Policy Research Intern

Research & Programme Intern - Doha Space-to-Earth Initiative

Organization: ReVora UG

Placement: 90-day, part-time internship

Compensation: Unpaid

Location: Doha, Qatar / hybrid-remote

Completion: Certificate of Completion upon successful completion

About the Initiative

ReVora is developing the Doha Space-to-Earth initiative to examine consequential questions at the intersection of space capability, institutional requirements and challenges on Earth.

The present phase is the Doha Space-to-Earth Roundtable: a question-led, exploratory and nonbinding process bringing together institutional, research and industry perspectives to test evidence, challenge assumptions and identify questions requiring deeper examination.

The Roundtable is the beginning of the process, not an established Council. Subsequent working groups, a broader Forum and any later institutional structure will depend upon demonstrated value, continuing demand and authorization.

Role Purpose

The Research & Programme Intern will support the substantive research behind the Roundtable.

Working under professional supervision, the intern will develop evidence, source bases, issue framing and briefing materials required for rigorous examination and informed deliberation.

The objective is not simply to collect information, but to determine what is supported, contested or uncertain, and what additional evidence or expertise is required.

Principal Responsibilities

• Conduct focused literature reviews and policy, institutional and technical research.
• Identify, assess and validate primary and secondary sources.
• Build structured research and evidence matrices.
• Develop annotated evidence briefs, issue summaries and question dossiers.
• Map relevant institutions, sectors and capabilities.
• Identify conflicting evidence, unsupported assertions, assumptions and knowledge gaps.
• Maintain source provenance and verifiability.
• Support refinement of questions for Roundtable examination and subsequent work.
• Prepare concise briefing materials for programme leadership and subject-matter experts.
• Maintain organized research records, libraries and handover materials.
• Track assigned research outputs, dependencies and deadlines.

Research may span three interconnected areas:

Space Infrastructure & Access

Space Security & Defense

Space for Earth

Expected Outputs

Each internship will operate under a written work plan with three to five defined outputs, which may include:

• Annotated evidence briefs
• Research and evidence matrices
• Validated source libraries
• Issue summaries and question dossiers
• Structured research and handover records

Candidate Profile

We are looking primarily for research discipline and intellectual reliability.

Strong candidates will demonstrate:

• Research and analytical writing ability
• Careful source evaluation and information verification
• Ability to distinguish evidence from interpretation, assumption and uncertainty
• Strong written English
• Competence with spreadsheets, collaborative documents and digital research organization
• Ability to synthesize complex information into concise, structured outputs
• Reliability in managing defined deliverables and deadlines
• Professional judgment around institutional or sensitive information
• Ability to work across cultures, disciplines and institutional perspectives

Current postgraduate students and recent graduates are particularly relevant.

Prior space or aerospace experience is not required. Experience in international affairs, public policy, geopolitics, institutional research, Earth observation, infrastructure, sustainability, emerging technology or related fields may be advantageous.

The intern may develop evidence, prepare analysis, identify gaps, challenge assumptions and propose assessments, but will not independently:

• determine final analytical judgments;
• represent official policy positions;
• make institutional commitments;
• manage sensitive institutional relationships;
• issue formal invitations; or
• authorize publication or external representation.

The internship includes ReVora-specific onboarding and training, a named supervisor, a written work plan, defined access and confidentiality requirements, a midpoint review and an end-of-assignment evaluation.