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CSaP is part of the UKRI Policy Internships Scheme which provides opportunities for PhD students funded by the research councils of UK Research and Innovation to work for three months in one of a selected group of highly influential policy organisations.
Next funding opportunity for internships starting in 2019
- Call status: Open
- Call opening date: June 2018
- Call closing date: 13 August 2018
Summary
The research councils organise the Policy Internships Scheme for current research council-funded PhD students to work at host partner organisations on one or more policy topics relevant to both the student and the host. The student will be expected to produce at least one briefing paper, participate in a policy inquiry and/or organise a policy event, or equivalent piece of work.
Internships at CSaP
During the three-month internship, interns can expect to organise at least one Policy Workshop on a current or emerging policy issue; write a report of the findings from the workshop; write a case study; produce news reports for our website; and meet and interview Policy Fellows both in Cambridge and in London.
At the end of the three months, interns will have developed their writing, communication and organisational skills, as well as gained a better understanding of the relationship between research, evidence and policy.
Some of the policy areas we have covered over the past year on which our interns have worked include: Civil society and social cohesion; Monitoring the global food system; Transport and the future of mobility; Climate change, risk and resilience; Data science and AI for public policy; The future of medical imaging; Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT); Measuring the performance of UK life sciences research; Urban Green Space; How Arts and Humanities research contributes to the work of Government.
Testimonials from past interns
Dr Richard Smith (University of Southampton) NERC-funded Policy Intern: "I feel like the internship at CSaP really helped both in terms of helping me make a decision about the sort of career I'd like, and also in terms of giving me the skills that came in handy during the Fast Stream application process - so thank you. I’d recommend this scheme to all PhD students!"
Dr Isabel Webb (John Innes Centre) BBSRC-funded Policy Intern: "The team at CSaP were all incredibly welcoming, and it was a lovely atmosphere to work in. Being a small team meant that the work I did made a real impact within the Centre – and I felt like a valued member of staff rather than a short-term visitor. Rather than being assigned to a single project within the CSaP team, I was able to rotate through different schemes and projects."
Dr Ryan Hamnett (University of Cambridge) MRC-funded Policy Intern: “My internship has opened my eyes to the breadth of careers available linked to science policy, not just in the civil service but also across industry, think tanks and civil society. It is my intention to search for a career which will allow me to reconcile my love of science with my desire to see it used accurately and effectively; a career I feel much better prepared for as a result of my internship. Thanks to the CSaP team for making me feel welcome and valued for the last three months and for making it an enjoyable place to work!”
Dr Anna Fee (University of Cambridge) NERC-funded Policy Intern: “Not only have I benefited from the many networking opportunities my internship provided but also the event management and science communication experience. The internship was an excellent opportunity to think about scientific research from the policy perspective and how it should be presented to policy professionals to implement change. I will use what I have learned to help focus my research and will always consider the policy relevance in my future work.”
Read more testimonials here: http://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/professional-development/policy-internships/
For further information on funding, eligibility and how to apply, click here.