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An exciting opportunity for undergraduate students to work with academics and get a taste of research.
We are delighted to announce that we are accepting applications for University of Surrey Undergraduate Vacation Research Internships for summer 2024.
The Vacation Research Internships offer undergraduate students an exciting opportunity to work with academics and get a taste of research. The internships are funded by the University of Surrey, Surrey Black Scholars project and the Enhancing Research Culture Fund.
Through the scheme you will have access to:
The opportunity to gain practical, first-hand experience of research. This is invaluable if you are considering a research career, including going on to do a PhD.
Leadership and guidance from academic experts.
The research facilities you need to undertake your project.
A salary of £11.35 per hour for up to 350 hours.
Funds of up to £300 for research consumables.
Internships are to be undertaken between 10 June – 1 September 2024.
An internship will be funded for up to 350 hours (35 hours x 10 weeks or part-time equivalent).
Who is eligible to apply?
Undergraduate students at the University of Surrey who will be starting the final year of their undergraduate degree in September 2024.
For students on degree programmes longer than 3 years, e.g. Integrated Masters students, those who will be starting FHEQ L6 in September 2024 are eligible.
Level P (placement students) are eligible but must have finished their placement and have sufficient time to complete the internship prior to returning to their studies.
Successful applicants will need to have the right to work in UK, and if studying on a visa will need to abide by the conditions on the visa regarding work.
We welcome applications from those with protected characteristics or who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
What kind of project will I work on?
The research project should fit into one or more of your faculty’s strategic themes:
The project can last for up to 350 hours (equivalent to 35 hours per week x 10 weeks) and must take place during the summer vacation between 10 June – 1 September 2024.
The work conducted during a vacation internship should not be used towards credit bearing modules – this is additional experience to your degree programme.
The project should have a clearly defined objective, which could be part of a much larger research project.
The project will be at a suitable level for you to reasonably complete within the timescale of the scheme.
We have ringfenced some funding for vacation internships that include open research practices. To be eligible, the project must follow at least one Open Science practice. For example: preregistration of the research, preparation of a Registered Report, using open-access software for experimentation, using open data, submitting the project on the Open Science Framework (OSF), sharing of the project - open materials, open data, open analysis codes, uploading a preprint; for more see our open research information. We recognise that not all open research practices can be addressed within the timeline of a summer internship; the objective is that the intern and their supervisor demonstrate a contribution to Open Research as much as is possible within the proposed project.
How do I apply?
Applicants will be informed of the outcome by Friday 3 May 2024.
Please note if you are successful, we will ask you to confirm acceptance of the offer of an internship by a specific deadline. Please keep an eye on your email
Step 1
Approach a prospective supervisor - you will need to approach an academic member of staff to act as your supervisor. This might be a lecturer who has taught you during your degree programme or somebody whose research activities are of interest to you. Please note that all academics have staff profiles within the department webpages. You might find it helpful to discuss this with your personal tutor who can advise you of who in the department needs help with one of their research projects.
An additional supervisor will also be appointed to give you access to a wider pool of expertise and to ensure continuity in any period of absence, e.g. annual leave.
If you have difficulty identifying a prospective supervisor, please contact:
Discuss a project. You will not need to come up with a new idea for a project. Instead, you can discuss with your prospective supervisor what project you could work on. This will likely involve supporting a supervisor and/or a PhD student on an existing research project.
Step 3
Complete the application form – you will need to do this in collaboration with your prospective supervisor.
Step 4
The application must be signed by the supervisor to indicate their agreement to the project and their willingness to provide supervision.
The application must also be signed by the Head of Centre/Division/Department to confirm that the proposed project is adequately resourced, and that adequate supervision will be available.
Submit the form and a scanned copy of your HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Record) or transcript. To be considered for the Vacation Internship you will need to submit the application form electronically; paper copies will not be accepted.
The deadline for applications is 4pm Friday 29 March 2024.
Applications received after the deadline above will not be considered.
Internship details
At the end of the vacation internship
You will be asked to submit a one-page report on your project and complete an evaluation form to feedback on your experience.
Salary payment administration
Unitemps will conduct pre-employment checks and administer pay.
Students will submit timesheets via the Unitemps portal, and the primary Supervisor will authorise the timesheets. Salaries will be paid according to the Unitemps payroll calendar.
Consumables
£300 is available to use to purchase consumables. These are items that will be required to enable you to undertake your research. The funds are not available to be used for publishing results. Please purchase your consumables before the end of the 2023/24 financial year – 31 July 2024.
