Frequently Asked Questions for Participants
Welcome to In2research FAQs. Here, you can discover answers to frequently asked questions about the In2research programme and your involvement as a participant. Our goal is to provide clear information and support your In2research journey.
Applications for our 2024/25 programme are now closed
If you’re interested in the 2025/26 programme, we’d love to hear from you! Complete our Expression of Interest form or, if you have a query, email us at [email protected]
Application Form
How do I apply?
Applications for the 2024/25 programme are now closed. The application process used is outlined below:
Step 1 – Check your eligibility for the programme
Step 2 – Read through our list of placements, and pick your top three (remember to check the placement location!)
Step 3 – Create a CV using our CV template (if you don’t have one already)
Step 4 – Prepare a short paragraph answer to the questions which will be in the application form:
– What interests you about postgraduate research? (100 words)
– What about the fields of study you identified interests you the most? (100 words)
– Why do you want to take part in the In2research programme? (100 words)
– Why do you want to take part in the three placements you selected? You can include references to any literature you have read or modules you have studied relating to the placement subjects, as well as what you find particularly interesting about these placements. Please address each placement choice. (200 words)
Step 5 – Fill in the application form
Step 6 – We will carefully review your application and if you are shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview!
How long will the application take?
The actual application form should take around 20 minutes to complete. Before you begin to fill out the application form, it is important to take time to prepare your answers to the four questions that require a short paragraph answer, and to have a CV ready.
Will I need to send a CV and personal statement?
The CV is not used for the selection process, but is a baseline document that participants will have the opportunity to develop using skills they gain in the workshops, mentoring sessions and away day. Please submit the CV you already have as part of your application. If you do not already have a CV, you can use our template found here.
We will not be asking for a personal statement – instead, we have four questions in our application form that will allow you to express your passion for research, your subject, and our programme. The answers you provide to these questions will, again, be a helpful starting point for when participants write a personal statement as part of one of the workshops.
I’m struggling with the application form – can you give me any tips?
Our main advice with the application form is to focus on being honest about who you are. We want to hear about you so we can provide our applicants with the best access to the programme. We are looking for applicants who write with enthusiasm for research, regardless of any level of prior experience with research.
The questions we ask on the application form are:
– What interests you about postgraduate research? (100 words)
– What about the fields of study you identified interests you the most? (100 words)
– Why do you want to take part in the In2research programme? (100 words)
– Why do you want to take part in the three placements you selected? You can include references to any literature you have read or modules you have studied relating to the placement subjects, as well as what you find particularly interesting about these placements. Please address each placement choice. (200 words)
If you’re struggling with these questions, you may want to take a brief look into what being a postgraduate research student involves (Prospects describes what a PhD is here), reflect on what in your degree you most enjoy most and why, and consider the aspects of our programme description found on our website that most appeal to you and why.
How will I know which placement I will want to apply for?
This is an opportunity to find a placement that really excites you and find one that has the skills you want to gain! You will need to select the top three placements you would like to apply for, for the full-time, eight-week summer placement.
Select the location of the project and the subject you are interested in and this will show you which placements are available in those areas.
Each placement listing will include the host institution, working pattern, whether it requires working with animals, the dates of availability of the host, a summary of the skills you can gain and either an overview of the project or a summary of the host’s work.
Some placements will have a specific research project already defined. Others will be broad and will give you the opportunity to tailor the project around your interests. The latter is a great opportunity if you have a specific interest or skills you want to develop.
Will I definitely be matched to a placement I choose?
While we do our best to match applicants with the placements they have chosen, we sometimes cannot give everyone their choice! On the application form, we ask you if you would be okay with us matching you to a placement you have not chosen. We would do this by looking at the placements you had chosen, alongside your fields of interest and experience.
When will applications close?
Applications for the 2024/25 programme are now closed.
If you’re interested in the 2025/26 year, we’d love to hear from you! Complete our Expression of Interest form or, if you have a query, email us at [email protected]’
Eligibility
Can I apply if I want to go into medicine?
