Every year since 1970, the Parliamentary Internship Programme (PIP) has brought a group of recent university graduates to Ottawa to work and study on Parliament Hill from September through June. The non-partisan interns are selected through a national competition and each completes work placements with two Members of Parliament – one from the government and one from the opposition. During the Programme, Parliamentary interns meet with senior policymakers, diplomats, journalists, scholars, politicians, and leaders in civil society. They take part in academic seminars, write innovative academic research papers, and undertake legislative study tours within Canada (Nunavut, Ontario, Québec) and abroad (Brussels, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

Beginning with the 2025-26 cohort, the Parliamentary Interns will be enrolled as graduate students at the University of Ottawa and will be awarded a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration upon completion of the Programme. Interns will receive a scholarship of $35,000 to support their studies and will have access to the full range of student services at University of Ottawa.

Please visit the “What is PIP?” page to learn more about the Programme.

Director’s Message

I am delighted to introduce the 2024-2025 Parliamentary Interns – the PIP’s 55th cohort: Anjana Balachandran, Quinlan Cho, Abinash Kaur Dhaliwal, Noah Fon, Christina Koikaran, Jesse Lafontaine, Justin Langan, Michelle Lewis, Maya Mohammed, Justin Myers, and Emily Wheaton. 

The Interns will take part in one of the most comprehensive postgraduate work-study experiences in Canada. They will work closely with Members of Parliament on both sides of the House. They will meet and discuss public affairs with some of the country’s leading thinkers and policymakers. They will study and produce innovative original research examining Canadian politics, especially on the Hill. And they will undertake comparative research during study tours within Canada and abroad.

The Programme is a fantastic learning experience and a tremendous stepping-stone into academia, the private sector, and the public service. Its many supporters – the Canadian Political Science Association, the House of Commons, friends and sponsors, Members of Parliament, and the robust Parliamentary Internship Alumni Association – have built the program’s rich legacy.

Please follow along as the 2024-25 Parliamentary Interns share their experiences through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and through their research.

Thank you for visiting our site,

Dr. Paul Thomas, Director
September 2024