Research internships
We are building a research community focused on what a good digital society should look like and how we get there. As part of this, we seek to build up the skills of a diverse range of early career researchers who will go on to comprise the next generation of digital society researchers.
Our research internships scheme provided PhD students with a funded opportunity to experience working with interdisciplinary teams in various sectors and industries.
2024 interns:
Host: Government Open Innovation Team
Intern: Vanessa Cumper, PhD student, University of Surrey
Conducting evidence reviews, interviews and workshops with a view to supporting local authorities to deliver better value for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision as well as researching the potential impacts of demographic trends on public services.
Host: BBC R&D
Intern: Lauren Martin, PhD student, University of Sheffield
A rapid review into the various challenges and opportunities for the host in using emerging technologies to support civic and political engagement.
Host: Zinc VC (Venture – Our Time HQ)
Intern: Rebecca Ruddock, PhD student, University of Sheffield
Supporting a tech start up with various research activities i.e. literature reviews, pilot studies and data analysis in addition to other activities i.e. workshop planning and grant application support.
Host: BBC R&D
Intern: Niamh Cashell, PhD student, University of Manchester
Empirical research into the use of AI generative images in the run up to the 2024 election.
Host: BBC R&D
Intern: Lily Rodel, PhD student, University of Oxford
A short-term qualitative study on the relationship between meaningful work and the internal use of the Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) productivity tool Microsoft Copilot at the host organisation.
Host: BBC R&D
Intern: Johnny Swierczynski, PhD student, University of Bath
A rapid literature review and workshops exploring the question ‘What would happen if we evaluated AI in journalism against societal benefits as well as efficiency gains, risk mitigation and engagement metrics?’ on behalf of the host.
Host: Zinc VC (Venture – Unravel)
Intern: Hannah Westwood, PhD student, University of Coventry
Supporting a women’s health tech start up with workshops, product design and grant applications.
2025 interns:
Host: Stripe Partners
Intern: Fabiana Anselmo, University of Nottingham
Empowering young girls in the UK and Brazil to engage confidently with AI, to produce actionable recommendations that inform educational tools for digital wellbeing, literacy and critical thinking.
Host: Unravel Health (Zinc)
Intern: Passara Chanchotisatien, Edinburgh University
Analysing hormone-monitoring data from a large-scale pilot study to generate clinically relevant insights for women’s health research and management.
Host: BBC R&D
Intern: Stephen Crone, University of Liverpool
Creating a practical toolkit for Public Service Media to understand and measure digital exclusion, using the Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) as a foundation.
Host: BBC R&D
Intern: Charlotte Curle, Lancaster University
Exploring the impact that the Online Safety Act (2023) has on public service media’s role in fostering civic engagement, providing an equity-focused social science lens on new initiatives.
Host: South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub
Intern: Chloe Curtis, University of Oxford
Helping to develop a digital data collection tool for capturing self-reported effects from using hormonal contraceptives, with a focus on underserved and underrepresented populations..
Host: Victoria and Albert Museum
Intern: Patrícia Falcão, Goldsmiths
Investigating the environmental and technological sustainability of digital acquisition and preservation workflows, creating actionable recommendations for the sector.
Host: GFSC.studio / GFSC.community
Intern: Blue Maignien, University of Sheffield
Raising awareness of the Community Technology Partnership (CTP) approach to commissioning technology through the production of guidelines for community groups and social care commissioners.
Host: Arebyte
Intern: James O’Sullivan, University of Bristol
Helping improve visitor surveying by developing a novel, engaging data processing system, including a peripheral data collection prototype and visualisation toolkit for stakeholder engagement.
Host: Eye2Gene Ltd.
Intern: Eva Price, University College London
Advancing AI diagnostic tools for inherited retinal diseases, contributing to frameworks such as pre-determined change control plans for model robustness and reliability, across diverse patient populations and clinical environments.
Host: Cambridge Medixine (Zinc)
Intern: Kavi Shah, University of Cambridge
Evaluating and applying AI tools to improve self-amplifying RNA therapeutic platforms for mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), assessing ethical, social, and regulatory factors to ensure responsible and equitable development.
Host: BBC R&D
Intern: Amna Smith, University of Southampton
Addressing invisible digital inclusion barriers for marginalised young people, particularly refugees learning digital skills, including the creation of a practical guide for education practitioners.
Host: BBC R&D
Intern: Ka Wing So, University of Glasgow
Developing an evaluation framework to measure how AI contributes to equity, representation, and civic engagement in public service journalism.
Host: Ada Lovelace Institute
Intern: Kin>%, Newcastle University
Developing community-based arts practice within a research programme, focusing on AI literacy, place, and redress in the North East.