If you are interested in going into medical research, then we would encourage you to apply! Placements in many different subject areas may have a medical link, so be sure to check out different subjects other than ‘Medicine/healthcare’ in the placement listings. If you are more interested in pursuing a practice-based medical career, then In2research might not be suited to your needs.
I’m not sure I’m at the right point of my studies to apply – do you accept all students and graduates?
To be eligible for In2research, you will need to have completed at least one year of your undergraduate degree by the time you start the programme in November 2024.
We invite applications from:
- Students who will be in their second, third and fourth undergraduate year in the 2024/25 academic year
- Masters students
- People who have already completed their undergraduate degree or postgraduate-taught degree, regardless of employment status.
Please note: We can not accept your application if you have ever been enrolled, taken part in or completed a PhD.
If you will be a first year undergraduate and you are interested in joining the programme in the future, please register your interest here and we will notify you when you are eligible for the following year’s programme.
Will I need to find accommodation if I do not live in London, Glasgow, Manchester or Cambridge?
Everyone on the In2research programme will have a full-time, eight-week research placement. The locations of the placements can be found on the placement listings – you can filter the research placements by location.
You do not have to be studying in either London, Glasgow, Manchester or Cambridge.
For London, Glasgow and Manchester placements, you will need to have accommodation in the location of the placement for the full eight-weeks of your placement during summer.
For Cambridge placements, free accommodation will be provided for anyone wanting to complete a placement in Cambridge.
Once you have been offered a place on the programme and have confirmed your research placement, you will take part in your full-time placement in London, Glasgow, Manchester or Cambridge during summer and you will receive a tax-free stipend of over £3,000, equivalent to National Living Wage. This stipend can be used for things like travel and food costs.
What do you mean by low socioeconomic background?
In2research considers the socioeconomic background of all applications via the Social Mobility Commission’s Toolkit.
If you complete our application form, our questions will consider:
- The occupation of your main household earner when you were aged 14
- If you were eligible for free school meals during your school years
- If your parents went to university
- What type of school you attended
Your responses to these questions will indicate whether you are eligible for the programme.
We want to help as many people as possible who are underrepresented in research degrees and careers. If you are in doubt whether you would be considered, we recommend applying. We strongly hope to get the people from low socioeconomic and underrepresented backgrounds who are most passionate about research and their subject of interest into our next In2research programme.
If you’re interested in pursuing a research degree or career, then please apply!
Interviews
When will interviews occur?
The exact dates will be confirmed when applications for the 2024/25 programme are open. These will take place in October 2024.
How can I prepare for the interview?
Similar to the advice for the application, make sure to show us your passion for your area of interest and postgraduate research. Reflect on any experiences you have had in your area of interest and what interests you about research.
It can be helpful to write out any experience you have using the STAR method, to use in the interview. It can also be helpful to practise saying these examples to someone else or in the mirror.
Programme details
When does the programme run?
The programme kicks off in late November 2024 with an in-person away day in London. From December 2024 – April 2025, there are four workshops and four mentoring sessions that run online. Workshops take place from 6pm, and you will meet your mentor for a mentoring session outside of work or study times. This amounts to a commitment of about four hours a month.
The full-time, eight-week placement will run between 1 June – 31 August 2025. Exact dates are finalised between you and your placement host, once your placement is confirmed.
The programme finishes with a second away day and celebration event in London where you have the opportunity to display, discuss and celebrate your research with a research output.
A timeline can be found on our In2research home page.
How many events will I be expected to attend?
There are four online workshops and four online mentoring sessions to attend alongside your full-time, eight-week research placement.
In order to take part in the eight-week research placement, we expect you to:
– Complete all programme surveys
– Attend three out of four of the workshops
– Attend three out of four of the mentoring sessions
To receive your certificate of completion, we expect you to:
– Create a research output towards the end of your placement
You are expected to complete some tasks in your own time as preparation for sessions, such as personal statement writing and completing surveys. We expect the time commitment to be roughly four hours a month before your full-time, eight-week summer research placement begins in summer 2025.
