In2research volunteering FAQs

The In2research programme works with people from low socioeconomic and underrepresented backgrounds to address three significant barriers these groups face when accessing postgraduate research (PGR) study:
– a knowledge gap in understanding what postgraduate research is, how to access it and what is required
– the vital research experience postgraduate research programmes require for a student’s application to be competitive
– tackling institutional bias to build inclusion within research institutions.

Read more about the need for the programme via our In2research volunteering page or our latest impact report.

In2research participants are STEM undergraduate students or graduates from low socioeconomic and underrepresented backgrounds who are considering a postgraduate research degree and/or a career in research. You can take a look at our programme eligibility criteria here.

They will vary in experience from second-year undergraduate students onwards depending on where they are in their career journey. However, all are passionate about their subjects and have shown a real thirst for knowledge.

In2research is delivered from January to September and focuses on skills development and mentorship.

Participants receive:

• A full-time, voluntary eight-week research placement supported by a tax-free stipend equivalent to National Living Wage
• Four online skills workshops delving deeply into key skills such as academic CV writing, communicating research, and preparing for interviews
• Four mentoring sessions with a subject-specific mentor
• Two inspiring away days to develop professional skills and practise networking skills.

The In2research team will support you throughout the programme to ensure that you and your participant have productive and meaningful mentor sessions and/or research placements, depending on your role.

You will also be required to attend an online induction and training. These will be different depending on your role for the programme year, so it is important to attend the ones relevant to you.

There is no formal qualification, but volunteers will receive training and support on how to support those from low socioeconomic and underrepresented backgrounds while on the programme. We are also happy to provide letters of support and impact reports for you to include in your academic profile or future applications, and you will receive a certificate confirming your participation as a volunteer once mentor sessions and/or placements have been completed. You will have full support from the In2research team as you move through the year.

Applications for the 2027 In2research programme are now open!

Complete our application form or if you have a query not covered by the FAQs, email us at [email protected].

The deadline to apply for both of our In2research volunteer roles is Sunday, 23 August.

You can express your interest in becoming a placement host or a mentor for the 2028 programme via this online form.

Yes! We can share relevant opportunities with our participants throughout the programme. We would also love to share any other relevant opportunities with our alumni community – these are past participants of the programme.

Please send details of these opportunities to [email protected].

There are also a number of flexible volunteering opportunities across our other programmes – check out our volunteering page for more information.

As a mentor, you will be supporting participants, either in a small group or one-to-one, who are passionate about your area of research and who would love to learn more about the research career path.

You will be committing to four one-hour mentoring sessions between February and April, with a suggested preparation time of one hour per session.

The mentoring sessions are an opportunity for participants to seek your expert advice and delve more deeply into the topics covered in the four programme workshops, such as how to write an academic CV or prepare for a PhD interview. Your mentees will also be keen to hear your expert advice and learn about your experiences from your time in academia.

We will support you on every step of your mentoring journey to ensure you have the confidence and skills to be a great mentor. There will be pre-prepared tasks written by the In2research team and completed by participants in advance of the session.

You will receive a document before each mentoring session describing the task that has been set, as well as some of the key messages from their most recent skills workshop. We will also provide a list of talking points to help you to structure discussions in your sessions. 

After onboarding, you will be able to set up your first mentor session with your mentee(s) in February. During this first session, we encourage you to book dates for the other three sessions.

Mentor sessions typically take place online, but if you are located near your mentee(s) and you both want to, you are welcome to have these sessions in person.

Mentoring groups will be assigned based on the subject interests of mentees and the research areas of mentors, with 1-2 mentees in each group. 

Please note: While we would love to give every applicant the opportunity, matching for mentors and placement hosts is based on the subject interests and needs of our participants, so we cannot always guarantee a match will be available.

You can be a mentor without being a placement host. However, you are very welcome to apply for both roles! The volunteer application form allows you to apply for both roles at the same time. If you’re interested in hosting a placement and want to learn more, head to the placement host FAQs.

As a placement host, you will be committing to hosting an In2research participant for an eight-week placement over the summer to either

(a) complete a bespoke research project

OR 

(b) to contribute to a wider existing project

You will support the development of the participant’s research skills by setting goals to be monitored at weekly check-ins. You will also support them to create a research output that they can present at our celebration event in September.

The placement opportunities are advertised to In2research participants and they will select projects that are within their area of interest. 

If we are able to match you with a participant we will let you know in January, and you will then be onboarded onto the programme. 

Participants will then send you their CV and personal statement for review. After this, invite them for an informal interview in April and discuss the project or potential project ideas.

You will then host the participant for eight weeks at a time agreed between you and the participant over the summer.

Please note that while we would love to give every applicant the opportunity, matching for mentors and placement hosts is based on the subject interests and needs of our participants, so we cannot always guarantee a match will be available.

Yes! We encourage placement hosts to submit as many project opportunities as possible to give participants lots of choice when they apply.

If you have any questions or need any help completing your application, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Here is an example of a successful project from a previous year:

“Neurodegenerative disorders – why do brain cells die?

The In2research participant will spend 8 weeks looking at two specific neurodegenerative disorders – frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – and why brain cells die in these diseases. 

They will learn how to grow neurons in the lab, how to conduct a western blot, and several new methods of analysing data. This work will help further knowledge about these two diseases and has implications for therapeutics in the future.”

All placements need to have some element of in-person work so that participants can benefit from working within a research group or department and have the opportunity to network with colleagues. 

We recognise that some placements may be able to offer a hybrid working pattern. You can indicate this on the application form.

No. We are accepting projects in any STEM-related subjects.

We are really open to considering a broad spectrum of project opportunities for our participants, not just in lab-based/direct research, but also in areas such as coding, analysis, literature reviews and more.

If you have any questions about the suitability of your project, please get in touch via [email protected].

No, you do not need to be the head of a lab to host a placement.

However, you will need approval from your line manager or supervisor before submitting a research project. If you are not available for the full eight weeks, you can delegate the supervision to a colleague, while keeping the In2research team informed of any changes. 

On the application form, you will need to identify a HR Lead for the placement (such as a member of your department’s HR team). It would be courteous to let them know about your application, as well as gain the support and approval of any other staff who might be impacted by the placement (such as your supervisor/line manager, research lead or head of department and the Principal Investigator).

You will also be responsible for the set up of the placement (e.g. getting participants access to appropriate buildings/equipment, setting up any IT access, organising health and safety training etc.)

Our placement hosts are volunteers and therefore do not get monetary reimbursement for their time hosting. The participant will be provided with a stipend of just over £3,000 for the duration of their placement. This amount will align with National Living Wage. Placement stipends will be paid to the participant directly by In2scienceUK.

Lab or consumable costs will not be covered by In2research for the placement.