Programme Overview 

Every year, the WWIEM Summer Student Programme provides students with the opportunity to achieve hands-on research experience during the summer months.  WWIEM is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists, and through this programme we can not only share our research but also inspire scientists of the future.  The Programme typically runs for 8 weeks during the summer months and students work in the laboratory from Monday to Friday on a full-time basis. 

Through our Programme, students work as part of an enthusiastic research team who are working at the forefront of their fields and get a realistic experience of day-to-day life in a lab.  Students also attend a number of social, career and research events and are encouraged to take part in Centre life, joining researchers for coffee, discussions and seminars.  At the end of the Programme, students present their work in a short talk at our Annual Summer Student Research Symposium.

Contact: Dr Sinéad Weldon, WWIEM Summer Student Programme Coordinator @ cemsummerstudents@qub.ac.uk

Programme Showcase:  2018 Summer Student Programme

What is it like to be part of our Programme?

Read this article by Hannah Gardiner who took part in the 2016 WWIEM Summer Student Programme. Gardiner H, So you want to be a Summer Student? Ulster Medical Journal, 2018;87(1):73. Available at https://www.ums.ac.uk/umj087/087(1)073.pdf

Watch our video below which features Aya Akhras from Mohammed Bin Rashid University (MBRU) in Dubai, who discusses her placement in the laboratory of Dr Derek Brazil as part of the 2017 WWIEM Summer Student Programme. Aya was a second year medical student who wanted to get some experience in basic biomedical research.

If you are interested in applying for any of these opportunities, it is recommended that you identify one or more Principal Investigators (PIs) in WWIEM that you would like to work with and discuss potential opportunities with them. 

Details of WWIEM PIs and their research areas can be found here. 

• School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences Summer Studentships for Undergraduates

Each year, a number of studentships funded by the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences are available for University students to work in WWIEM. These studentships typically pay a student stipend of £150 per week for 8 weeks, projects run for a specified 8-week period during the summer, and students work Monday to Friday on a full-time basis. The application process generally runs from January - March each year.

• External Summer Studentship Funding Opportunities

A number of external funding bodies also offer studentships for summer projects, some of which are outlined below‌. For all funding opportunities, please check full eligibility criteria, application information and deadlines online. 

View or download External Funding Opportunities.

• Nuffield Research Placements (Schools and Colleges)

Managed in Northern Ireland by Sentinus, Nuffield Reserch Placements allows students in the first year of a post-16 science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) course to take part in science research projects during the summer.

WWIEM is pleased to support this scheme, and projects hosted by WWIEM researchers will provide students with the opportunity to gain 4-6 weeks of valuable hands-on experience in a laboratory setting working alongside WWIEM researchers.  Training will be provided.

Students wishing to apply for a WWIEM project should be working towards a Science AS/A level in Biology and/or Chemistry (or an equivalent) and have an enthusiastic interest in WWIEM’s research areas.  WWIEM researchers are also happy to talk to any student who has their own idea about a project appropriate to WWIEM.  Details of WWIEM PIs and their research areas can be found here. 

Further information on these Placements and details of the application process can be found on the Nuffield Foundation website  (http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffield-research-placements). 

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