The Promoting Financial Inclusion and Innovation in Latin America conference will be held in Santiago, Chile at Universidad Adolfo IBAÑEZ (UAI) from January 12-13, 2026. 

This conference will provide an opportunity for researchers, industry leaders and partners, and policymakers to explore whether and how digital financial technologies and their related regulations can benefit underserved populations around the world. 

The conference objectives are:

• Deliver relevant, insightful presentations on the current state of academic fintech research,
• Engage with industry and policy leaders on current innovations in products and regulations and what evidence gaps remain to inform the next generation learning agenda, and
• Facilitate partnership development between researchers and implementing partners on the next generation of fintech research.

This Call for Papers/Sessions is to identify relevant, impactful topics for researchers, industry leaders, and policy makers focused on the following themes:

• Reducing barriers to financial services for underserved populations
• Driving economic growth with financial services innovation and technology 
• Innovations through open finance and open infrastructure 
• Improving government and public service efficiency 
• Strengthening innovation and trust through regulation and public policy
• Other

Location: Fully remote, with the option to work from our offices in Berkeley, CA

Duration: 3 months (through December 2025)

Position Type: Paid, Part-time, 10 hours/week (25% FTE)

Start Date: ASAP

CEGA is seeking a highly motivated undergraduate intern to support its Data Science for Development (DS4D) and Conflict & Governance research portfolios for Fall 2025. The recruited intern will report to Sr. Program Manager Sean Luna McAdams. This is an opportunity to contribute to research and policy work at the intersection of data science, global development, and political economy.

Background

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) is a hub for research, training and innovation headquartered at the University of California, Berkeley. We generate insights that decision-makers can use to improve policies, programs, and people’s lives. Our best-in-class academic network includes nearly 200 faculty, 78 scholars from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—primarily from East and West Africa, and hundreds of graduate students from diverse academic disciplines who produce rigorous evidence about what works to expand education, health, and economic opportunities for people living in poverty. Our business model involves curating policy-relevant research agendas in collaboration with development leaders, overseeing competitive grant-making to answer critical questions, investing in research capacity, and strategically connecting research and ideas to inform decision-making by governments, NGOs, and the private sector.

CEGA’s DS4D program supports the use of machine learning, remote sensing, and administrative data to address development challenges in low- and middle-income countries. Our flagship effort, the Togo Data Lab, is building a data science center of excellence within the Ministry of Digital Economy and Transformation of the Republic of Togo. It seeks to empower the government, and the broader Togolese innovation ecosystem, to apply AI tools to improve service delivery, policy design, and social impact more broadly. CEGA’s Conflict & Governance program supports research on two core themes: how to strengthen public institutions and accountability in low-capacity settings, and how conflict dynamics shape development outcomes. Through initiatives like Security Networks and Contested Orders, CEGA investigates how local and international actors interact to shape security governance both across regions and within countries. 

Primary responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the administration of grant and fellowship programs (e.g., sending acceptance letters, assisting with fellowship disbursements, tracking timelines)
• Scheduling, coordinating, and note-taking for meetings with research teams and collaborators
• Drafting technical and non-technical content to help disseminate research findings, including blog posts, project summaries, and internal memos
• Assisting with other programmatic tasks as needed, based on weekly priorities and the intern’s interests and strengths

Required Qualifications:

• Undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying global development, social science, public policy, or other relevant fields. Familiarity with data science and computational methods is a plus.
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong ability to anticipate, plan, prioritize, and meet deadlines

Desired Qualifications:

• Pell grant (work-study) recipient
• Experience with social media, communications, and design 
• Experience with Salesforce
• Experience working with cross-functional and multicultural teams
• Excellent attention to detail
• Self-directed and intrinsically motivated worker with a proven capacity to support multiple projects at once, and be responsive to time-sensitive deadlines
• Knowledge of WordPress and Mailchimp
• Commitment to scientific, evidence-led international development policy and capacity building in low-income countries

Hours and Compensation

CEGA compensates undergraduate student interns at $23/hour. We anticipate the intern working 10 hours per week (25% FTE).

Duration

Approximate dates: Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025 through Friday, December 19th. 

Appointment Details and How to Apply

Please submit a one-page cover letter and CV as one PDF with the naming convention “LastName_FirstName_DS4DInternFall25” via our Submittable portal. 

The first review of applications will occur from August 4-6, after which applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.