Job Title: Natural Capital Evaluation and Policy Intern
Department/Team: Climate Change Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in collaboration with Uruguay’s National Directorate of Biodiversity (DINABISE) and Stanford’s Natural Capital Project (NatCap)
Location: Montevideo, Uruguay (4 weeks) and remote (6 weeks)
Duration: 35-40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer
Reports to: Guillermo Sena (Project Coordinator), Hector Angarita (Senior Scientist, NatCap), Sofia Polcaro (Climate Change and Sustainability Consultant, IDB)
Areas of Interest: Biodiversity, sustainable development, natural capital, climate policy
*Please note it is required that candidates for this position be fluent in Spanish and English (written and spoken).
About The Inter-American Development Bank:
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is a cooperative development bank founded in 1959 to accelerate the economic and social development of its Latin American and Caribbean member countries. It is owned by a total of 48 member countries, including the U.S. and some European nations. Learn more at https://www.iadb.org/en.
About the Stanford Natural Capital Project:
The Natural Capital Project aims to improve the well-being of all by motivating greater investment in natural capital. With our global hub at Stanford University, NatCap is a partnership between interdisciplinary researchers, professionals, and leaders around the world. Together, we help people, governments, and corporations incorporate the value of nature into decision-making. Learn more at https://naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu/.
Position Description/Scope of Work:
Stanford University is offering a unique summer internship opportunity in Uruguay for an undergraduate student hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This internship is part of the Regional Technical Cooperation project titled “Transforming Public Policies and Investments through the Integration of Natural Capital Evaluation” aimed at supporting Uruguay’s National Directorate of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (DINABISE) of the Ministry of the Environment integrate the Rapid Natural Capital Accounting (NCAA) methodology into the formulation and implementation of environmental policies. This technical cooperation is being developed under the People, Planet Prosperity (3Ps) project, a collaborative effort in which Stanford University’s Natural Capital Project, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the World Bank are working with 16 pilot countries (Uruguay, plus Armenia, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Cook Islands, China, Philippines, Sri Lanks, Ecuador, and others) to co-develop natural capital approaches that inform policy and investment decisions.
Benefits:
- Gain hands-on experience working on an impactful regional project.
- Collaborate with experts in natural capital evaluation and climate policy.
- Contribute to innovative solutions for sustainable development in Uruguay.
List of Potential Projects:
As an intern, you will collaborate closely with the project’s national coordinator, experts from DINABISE and the Climate Change Division (CSD/CCS) of the IDB in Uruguay.
Your responsibilities could include:
- Assisting in the collection, organization, and analysis of data for NCAA implementation in Uruguay.
- Support the training of DINABISE team and the development of valorization of ecosystems services using InVest (NatCap software that interfaces with state-of-the-science based modeling of ecosystem service provision).
- Contributing to the development of policy briefs and case studies that highlight the integration of natural capital into decision-making.
- Providing support in model development and data visualization to inform policy recommendations.
- Participating in team meetings and providing logistical and organizational assistance as needed.
Required Skills/Qualifications:
- Strong interest in natural capital evaluation, climate change, and sustainable development.
- Fluent in Spanish and English (written and spoken).
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
- Solid background in data analysis and/or environmental modeling, with experience using tools like GIS, Excel, R, or equivalent.
- Expertise in InVEST software for ecosystem service modeling.
- Self-motivated, proactive, and eager to learn and adapt.
Logistics:
- EPIC fellows are required to work full-time (35-40 hours per week) for 10 weeks over the summer, and will receive a stipend of $8,000 – $9,500, depending on financial need. This stipend is intended to help cover living and transportation expenses during the fellowship, which the student is expected to arrange and coordinate.
- Start and end dates are flexible (start date no later than July 7, 2025).
- Structure:
- In-person work: Four weeks based in Montevideo, working remotely while in the city and attending in-person meetings at the DINABISE offices and the IDB offices in Uruguay (specific dates to be determined).
- Remote work: Six weeks of remote collaboration, including regular check-ins and the submission of agreed deliverables.