Support for PGR student internships
The PGR Opportunities Hub is keen to support the development of paid internships for our postgraduate research (PGR) students. If staff are interested in developing internships they should contact the College Employability Officer.
Internships provide valuable work experience for our PGR students and opportunities to develop their skills and attributes in line with the Researcher Development Framework. Internships can either be research-focused (eg. Research Assistantships) or project focused.
The Hub supports internship development through PGR Opportunities Hub Funded internships (these internships cannot be research-focused) or School/Subject Funded Internships (these can be research or non-research focused). More details on these two types of internships are provided below:
PGR Opportunities Hub funded internships
The PGR Opportunities Hub internship scheme has been designed to provide relevant workplace experience for postgraduate research students. These internships are designed to develop students' broader transferable skills as encompassed within the Researcher Development Framework's Domains B and D. These internships cannot be research-focused.
Previous internships have involved PGR students working on project such as:
- Support for online learning
- Responses to the challenges of COVID 19
- Public engagement or outreach
- Business engagement, enterprise and knowledge exchange
- Employability initiatives
- Developing future research leaders
Applications for internship projects are welcomed from both academic staff and professional services staff across the College. Successful applicants will receive an internship grant of up to £1000 to support approximately 70 hours of a postgraduate research student's time.
Internships are supported and advertised by the University's Internship Hub. Internships are open to applications from postgraduate research students from any School within the College of Social Sciences and from any year of study.
Calls for applications to academic and professional services staff across the College of Social Sciences are normally made in May or early June each year. To apply, or for more information, please contact the College Employability Officer and use the PGR Opportunities Hub - Application Form.
School or Subject funded internships
The PGR Opportunities Hub can also support and advertise internships funded by the School or Subject area, or tied to a specific research project. All internships are supported by our College HR team and advertised by the University's Internship Hub and should be open to applications from all College of Social Sciences research students. These roles may vary in scope and duration although typically, full time PhD students are not expected to work more than 6 hours per week. Grading of roles is determined by HR on a case-by-case basis, dependent on the job scope and description.
Internship process
The internship process from role conception and development of job description to shortlisting and interviews takes approximately 4 weeks and is administrated by the College HR team and the Student Opportunities Hub. The typical process is laid out below:
- Internship proposer/staff member contacts College HR with internship proposal
- College HR supports development of and post approval
- College HR passes role to Student Opportunities Hub for recruitment and selection
- Student Opportunities Hub creates advert, adds role to vacancies system and returns to Internship proposer and PGR Opportunities Hub for local advertising
- Student Opportunities Hub shortlists and provides feedback to candidates
- Internship proposer selects candidates to interview. Interviews arranged by the Internship Hub
- Internship Hub passes successful candidate details to College HR and contract is awarded
For more information on any aspect of creating a PGR student internship, please contact the College Employability Officer.
