy, Economics, Development Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Data Science, or a related social science field.
• Coursework or demonstrated interest in policy analysis, development policy, governance, or regional integration is desirable.
• Strong research, analytical, and writing skills.
• Familiarity with policy processes and an interest in evidence-to-policy processes will be an added advantage.

Project 30 – Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) (Work Package # 1) – (1 intern)

Project Description

The Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) is a continental research and policy initiative funded through the African Union’s Africa Think Tank Platform. Led by APHRC, the consortium brings together African think tanks to generate cross- border evidence that informs policy decisions across the continent. The programme focuses on key areas including human capital development, economic transformation, climate and food systems, and regional trade integration. The project produces a range of research outputs, policy products, digital tools, and knowledge materials aimed at supporting evidence-based policymaking across the 55 African Union member states.

Internship Activities

• Support the design and visual communication needs of the CACEPS programme and the Policy Engagement and Communications unit.
• Assist in developing visual materials that translate research findings into accessible formats for policy and public audiences. This includes designing infographics, social media graphics, presentations, and visual layouts for reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products.
• Support the design of event materials for workshops, webinars, and stakeholder engagements, including banners, slide templates, and promotional materials.
• Contribute to visual content for digital platforms, including dashboards, online publications, and multimedia communication products.

Through these activities, the intern will gain practical experience in research communication, knowledge translation, and visual storytelling within a continental research programme working with African policy institutions.

Preferred background and skills

• Bachelor’s degree or currently pursuing studies in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Multimedia Design, Digital Media, Communication Design, or a related field.
• Proficiency in  design  software  such  as  Adobe  Creative  Suite  (Illustrator,  InDesign, Photoshop), Canva, or similar tools.
• Basic understanding of visual storytelling, layout design, and infographic development.
• Experience designing digital communication products, social media graphics, reports, or presentations.
• Interest in development communication, research communication, or policy communication.

Project 31 – Consortium for Africa Cross-Border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) (Work Package # 1) – (1 intern)

Project Description

CACEPS is an AU-funded continental research consortium that generates cross-border evidence across four thematic areas to support Africa’s Agenda 2063 and AfCFTA implementation. Led by APHRC (Nairobi), the consortium works across all 55 AU member states, engaging with the AU Commission, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and national governments to turn research into policy action.

Internship Activities

• Content creation – draft and edit comms materials (blogs, articles, support development of policy products such as policy briefs. Assist in translating complex research findings into accessible and engaging content for diverse audiences.
• Social media and digital engagement – Assist in managing the project digital platforms.
• Develop and schedule social media posts that promote research outputs, events, and project milestones. Track engagement metrics and support basic analytics reporting.
• Communication and dissemination support – Support the process of gathering content from partners, documenting activities during project events and activities.
• Assist with documentation, live social media coverage, and post-event communication materials.
• Support the dissemination of project outputs to partners and stakeholders.
• Multimedia production – Support in designing visual communication materials and support video and multimedia production.

Preferred skills and background

• Bachelor’s degree (or final year student) in Communication, Journalism, Media Studies, Public Relations, Development Communication, Graphic Design, International Relations, or a related field.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills with the ability to simplify complex information.
• Basic graphic design skills using tools such as Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar platforms.
• Familiarity with social media management tools and digital content creation.
• Basic photography and video editing skills are an added advantage.
• Bachelor’s degree (or final year student) in Communication, Journalism, Media Studies, Public Relations, Development Communication, Graphic Design, International Relations, or a related field.