National Parks Business Plan Internship
The National Park Service seeks a partner to run graduate internships that improve park management and encourage students to pursue conservation careers.
Funder: National Park Service
Due Dates: January 4, 2027 (Grants.gov closing date) | March 5, 2027 (NOFO document closing date)
Funding Amounts: $1,700,000 estimated for one cooperative agreement (approximately $425,000 annually over four years)
Summary: Supports joint administration of a graduate-level internship program improving national park business management, strategic planning, and operations.
Key Information: This opportunity funds an organization to administer the internship program, rather than individual student applications.
Description
The National Park Service (NPS) seeks a partner to jointly administer its Business Plan Internship program, which places graduate students in projects addressing business management, strategic, and operational analysis needs at parks and program offices. Interns work on-site in teams of two or three on multi-week projects that generate recommendations and management tools to improve public services and parks’ long-term operational health.
The program provides training and exposure to NPS operations while encouraging students in MBA, public policy, environmental management, and similar graduate programs to explore federal conservation and land management careers. It also aims to cultivate lifelong public lands stewardship. The selected organization leads program design and administration, including recruitment, onboarding, placement logistics, evaluation, and alumni engagement, working closely with the NPS Business Management Group.
