The CALS Global Fellows Program supports CALS undergraduate students from any major in pursuit of challenging, professionally-focused summer internships and research placements that enhance and complement their career goals and academic progress while enriching their undergraduate experience with diverse cultural and international immersion. Through key partnerships, the Global Fellows Program provides a platform for students to make positive and definable contributions to global organizations and communities.

Acceptance to the program is competitive and a limited number of students are selected each year. Selected Fellows receive a stipend to offset major expenses.

Students who are accepted into the CALS Global Fellows Program will be required to complete 4 parts of the program:

• An in-person 7-week, Spring (session 2) pre-engagement 1 credit course ALS 2300, focusing on health and safety, cultural awareness, logistics and more.
• a continuous 8–12-week internship or research placement in an international setting
• and a 7-week, 1 credit post-engagement course in the first half of the Fall semester (ALS/GDEV 3105)
• Poster Symposium in the Fall

Placement Opportunity: United Nations World Food Programme – Assessment and Targeting Data Analyst (Rome, Italy)

Placements: 2 (in person)

Dates: End May– End July 2026 (approximately 8-12 weeks)

Suggested Majors and/or Professional Interests:  Global Development, E&S, Info Science, Biometry & Stats, GPHS, Agricultural Science or other related major.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP): is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Brief Descriptions of the Division: The Assessment and Targeting Unit leads efforts to ensure high-quality assessments are conducted to generate accurate, timely, and actionable insights on food security and vulnerability. These analyses underpin evidence-based targeting approaches, ensuring that assistance reaches the most vulnerable populations effectively and efficiently. The Unit also contributes to the analysis and reporting of global needs, translating assessment findings into inputs for high-level corporate reports and advocacy platforms, supporting informed decision-making and resource mobilization.

Duties and Responsibilities: The selected candidate will contribute to quantitative and mixed-method analytical work related to assessments and targeting, including: • Support data analysis related to vulnerability and food security outcomes • Contribute to the application of statistical, geospatial, or mixed-method approaches to improve targeting methodologies • Assist in the validation and comparison of different targeting approaches, including geographic and household-level methods • Support development of analytical outputs (datasets, dashboards, briefs) to inform operational decision-making • Participate in data cleaning, management, and quality assurance processes • Contribute to documentation of analytical methods and findings for knowledge sharing and learning

Type of Assignment: This opportunity is particularly well-suited for students or recent graduates seeking applied data analysis and quantitative methods, offering hands-on experience contributing to targeting and assessment work within WFP. It offers valuable exposure to WFP’s operations and the chance to contribute meaningfully to its mission.

Application Information:

Students interested in applying to this particular internship are encouraged to have a backup option.  This is a very competitive and popular program.  If you have a second-choice placement in mind, there is space in the application to indicate that preference.

Applicants may preview the application before starting by clicking on the “preview application” button next to the apply button on the CALS Global Fellows Program website. All application materials, including the statement of purpose and resume, are submitted within the online system. 

Students who apply for the WFP Global Fellows opportunity will first be reviewed and selected by the CALS Global Fellows Program based on their academic preparation, demonstrated interest in global development, and professional readiness.

Those who are selected by CALS will then proceed to the second stage of the process, where their placement will be confirmed through the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) portal and the WFP's human resources approval system. Final confirmation of placement is contingent upon WFP’s acceptance through this official UN process.