The Office of the Ombudsman / Center for Cooperative Resolution at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD is offering two full-time internships: one in January-March 2012 and the other in March-June 2012. (Exact start and end dates are negotiable.) The Ombuds program at the NIH is one of the best in the federal sector and it is headed by a leading Ombudsman and mediator, Howard Gadlin.

Under the supervision of an NIH mentor, the interns will focus on one major project and will observe and assist with individual consultation sessions; mediation processes; group facilitation; conflict resolution system development and assessment; conflict-related research; and trend identification based on aggregate data.

Applicants must current enrolled in or recently graduated from (less than one year) a graduate-level academic program in conflict or dispute resolution, legal studies with an emphasis on dispute resolution or mediation, or a closely related field. Applicants also should be familiar with conflict resolution theory and have discretion and confidentiality. Knowledge of the Organizational Ombudsman role is preferred. Although the internships are unpaid, this is a rare opportunity. Applications for both positions are due by September 16, 2011.

More info available at the Ombuds Blog.