The National Policy Forum (NPF) is thrilled to officially introduce Cohort III of our flagship Research Internship Program. Designed for young policy enthusiasts, legal minds, and emerging researchers, this cohort offers a unique collaborative platform to tackle some of the most pressing governance challenges in Nepal.

For Cohort III, our research interns will work directly under the expert guidance of dedicated research mentors assigned to specialized thematic tracks. Applicants are requested to select their preferred track during the application process based on the specific research focus areas outlined below. While mentees will be encouraged to bring their unique perspectives and narrow down specific issues based on their interests, our separate mentors will provide tailored structural and academic guidance across these five distinct sub-themes:

Cohort III Thematic Research Tracks — Choose Your Focus:

• Gender Justice & Human Rights Governance

  • Focus: Individual research questions within human rights governance.

  • Approach: Exploring personal areas of interest within the theme and co-authoring a collaborative, policy-oriented report.

• Agricultural Governance

  • Focus: Legal and institutional arrangements for contract farming in Nepal.

  • Approach: Analyzing agricultural frameworks to address market pricing issues and drafting a joint research output.

• Investment & Human Rights

  • Focus: Nepal's investment policy reforms (FITTA), LDC graduation, and geopolitical economic governance.

  • Approach: Deep thematic research using specialized templates, combined with weekly tracking of cross-cutting economic policies.

• Education Reform

  • Focus: K-12 structural restructuring, specifically targeting pedagogy changes and teacher professional development.

  • Approach: Working within a Policy-Recommendation or Program Design framework to draft actionable educational blueprints.

• Consumer Protection Policy

  • Focus: Consumer fraud, digital scams, and emerging regulatory policy challenges in Nepal.

  • Approach: Flexible framework allowing mentees to also cross-engage with disaster preparedness or renewable energy sectors.

Disclaimer: This is an unpaid research internship with a duration of 3 months, starting from June 2026. Please select your track carefully based on your interests and alignment with the focus areas outlined above.

Ready to shape policy from the ground up?

Kindly send your CV and the track you prefer to apply to [email protected].