Undergraduate Summer Placements with Research Technical Professionals
TSN ROKSAre you an undergraduate student looking to gain hands-on experience in a cutting-edge research environment?
Our Undergraduate Summer Placement Scheme offers a 6-8-week paid opportunity to work alongside Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) – the experts who develop, maintain, and operate the technology that powers scientific discoveries. The placements will take place over the summer period (June to August) but see each individual job description for further details on duration and timing of placement.
What is a Research Technical Professional (RTP)?
RTPs play a vital role in universities and research institutions. They are specialists who support and enable world-leading research by managing advanced scientific equipment, developing new techniques to address research questions, and providing technical expertise across a range of disciplines. This placement will give you insider experience into this exciting and rewarding profession.
Why Apply?
By joining this scheme, you will:
- Gain hands-on technical experience using state-of-the-art equipment and research methods.
- Develop valuable skills that will boost your CV and future career prospects.
- Work closely with experienced technical professionals, receiving mentorship and guidance.
- Explore different career paths, whether in academia, industry, or technical research roles.
- Earn a competitive salary while enhancing your scientific knowledge.
How to Apply
- Browse the list of available placements.
- Select the project that interests you the most and read the job description.
- Submit your application by the deadline. You may apply for more than one placement but you will need to submit a separate application form for each placement.
- Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an interview.
- Successful applicants will have 2 weeks to confirm acceptance of the project and complete any paperwork required by the host institution.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel made up of the TSN organising committee and representatives from the host facilities. To be eligible to apply for a placement you must either be studying at a UK University or Institute or have residency in the UK. If you are from outside the UK and have a VISA, please only apply if you have a VISA that allows you to carry out this placement, noting that there will be more than 20 hours of work per week.
Please also note that the placements are paid opportunities and you are expected to be able to source your own accommodation, if needed. Additional costs (for travel or accommodation etc) will not be covered.
Key Dates
| Applications Open | Monday 10th March |
| Application Close | Friday 11th April |
| Decisions Communicated by | Friday 9th May |
| Placements begin | Summer 2025 |
We would like to capture the outcomes of the project and so during the final weeks of the project we will ask for both feedback on the process and on how the project has progressed. This may be by written documentation, a short interview on Teams or capturing an interview on video. The feedback may be made publicly available to encourage participation in TSN and highlight RTP careers. We would expect the EPSRC grant to be acknowledged in any associated outputs.
Undergraduate Placements 2025
Click on each placement listed below to read more about the project and view the full job description.
Quantitative Analysis of Marine Species Using Spectral and Imaging Flow Cytometry
University of Exeter
Marine ecosystems rely heavily on microalgae as primary producers and main contributors to carbon capture, yet quantifying their abundance and diversity remains a challenge. Traditional methods, such as microscopy, are time-consuming and lack high-throughput capacity. The main objective of the project is to leverage cutting-edge spectral and imaging flow cytometry to identify and optimise rapid, multiparametric analysis of aquatic microorganisms. It is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge flow cytometry and contribute to research in marine biology and environmental sciences, providing insight into working in a shared resource laboratory enabling a diverse and engaging multidisciplinary scientific environment.
Probing hidden depths: revealing sub-surface chemistries using XPS
University of Nottingham
This placement will provide a student with hands-on experience of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) – a highly surface-sensitive characterisation tool used to determine elemental composition, as well as the chemical and electronic state of atoms within a material, and includes both day-to-day instrument operation and a straightforward, but important, research project.
Automating Image Analysis Techniques Through Collaborative Software Development
UCL, London
Are you passionate about bridging the gap between life sciences and computational technologies? This internship provides an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge computational research in a Data Science team embedded in UCL’s Biosciences Division. You will work with biologists, software developers and data scientists to develop software that automates and optimises a key step in the analysis of bioimaging data. As well as contributing functional software that will directly benefit UCL’s Centre for Cell and Molecular Dynamics (CCMD), you will develop skills that will help to prepare you for a career in computational research.
Mitochondrial morphology changes during Lymphocyte stimulation: Evaluating imaging flow cytometry as an analysis method.
