Frontier Centre Internship Program
“Not only does being an intern at the Frontier Center for Public Policy expose you to a variety of contemporary issues and public policy debates, it offers you the opportunity to contribute to those debates in a meaningful way. I would recommend this internship to anyone who is interested in learning and writing about public policy, as well as gaining some valuable experience working with policy experts at a well-respected and influential think tank.” - Jonathan Wensveen, Frontier Intern, 2011
Contribute to policy research with one of Western Canada’s leading independent think tanks
The Frontier Centre offers internships to undergraduate and graduate students. The major objectives of our internship program are to help identify and develop future policy leaders in Canada, and to provide highly motivated students with the opportunity to enhance their own research skills and to contribute to the research efforts of the Frontier Centre.
Each Frontier intern is assigned to a specific member of our research team, who provides guidance and supervision through the course of the internship. Interns have the opportunity to participate in several different components of the research process, assisting with research, copy editing and writing on Frontier projects. Past interns have co-authored policy studies as well as accompanying op-ed commentaries published in newspapers across Canada. Click here to view the bios of past Frontier interns, which include links to research projects in which they participated.
Frontier interns can be based in our central office in Winnipeg or can work from a virtual office, corresponding regularly with their supervisor via e-mail and Skype.
Our internship program runs in three separate terms in each year. The dates for the winter, summer and autumn terms are shown at the bottom of this page. Each term is 4 months long, and precise start and end dates may be negotiable. In the winter and autumn terms, all internships are part-time (roughly 10 hours per week). In the summer term, Frontier offers part-time and full-time internships. All interns receive a stipend.
The Atlas Network, and the Manning Centre for Building Democracy have provided support Frontier Internships in recent years. Others have been provided in partnership with the Australia-based Mannkal Economic Education Foundation. These relationships enable the Frontier Centre to provide additional internship opportunities, and offer our interns the opportunity to build relationships with leaders in the policy communities of Canada, the United States and Australia.
To apply, please send a resume, short writing sample and cover letter explaining your interest in a Frontier Centre internship to Assistant Research Director Ben Eisen at ben.eisen@fcpp.org. In the body of your e-mail, please provide your full name, contact information and the university or college at which you are currently enrolled.
Dates of Internship Terms
Winter: January-April (Application Deadline: October 15)
Summer: May - August (Application Deadline: February 15)
Autumn: September-December (Application Deadline: June 15)
Interns
 Derek Chaume
is an intern at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. He recently completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Ottawa and will be attending graduate school in the fall to pursue an M.A. in Public Policy. Derek has been active in student politics and has worked on a number of political campaigns. He also sits on the Board of Directors for his EDA as policy chair and volunteers for a member of parliament. His policy interests include property rights, tax policy, regulatory regimes and individual freedoms.
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 Nick Gibson
I was born and raised in a rural area just outside of Wasaga Beach, Ontario. I went to a local elementary and high school, and became more actively involved in my community politically and otherwise as I grew older. Currently, I am in my final year attending Wilfrid Laurier University for an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Research Specialization Option and a minor in Psychology. Last year, I was the President and CEO of the WLU Students' Union overseeing a budget of over $12million and guiding organizational performance and strategy to serve Laurier students. In the past, I have been involved in political campaigns in various different ways, and in partisan politics in general. As I have developed and matured throughout my university experience, I have come to take a keen interest in economics, and in particular free markets and their interaction with the political process (both formal and informal). I have various policy interests, but in particular I am interested in: trade, intellectual property, drug policy, healthcare and education.
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 Josh Giesbrecht
is an intern at the Frontier Center for Public Policy and also an intern in the Parliamentary Office of British Colombia Member of Parliament Randy Kamp. Josh is currently in his second year in a Joint Honours Degree in Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Ottawa. Originally from Manitoba Josh has been both interested and active in politics and public policy since a young age. Being of Aboriginal background Josh has had a keen interest in Aboriginal public policy as well as property rights, individual freedoms, national security, and social policy.
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 Brianna Heinrichs
is a research assistant at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Political Science at the University of Calgary last fall. Her honours thesis focused on the constitutionality of provincial impaired driving legislation. Brianna has received several academic scholarships and has served on the executive board of two student clubs: Women in Leadership and the Association for Ordered Liberty. She is now pursuing a Certificate in Public Relations and continues to volunteer weekly at a mobile drop-in center in downtown Calgary. Her main policy interests include education in all its facets, immigration, social policy, privacy rights, and policies affecting fundamental freedoms.
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 Zac Spicer
is a PhD candidate at The University of Western Ontario. His research focuses on local governance. His thesis explores cooperation between separated cities and counties in Ontario. Zac’s research interests include inter-local cooperation, institutional change, and municipal budgeting and financing. His research has appeared in the Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance, the Journal of Canadian Studies, Canadian Public Administration, Journal of Legislative Studies, the Canadian Political Science Review and the International Journal of Canadian Studies.
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