The North Star Internship Program

Ongoing Spring 2025 - Spring 2027

The North Star Internship Program

Honouring Legacy, Advancing Policy Leadership

The North Star Internship Program is a distinguished initiative established in collaboration with the North Star Award Gala and Dinner, the Policy Insights Forum, and leading figures in Canada’s financial, public policy, and academic communities. This initiative reflects a shared commitment to cultivating emerging talent in economic policy, finance, and public service.

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Launched as part of the 2025 North Star Award celebrations, the program honours Stephen S. Poloz, former Governor of the Bank of Canada and recipient of the 2025 North Star Award. Mr. Poloz will serve as a mentor in the inaugural year of this structured six-month program, providing guidance to a selected graduate-level intern as they gain critical exposure to Canada’s public and policy sectors. There are three internships available with this program.

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  • The North Star Internship program comprises a six-month, in-person experience divided equally into two placements:
  • The first three months within a Government of Canada financial department, Crown corporation, or federal agency, providing direct exposure to economic policymaking and governance.
  • This will be followed by three months at the Policy Insights Forum's Ottawa office, contributing to policy research, thought leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Remote work is not permitted.

How to Apply

1. Prepare Your Application:

‍Ensure you have the following documents ready:‍‍

  • ‍Your CV or Resume
  • Please answer each of the following 3 application questions in no more than 300 words

1. Tell us about yourself, describing the major stages of your life until now, and sharing what Canada means to you.

2. Tell us how you think Canada could be improved using existing public policy levers.

3. If you could develop an entirely new economic or financial policy tool, what would it look like, and how would you deploy it?

2. Submission:

Email your completed application to alienor.peyrefitte@policyinsights.ca
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‍Please use the subject line: North Star Internship Application – (Your First Name, & Last Name)
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Application deadline is Monday, May 12, 2025.

3. Next Steps:

Applications will be reviewed after the deadline.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted during the week of May 12 to schedule an online interview.

Final decisions will be made by the selection committee later that same week.

Apply Now

This unique program is open to Master’s and PhD-level students in economics, finance, and related disciplines. Candidates will be evaluated through a rigorous two-stage process, beginning with providing a C.V. as well as responses to three original questions developed by Mr. Poloz. This will be followed by an in-depth interview with a selection committee. The committee is co-chaired by Peter Hall, former Chief Economist at Export Development Canada, and Goran Samuel Pesic, Chair of the Policy Insights Forum, with Mr. Poloz participating as mentor and adjudicator.

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The North Star Internship Program is made possible through the generous support of the Sponsors of the 2025 North Star Award Gala like CGI Inc. Their commitment to excellence in innovation, leadership development, and public-private collaboration has been instrumental in enabling the creation of this internship initiative.

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The inaugural 2025-2027 North Star Intern will be formally announced and recognized at the North Star Award Gala and Dinner on May 22, 2025, at Ottawa’s Fairmont Château Laurier, alongside the celebration of Mr. Poloz’s outstanding contributions to Canada. Two additional internship recipients will be selected in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

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The program is a paid internship and includes healthcare and medical benefits package for the duration of the six-month term.

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For more information about the North Star Internship Program or the North Star Gala, please contact

‍Aliénor Peyrefitte at alienor.peyrefitte@policyinsights.ca, Chief of Staff at the Policy Insights Forum.

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