Institute for Regeneration and Repair – University of Edinburgh
Changes to mitochondrial morphology occur during lymphocyte stimulation and can be observed using high-resolution microscopy. The aim of the project is to determine if a new imaging flow cytometry device can be used to observe and analyse the same process, potentially offering a high throughput solution. The BD FACSDiscover S8 Cell Sorter is a cutting-edge instrument that combines spectral flow cytometry with real-time imaging capabilities. You will use the S8’s spectral and imaging capability to measure changes to mitochondrial morphology that occur in stimulated human lymphocytes.
Design, Prototype, and Test a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) Calibration Tool
University of Surrey
This project aims to design, prototype, and evaluate an innovative tool to enhance the calibration process of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) systems. DIC is a critical technology for strain measurement, widely used in materials testing and mechanical engineering. Current calibration methods often require multiple operators and lack repeatability. The proposed tool will enable single-operator calibration while improving accuracy and consistency. The student will gain hands-on experience in mechanical design, prototyping, and experimental testing, developing valuable technical and transferable skills.
Applied crystallisation with chaperones: a pathway for structurally characterising challenging samples using X-ray- and Electron-Diffraction
The National Crystallography Service, University of Southampton
This placement is tailored towards chemistry students who will have completed their second year of their undergraduate program (no previous knowledge of crystallography is required). This project will explore the effective use of “chaperone” materials – co-crystallisation agents which can enable the structural characterisation of challenging samples (those that are either difficult or impossible to crystallise on their own). Combining results from your own crystallisation experiments and information gleamed from the literature, we will assist you in exploring and identify the factors which influence their action. You will be embedded within our team of scientists and learn firsthand, how this mix of skills and experience are essential to the successful delivery our world-class crystallographic analytical service and our program of research interests.
Transgenic Plant Screening for Fluorescent Proteins Suitable for STED Microscopy
The James Hutton Institute, Dundee
The goal of this 8-week studentship is to systematically screen a panel of transgenic plants expressing fluorescent fusion proteins for suitability in STED microscopy. This will offer the opportunity to learn confocal and super-resolution microscopy techniques and to handle transgenic fluorescent reporter plant lines used in cell biology in plant sciences. Working within the Imaging Facility, the student will also gain exposure to various projects of other researchers in areas such as plant-pathogen interactions, and to shadow facility staff in their day-to-day work and research.
BioFiT – Enhancing Biomedical Devices with Thin Film Coatings
Northumbria University
The BioFiT project presents an undergraduate internship opportunity focused on developing advanced thin film coatings for biomedical implant devices. This project is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in creating thin film coatings with key properties essential for the successful integration of coatings on implants. The successful applicant will work in Northumbria University’s cutting-edge Thin Film Laboratories utilising physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques to fabricate, and perform characterisation of, deposited thin films.
The successful applicant will gain technical knowledge in the field of thin film deposition, a key technique used in advanced manufacturing processes. Through hands-on experience with thin film characterization techniques, the successful applicant will enhance their ability to assess the functional properties of biomedical coatings, whilst also gaining a relevant skillset for the day-to-day operation of a highly advanced research laboratories.
Benchmarking and optimisation of surface or nano assisted LDI (laser-desorption ionisation) mass spectrometry parameters within Chemistry mass spectrometry core facility.
University of Glasgow
We have an opportunity for an undergraduate student to work within the School of Chemistry mass spectrometry (MS) core facility at the University of Glasgow. The aim of the project is to bench-mark and optimise the use of the new MALDI-ToF (Matrix assisted laser desorption ionisation time of flight) system in different modes. The LDI ionisation mass spectrometry system has several possible modes of desorption and ionisation enhancement for samples to be mass-analysed. We wish to parameterise the new LDI tool in less standard modes by using suitable metal nanoparticles containing substrates in collaboration with the Peveler and Clark groups, and benchmark data obtained against the traditional MALDI operation mode as well as other analytical techniques like X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (both techniques run by research technical professionals within the Analytical Services team). The successful applicant will have the opportunity to gain valuable research and analytical skills outside of their taught course and gain a broader understanding of some of the career opportunities in research.