What Is the Washington Internship for Students of Engineering Task Force?

The Washington Internship for Students of Engineering Task Force refers to the governing coordination body for the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program, the multi-society initiative that places outstanding engineering students in Washington, D.C. for nine weeks each summer to study the intersection of technology and public policy. Founded in 1980 through the collaborative efforts of several professional engineering societies, WISE has become one of the foremost experiential programs for developing engineering professionals who understand how governmental decision-making processes address complex technological questions. The task force coordinates the participating societies' contributions to curriculum, housing, stipend support, and student selection.

The program operates at the boundary of engineering practice and public governance, addressing a recognized gap in technical education: most engineering curricula equip graduates to solve technical problems but provide limited preparation for engaging with regulators, legislative staff, or executive-branch agencies on the policy dimensions of those same problems.

Program Structure and Summer Curriculum

Each summer, WISE selects a cohort of outstanding junior and senior undergraduate engineering students, along with graduate students in engineering and computer science programs, drawn from a national applicant pool. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and typically demonstrate leadership experience in addition to academic achievement. During the nine-week residency in Washington, students attend briefings with federal agency officials, congressional staff, and policy analysts, then each student produces a research paper examining a specific technology policy question. Past papers have addressed topics ranging from spectrum policy for 5G wireless systems to grid cybersecurity and autonomous vehicle regulation. Program details and application requirements are published annually on the WISE program website, which is maintained by the consortium of sponsoring societies.

Engineering and Public Policy Engagement

The central learning objective of WISE is to help engineering students understand how federal agencies and Congress develop, evaluate, and implement policy on technically complex subjects. Students attend meetings at agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The exposure illustrates how engineers can contribute technical expertise to regulatory proceedings, standards development, and legislative drafting. This dimension of the program is described in detail on the IEEE USA WISE program page, which explains IEEE's role as a long-standing sponsor and its interest in building a generation of engineers capable of participating in public-interest technical governance. The 2025 program summary published on the IEEE Technical Community Spotlight documents recent cohort activities and the policy research projects undertaken by participants.

Sponsoring Societies and Participation

IEEE is one of several major engineering professional societies that co-sponsor WISE. Other participating organizations have included the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), ASHRAE, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and additional discipline-specific societies. Each sponsoring society selects its own nominees from its student member base, funds a share of housing costs, and contributes to the curriculum development that guides students through Washington's policy infrastructure. Students receive a stipend to assist with living and travel expenses during the nine-week program.

Applications

The WISE Task Force has relevance across a wide range of engineering and civic disciplines, including:

• Technology policy and regulatory affairs education
• Engineering professional society leadership development
• Science and technology advisory programs in government
• IEEE public policy and advocacy initiatives
• Graduate and undergraduate engineering curriculum enrichment