Undergraduate Research Experience and Training Placements for underrepresented ethnic groups
We have received funding for a number of research experience and training placements available this year for UK domiciled undergraduate students from the Black and Asian communities listed below under eligibility criteria.
UK domiciled means that your permanent or home address prior to entering higher education was in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. Unfortunately if your permanent or home address prior to entering higher education was outside the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, then you will not be eligible for these placements.
We and the funders have identified significant under-representation of UK students from Black and Asian heritage in post-graduate research so we are offering these placements as a taster to PhD research exclusively this year to undergraduates from specific underrepresented Black, Asian and Mixed ethnic groups. These research and training placements are designed to give you a taster if you think you will be interested in applying for a PhD. We will also provide you with some training and coaching in the PhD application and interview process if you choose to pursue this as a career move during the placement.
Benefits of the placements
If you are offered a placement, you will benefit from the following:
You will be supervised by one or two established scientists and further supported by a PhD researcher who will act as your mentor.
You will gain experience of hands-on research work and life as a PhD researcher.
You will have an outcome for your work in the form of a poster, presentation or report which you can use to demonstrate your research experience and potential on your CV and in your PhD application.
You will be paid at least at the national minimum wage for 8 weeks of work (35-37 hours per week) as a casual student worker which includes at least a week dedicated to producing a research poster, presentation or report.
There is an additional budget of £500 for research and training expenses to be agreed with your supervisor. Materials and equipment required for the research are provided. We do not include the cost of travel to or from the university or research institute or your accommodation for the placement.
We will also cover your travel and accommodation expenses within the UK for you to attend one of our future research conferences to present a poster on your placement work if you complete your placement.
We can also provide you with training and coaching on your PhD application including one-to-one advice on your application.
Important – please read these conditions for eligibility carefully
You will be contracted as a casual student worker for the duration of the placement therefore you will be asked to provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the UK before starting the placement.
To apply you must:
Be registered on an undergraduate (first degree, first degree with foundation year or integrated Master’s) course at a UK university and have student status on 1 August 2024. To be eligible you must be in the final or penultimate year of your studies. Students in their final year who have graduated and no longer have student status are NOT eligible.
Be domiciled in the UK which means that your permanent or home address prior to entering higher education was in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man.
Be studying a subject within the broad fields of natural and applied sciences, geographical and environmental sciences, computer sciences, mathematics and statistics. We particularly encourage applications from those studying quantitative disciplines, such as computing, mathematics and statistics.
AND
You belong to one of the following ethnic groups that are under-represented in the PhD student cohorts of the NERC GW4+ Doctoral Training Partnership: students who are -
Asian Bangladeshi or Asian British Bangladeshi
Asian Pakistani or Asian British Pakistani
Asian Indian or Asian British Indian
Black African or Black British African
Black Caribbean or Black British Caribbean
Any other Black or Black British background
Any mixed or Multiple ethnic background which includes at least one of the above ethnic groups
Personal statement
Please note the application requires a personal statement in which you will need to tell us about your research ambitions, why you wish to apply for your chosen project, how your skills are a good fit to the project work and how you meet any candidate requirements. The maximum length is 4,000 characters and we strongly recommend that you spend some time carefully writing this statement first before you fill in the application form.
In writing your personal statement, you must tell us:
Why you are interested in the projects you applied for.
Why your skills are suited to the project requirements.
How doing the project will help with decisions about your career.
In addition, you may also consider the following questions to answer in your personal statement to add further interest. You do not have to answer all of these questions:
How have you explored new ideas, tools, methods and knowledge?
Where have you shown creativity and inventive thinking?
How have you developed and supported others or collaborated with others?
How have you contributed to a wider community around you or talked to others about your scientific interests (e.g. at school, university)?
You may also tell us about any challenges you have experienced that have shaped your educational and scientific journey or your development as a person. How have you approached these challenges?
Projects available
Please click on the links below to view the projects. Please read the project description and candidate requirements very carefully. Please also consider the location of the work as some projects are based at specific universities and research institutes.
Alarm behaviour in ants: how do ants react to different stressors?
Assessing the sustainability of a novel engineered material for vibration mitigation
Bio-inspired computer simulation for evolution and behaviour of living organisms
Carbon content of coastal and wetland sediments
Composite Smart Window Technology for Advanced Building Fenestration
Computational biology for simulated evolving plants and animal growth patterns
Correlating contaminant concentrations in Acid Mine Drainage with climatic variations
Did the hydrodynamic performance of harpid trilobites change during growth
Ecosystem functioning: An assessment of South African freshwater biodiversity
Enhancing Crop Protection Using Nanoparticles
Examining food-health-environment nexus in developing countries
Exploring South Georgia’s Mesozooplankton Dynamics through Imaging Technologies
Exploring the link between rising atmospheric water stress and tropical tree mortality
Green hydrogen production for clean environment.
How do pesticides and extreme climate events influence bumblebee cognition
Impact of water on floating PV power enhancement.
Leveraging AI to Monitor Insect Biodiversity
Microclimate monitoring for climate adaptation with the National Trust
Nature-based slope reinforcement using vegetation – understanding root mechanics
Teleconnections between major climate indices and polynya dynamics
Unravelling the key thermal strategies of tropical forest trees
Wildfire Spreading Prediction Using Graph Neural Networks
Contact
If you have any general questions about these placements, please email us on gw4plus-dtp@bristol.ac.uk. If you have any questions about the project itself, please contact the main supervisor using the email address listed under 'Project Enquiries'.
How to apply
When you have chosen your preferred project and a second choice project and are sure that you meet the eligibility requirements above, please click on this link to apply
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 14 May, 2024.