INTERNSHIP IN APPLIED RESEARCH FOR ENS MASTERS’ STUDENTS IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (HQ)
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* IN MEMORY OF ANTONIN GIRARDI*
Internship Overview
The Antonin Girardi Research Internship was established in 2021 as a partnership between IMPACT Initiatives and the École Normale Supérieure (Paris), in memory of Antonin Girardi and of all humanitarian workers who have been victims of violence perpetrated against them. On 9th August 2020, Antonin Girardi and 6 other colleagues lost their lives when they were targeted by an attack in Kouré, Niger. Antonin and his colleagues were in Niger as humanitarians, putting their skills and capacity to the service of some of the most vulnerable communities in the world. Specifically, Antonin’s work revolved around applied research. Through his research, Antonin shed light on the situation and the needs of populations displaced and affected by conflict. By doing so, Antonin’s work was used by aid actors to target the most in need, with the right help, at the right time.
The Antonin Girardi Research Internship will provide opportunities to other ENS students to put their skills and capacity to the service of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. The selected intern will join a leading humanitarian research organisation, and will spend 6-12 months in its Geneva headquarters supporting research being conducted in various contexts of crisis. The internship will provide a unique opportunity to be exposed to, and apply, quantitative research and analysis skills in an international working environment, centred around humanitarian action.
Overview
The Programmes, Communications and Research (PCR) Division at IMPACT HQ was created in 2025, following a restructuring process and subsequent merger of three previous HQ departments: Global Programmes, Research, and Communications & Advocacy. The PCR Division was created to ensure the organisation continues to deliver high-impact, high-quality research programmes through user-centered design, establishing core standards, supporting country implementation, and amplifying impact through effective communications and advocacy.
Within this set-up, the Research Quality Assurance (RQA) Unit acts as a “guardian” of research quality, ethics, and compliance within IMPACT. This means:
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Ensuring that all IMPACT teams (global and country) have the knowledge, tools and capacities for the consistent production of rigorous, credible, and responsible evidence across different contexts; and
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Continuously strengthening research methods, tools and processes through a learning-based approach.
Through these functions, the RQA Unit will contribute towards achieving Objective 2 - Pioneering Research Excellence - within IMPACT’s Strategic Plan for 2025-2030 , and specifically Sub-objective 2.1 focused on Research Quality.
After a period of onboarding and training, the Research Intern is expected to play a central role in ensuring research cycles meet or exceed IMPACT’s quality standards, with a specific focus on quantitative research. They provide technical review and backstopping on quantitative design, data processing, analysis, and reporting while contributing to the continuous improvement of research standards. Ideally, by the end of the internship, the Research Intern would have developed knowledge and skills to move to a field-based research or analysis position within the humanitarian sector. In addition, the Research Intern will have time to work on a research and learning exercise that matches their interests and also contributes to IMPACT research priorities.
Position: Research Intern
Duration: 6-12 months (depending on candidate availability and agreement with ENS Paris)
**Remuneration: ** 1'450 CHF gross per month (961 CHF basic salary + 489 CHF contribution towards medical insurance)
**Start date: ** ** **May 2026
**Location: ** ** **Geneva, Switzerland
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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Understand how research implementation works in the humanitarian sector, and the different steps to follow from design to final output production, ideally to build the competencies required for a field-based research or data position with IMPACT after the 6-12 month internship
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Understand the challenges and constraints faced by country teams across the implementation of a research project, through mentoring, day-to-day communications with country teams, and other ad-hoc learning opportunities
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Understand the humanitarian sector and IMPACT research standards through the completion of the Foundational Learning Programme (FLP) courses, humanitarian sector course, a dedicated learning activity, available guidelines included in the RD toolkit, but also the many existing learning forums at IMPACT (Division & Unit meeting updates, lunch & learn, information sharing webinar, etc.)
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Develop other soft skills needed for a field research position, such as planning, prioritizing, public speaking (through different interventions in front of RQA members at the department or unit level), problem solving, communication, etc.,
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
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Support the establishment of research standards i.e. support the development of IMPACT’S Research Toolkit, which establishes key requirements and tools for each stage of the research cycle.
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Support the implementation of research standards i.e. implement quality control processes and provide technical backstopping before and during research implementation, to ensure all teams are complying with established standards, as defined within IMPACT’s Research Toolkit.
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Strengthen research standards: i.e. help establish and implement internal learning processes to continuously review and strengthen IMPACT’s research methods, tools, and outcomes.
**REQUIREMENTS **
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Enrollment at ENS Paris during the time of the internship
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Good academic qualifications, including a bachelor’s degree or higher in relevant discipline (Social Sciences, Economics, Anthropology, Statistics, International Relations, Political Sciences, or similar)
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Basic understanding of quantitative research methods within the field of social sciences
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Basic understanding of statistics and statistical analysis techniques
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Good working knowledge in Microsoft Office, especially Excel
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Fluency in oral and written English
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Attention to detail and commitment to producing high quality work
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Openness to feedback and willingness to learn
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Ability to manage time effectively and work in a fast paced, results oriented working environment
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Ability to work independently, with initiative, and strong capacity to work in intercultural team
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Demonstrated interest in an extended career of research within the humanitarian and international development sector, upon successful completion of the internship
*Desired: *
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Volunteering experience related to international solidarity, either at home or abroad
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Prior experience with primary (field) research, ideally in an international context
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Good working knowledge of R or similar languages
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Fluency in oral and written French and / or Spanish
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Familiarity with the humanitarian aid system