Details
1093338
University of Edinburgh
21/04/2025
3 Months
7-9 hours per week, exact working pattern tbc with line manager
Not Applicable
Pay
£15.82
£2.86
Description
Role
The University of Edinburgh’s Information Services Group (ISG) invites applications from PhD students who are interested in working as one of twelve PhD Digital Research Services Ambassadors. Within this role you will support researchers, across some of the University’s schools, in project planning and project execution, with a particular focus on applying digital research methodology, fulfilling digital research plans. The Ambassadors will be assigned to researchers/hosts based on their skills and expertise, you could be placed on one project or working with other students across multiple projects.
This is an exciting opportunity for you to gain experience in interdisciplinary research (in a field outside your area of expertise), and utilise computing and data expertise in projects with tangible outputs. This opportunity will help create a professional network across the University for the successful candidates, and provide practical research experience.
An example of a previous project completed by Ambassadors in the School of Biological Sciences was: ‘RNA sequencing analysis for the design of splicing-based devices for gene and oncolytic therapies’. Find out more about the exciting projects available this year. Please ensure you do not contact any of the named researchers within this list, as they will not be involved in the hiring process.
The pay for this role is UE05 £15.82 per hour plus £2.86 per hour holiday pay, and is expected to start late-April 2025 and run for a maximum of 12 weeks. You can expect to work between 7-9 hours per week. We anticipate this role will have a hybrid-working pattern dependent on the project requirements and your preference. You must be working in a commutable distance of Edinburgh to be eligible for this role. Please note, that you may need to attend a physical right-to-work check in Edinburgh in April 2025.
Duties and responsibilities
- Working closely with Research Facilitators and project-specific academics/hosts on a 1 to 1 basis, within a group and/or independently as needed;
- Supporting researchers in advancing digital research plans and applying digital research methodology (this could involve topic areas such as artificial intelligence, data scraping, website interface development, data curation, app development etc.);
- Working towards the completion of the allocated tasks as part of predefined projects;
- Taking part in a university-wide Dissemination Event after the completion of the internship (this could include writing a blog post for Digital Research Services, leading a seminar/workshop, preparing training material on the theme of the internship, delivering a poster or presentation).
Skills and experience
Essential criteria:
- A current University of Edinburgh PhD student (this post is designated for UoE student employment; therefore, you must be a matriculated student for the duration of your employment). You also must not hold the position of ‘Resident Assistant’;
- Based in the UK for the duration of the work (a commutable distance of Edinburgh), able to work on campus when required (we cannot accommodate individuals working overseas due to tax and legal implications), and able to attend a Right to Work Check in person if needed;
- Evidence of strong digital research, data management and computing skills;
- Proven ability to work in a team with diverse research background, such as on a research topic outside of the ambassadors' area of expertise;
- Evidence of strong written and verbal communication skills;
- Demonstrable familiarity with one or more of the following: R, Python, Git, visualization, data skills, data ethics, Electronic Lab Notebooks, design principles/user research, AI tools, 3D GIS, HPC and/or cloud computing.
Desirable Criteria:
- Proven experience using the UoE Digital Research Services;
- Evidence of prior involvement in multidisciplinary research;
- Proven experience in communicating research to a wider audience.
Location
Hybrid, split between working from home (commutable distance of Edinburgh), and on campus
Benefits
- Being part of a welcoming community of over 150 ISG Student Workers with opportunities to network, whilst working in a supportive and nurturing environment with a strong emphasis on work/life balance;
- Pay rate and holiday entitlement equivalent to that of UE05 permanent staff, access to NEST pension scheme if applicable;
- As a staff member, you can join the University's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Groups (Staff Networks);
- Access to a range of excellent staff training content and resources from the Digital Skills Team.
Additional information
To apply for this role, please upload a CV and covering letter, clearly stating how you meet the criteria for the role.Your cover letter should clearly answer the following questions:
- Why are you interested in this internship?
- Which project(s) best fit your skills and experience? (Please refer to a maximum of two projects)
- How are your skills relevant to the project(s)? (max 200 words per project).
Please ensure you've read the top bullet points in the criteria: you must be a University of Edinburgh Student, and you must not hold the position of 'Resident Assistant' (Res Life) during your employment. If you encounter any issues when applying, please e-mail unitemps@ed.ac.uk well in advance of the deadline, as we will only respond within office hours (9-5, Monday to Friday). Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. We recommend reading our short application tips document for guidance on creating a strong cover letter and CV.
Interviews will take place on the week commencing 24th March 2025.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to providing a positive employment experience for all students. To support students in combining work with studies, we strongly advise you do not exceed the University’s recommended number of working hours per week:
- 15 hours for undergraduate students (up to 35 hours during vacation).
- 15 hours for postgraduate taught students (all year round).
- 9 hours for postgraduate research students (all year round).
PLEASE NOTE: This advert may close early if sufficient applications are received prior to the closing date which is 23:59pm on the 11th March 2025. Apply for job