Internships and Placements 

Each year, NERC and UKRI advertise policy internships – essentially 3 months working with a government or other policy section related to science.  All students are encouraged to apply for these (and similar opportunities) but you should talk first to your supervisor to make sure they are happy that this is the right moment. You will need to complete a research proposal to outline the key aims and objectives for your placement, as well as get signatures from your supervisor and the DTP on a funding permission form, so contact us in good time before the deadline too. If you are successful then your studentship can be extended for up to 3 months and it is essential that you also notify your department so that this extension can be arranged.  

There are several internship schemes available, including the UKRI Policy Internship Scheme and internships at the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP). You also have the option to set up your own internship with a company or business. DTP students have done this through their own contacts or via advertised opportunities, including with WWF and RSPB. Some students have also carried out paid internships that have been advertised with different organisations. Keep an eye on the websites of companies/organisations that interest you. You may also be able to find internship opportunities via the Careers service. 

For any internship, you would intermit from your studies for the period of the internship and your end date would move back in line with this. For an unpaid internship, the DTP would continue to pay your stipend during the internship, and you would get an additional stipend (up to 3 months) on the end of you original funded period. In the case of a paid internship, your stipend would stop for the period of the internship (while you were being paid by the company) and commence when you returned to your studies. 

You can read about DTP students’ internship experience on the NERC DTP student blog. If you would like to speak with any current students or alumni about their internship experience, please let us know and we will put you in touch.  

Placements for Overseas students 

There are currently visa restrictions in relation to placements which do not align with UKRI expectations. This is a well-known issue, and we are hoping for changes to be made which allow international students to be able to undertake placements which are not integral to the PhD research but are considered as part of a funded programme. Revised guidance is currently with the Home Office for consideration. As such, at this time, we must apply current policy.  

This means that students on a student visa can undertake placements as follows: 

•  A full-time placement that is integral to the PhD research and will therefore ultimately contribute to the thesis, and therefore assessed as part of the examination. If this is applicable, the student would need to apply for Leave to Work Away and this must be approved before starting the placement. Ultimately whether a placement is integral would be an academic decision for the Department and where this is possible to justify, it is the easiest route to being able to undertake this activity. The ISO will be required to report the placement details (organisation, location and dates) to the Home Office.   

• A part-time placement that is not integral to the PhD research but can be undertaken in accordance with the visa work conditions up to 20 hours a week. However, this would have to be in addition to full-time study and not as part of it.  

Otherwise, a student can intermit in order to undertake an internship, whether in the UK or overseas, but this would mean the University would be required to withdraw sponsorship of the student visa at the start of the intermission. In this scenario, the student visa would be cancelled by the Home Office, and an application for a new student visa would need to be made in time to resume studies at the end of the intermission which would mean additional cost. If the internship is in the UK, the student would need to apply for a different visa for work purposes in order to undertake it. The internship provider would need to advise whether they would provide work-related visa sponsorship for the internship, and if so, whether this application could be made in the UK.