There are also two in person away days with networking experiences that you can enjoy. These are professional development days with skill building workshops and keynote speakers that will compliment what you gain throughout the programme.
How do the mentor sessions work?
At your interview we will ask you about your subject interests and place you in a small mentor group of one-two participants with an experienced researcher aligned with your subject interests.
You will meet with them following each workshop. You can ask them questions about research and postgraduate applications and to share tips for success. They can also give you feedback on your workshop tasks, such as commenting on your CV and personal statements.
What will the workshops cover and will I need to prepare anything?
Each session will be different, covering a range of topics which may include understanding what a PhD is, academic CV and personal statement writing, interview preparation and more.
While we do not expect you to bring anything to the workshops (except your enthusiasm!), we will send you information after the workshops for work you may need to prepare ahead of your mentor sessions.
What is the placement?
As a participant on the programme, you will be committing to a full-time, eight-week placement in London, Glasgow, Manchester or Cambridge in summer 2025, to either:
(a) complete a bespoke research project
OR
(b) to contribute to a wider existing project
You will gain and develop your research skills in your area of interest, as well as have the opportunity to network with academics. You will also create a research output that you will display and discuss at our celebration event in September 2025.
Where will I go during my research placement?
Your participation in the In2research programme includes a research placement that takes place for an eight-week period during summer 2025. The placement will be located in London or, for a small number of participants, in Glasgow, Manchester or Cambridge. The location of your research placement will be confirmed following a matching process which includes close consideration of your placement choices as well as your areas of research interest.
For London, Glasgow and Manchester placements, you will need to have accommodation in the location of the placement for the full eight-weeks of your placement during summer.
For Cambridge placements, free accommodation will be provided for anyone wanting to complete a placement in Cambridge.
You will take part in your full-time placement in London, Glasgow, Manchester or Cambridge for an eight-week period during summer and you will receive a tax-free stipend of over £3,000, equivalent to National Living Wage. This stipend can be used for things like travel and food costs.
Will I get a formal qualification with In2research?
You will receive a certificate of completion after the programme. However, In2research is not a formal qualification and does not count towards credits for Masters programmes.
This programme will offer you the information, confidence and research experience to support you to progress to postgraduate study.
What are the main benefits of In2research?
There are many benefits to completing the In2research programme, regardless of whether you go into postgraduate research, a research career, or a different career entirely.
In previous years, participants improved their confidence and knowledge of the postgraduate research process, with some of the participants going on to secure PhD places. They also developed key skills like communicating research, writing personal statements or research proposals, and networking.
If you decide to do a postgraduate degree, completing the In2research programme helps to develop the knowledge and skills required for research careers. In addition, research experience can be a benefit in applications for research careers and positions.
If you decide that postgraduate study isn’t for you, you will have gained many skills applicable to all careers. Together with the research placement experience, applying for this programme may give you a foot in the door for other careers and opportunities beyond research!
What support do I get on the programme?
Alongside the workshops, mentoring sessions, placement and away days, you will also have access to Canvas – an online platform that houses everything you need to know about the In2research programme, including workshop recordings, helpful career resources, extra support and guidance and an opportunities page where you can find out about scholarships, webinars and more. You can also use it to connect with your fellow participants.
The In2research team is always on hand to help you and answer any questions throughout the programme.
Are there any opportunities after the programme?
The support does not stop when the In2research programme ends! Once you have completed the programme, you will be invited to join the In2research Alumni Community. This will allow you to connect with previous In2research cohorts, attend networking events and continue your career journey with workshops and webinars.
You can also join our In2careers platform, where you can build your skills and gain ongoing access to a variety of resources and exciting opportunities including networking events, mentoring, employability workshops and more.
Finances
How much does the programme cost?
Participating in the programme is completely free! We provide a tax-free stipend to support the participant when at their research placement. We also reimburse any travel costs our participants that arise when travelling to our two, in-person away days.
How much is the eight-week stipend?
Participants will be paid a tax-free stipend equivalent to the National Living Wage. Over the eight-weeks of the full-time research work placement, this amounts to above £3,000.
Still have questions?
Get in touch with us at [email protected]