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NIHR Undergraduate Research Internship 2026

Details


1110876


UCL


15/06/2026


Other - See Job


Full-time; 36.5 hours per week


Not Applicable

Pay


£14.85


£2.78

Description

Role

Unitemps are recruiting for two NIHR Undergraduate Research Internship 2026 roles. This role is for a June 15th start date and has a projected end date of August 31st 2026. This is a full-time role at 36.5 hours per week. Payment is set at £14.85 per hour + £2.78 holiday pay. This role will be UCL hybrid working; part from campus and part from home.
 
This internship offers paid experience of working in a multidisciplinary applied health research environment and is designed to give undergraduate students the opportunity to acquire research knowledge and practical skills that can support a future career in research. 
 
Interns will be based at University College London (UCL), within the Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health (PCPH), which forms part of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care. PCPH delivers high-quality teaching in community-based primary care and public health and undertakes internationally competitive, multidisciplinary research focused on the management and prevention of disease in individuals and populations.
 
PCPH hosts the UCL arm of the NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) Hub at Imperial & Partners, which provides free support and advice to help researchers develop high-quality proposals for funded health research. Through this role, interns will have opportunities to interact with staff working across the RSS and the wider department, gaining insight into how applied health research is supported within a collaborative, multidisciplinary setting, as well as exposure to a range of research roles and career pathways.
 
Two internship positions are available. Projects will be allocated by the department, and the interns will work collaboratively while contributing to distinct aspects of applied health research projects focused on involving young people in health and mental health research.
 
The internship is full-time (36.5 hours per week) for 8 weeks and will take place between 15 June and 15 September. The placement will be delivered on a hybrid basis (in-person and online), and interns will be expected to attend on-site at the Royal Free Campus, UCL, London (NW2 2PF).

Duties and responsibilities

The purpose of this role is to provide undergraduate students with hands-on experience of applied health research by contributing to defined research projects. Interns will develop practical research skills while working collaboratively within a supportive academic environment.Successful candidates will be allocated to a specific applied health research project focused on involving young people in health and mental health research. The two interns will work together throughout the placement, learning alongside each other while contributing to distinct aspects of their allocated projects.

Duties may include:

  • Supporting the design and delivery of an applied health research project
  • Conducting structured searches of academic databases and reviewing academic and grey literature
  • Extracting, organising and managing research data using structured templates
  • Assisting with qualitative research activities, such as supporting the preparation and analysis of interview data, under supervision
  • Supporting analysis, synthesis and interpretation of findings with guidance from the research team
  • Reflecting on methodological, practical and ethical considerations in applied health research, including public involvement and youth participation
  • Contributing to written outputs such as internal reports, summaries, case studies or draft research materials 
  • Preparing and delivering an internal presentation to share findings and learning with the wider team

In addition, interns will have opportunities to observe and engage with the wider work of the NIHR Research Support Service, including shadowing or attending meetings with RSS operations staff and research advisers, to gain insight into how applied health research is supported and developed in practice.

Interns will receive structured supervision, guidance and training throughout the placement and will be supported to build confidence in research processes, working both independently and collaboratively.

Skills and experience

Essential
  • Currently enrolled as an undergraduate student in a relevant subject (e.g. health sciences, psychology, public health, social sciences or a related discipline)
  • Must not have completed the final year of undergraduate study
  • Interest in applied health or mental health research, including research involving young people
  • Some research training or experience, for example through academic coursework, projects, or previous research related activities
  • Good written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team
  • Good organisational skills, and an interest in learning new information and acquiring new research skills

Desirable

  • Interest in public involvement, youth participation or health inequalities
  • Experience of qualitative research methods or literature review work
  • Confidence using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

We strongly encourage applications from students from underrepresented groups and from those who may have had fewer opportunities to gain research experience.

Location
UCL; hybrid working with 2-3 days from campus and the other days from home

Additional information

This job will close for applications at 11.59pm on Saturday May 2nd. Interviews will be held shortly after.

*Please note to be eligible to work within this role, you must have the right to work in the UK, be physically based in the UK and be able to travel to our London based office for a RTW check (if required).

*If you have a full-time contract of employment with UCL, you are not able to work through UCL Unitemps at the same time.

Unitemps reserves the right to close this advert for applications prior to the date specified above, if a high volume of suitable applications are received so pleased don't delay applying.

Unitemps payroll is monthly, one month in arrears, please see the payroll dates here.

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