The university is inviting applications for projects from supervisors across all faculties for UoN’s Excel in Science programme.

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are under-represented in funded postgraduate research and hence remain under-represented in academia.

A step change is needed in the diversity of academia as a whole and this change must begin when potential future leaders start their careers.

The University of Nottingham’s (UoN) Excel in Science programme aims to tackle the challenges faced in supporting more BAME students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to progress into research careers and bring about this much needed, sustained change.

As a part of this programme, we offer fully funded internships for students during term time. These internships are for 10 hours a week and aim to give the student the hands-on experience of being a researcher, from learning new skills and methodologies to working in a research environment with colleagues.

We particularly recruit with EDI criteria in mind, with the aim to provide these experiences to students who may not have thought about becoming a researcher before.

Students will receive a bursary (paid at the real living wage), which we hope will remove students’ needs to find jobs in hospitality or retail and help them to focus on their studies. The sustained nature of the placements, with students embedded in research environments for the whole academic year, is critical in helping to build confidence and sense of belonging.

In 2022/23, each internship will cost: £4,470 (£2,970 for the student stipend, based on an hourly rate of £9.90 and 10 hours/week for 30 weeks/year; and an allocation of up to £1,500 for consumables to facilitate the research activities).

We offered six internships in the 21/22 academic year, funded by Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Funding and the University of Nottingham.

We are accepting applications for projects from supervisors across all Faculties. To put a potential internship forward, please contact Excel@nottingham.ac.uk for a project form, which will need to be returned by Monday 16 May 2022.

Please contact the Excel in Science Project Manager, Dr Charlotte May, or the Project Lead, Dr Sara Sleigh if you have any questions.