What you will receive on the programme
The SHARE programme is a four-week paid research experience internship. You will receive:
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Four weeks of research project experience, research training, postgraduate study information, and mentoring.
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A payment of £1,680 for the four-week programme, equivalent to the Real Living Wage (currently £12.00 per hour before tax) for a 35-hour week.
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Free accommodation provided by Gonville & Caius College.
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Reimbursement of your travel expenses to and from Cambridge at the start and end of the programme.
When you apply for the programme, you are invited to indicate which project/projects you are interested in. Please note that expressing interest in a particular project does not affect your overall chances of being offered a placement; and if you are offered a placement, it may be with a project that was not your personal preference.
All projects provide broad social science research experience; we aim to achieve the closest possible match when offering placements. Projects are based in several departments around the city, both at Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge, so where you work day-to-day will depend on the project you are matched to.
The SHARE team will organise weekly training, skills workshops, seminars and check-ins, and Gonville and Caius College will provide dedicated mentors and organise social activities so you can find out what life is like as a postgraduate student in Cambridge.
If you join us on the programme, you are expected to:
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Live in Cambridge for the duration of the programme (8 July - 2 August 2024)
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For full-time internships, participate in a research project for 35 hours per week for four weeks on the dates provided. Hours for part-time internships will be agreed on an individual basis.
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Attend all training sessions organised for the programme.
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Attend all other events and seminars organised for the programme (some of which will take place outside typical working hours).
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Commit to providing all requested feedback at the end of the programme so that we can improve it for future years and report to our funders.
At all times, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of research integrity.
What happens during your SHARE internship
You will receive an induction at the start of SHARE, which will introduce you to the college, the University, the programme, your current student mentor, and the other participants.
A typical week during the programme would look like the following sample weekly timetable:
At the end of the programme, you will give a short presentation to the other participants and staff involved in the SHARE programme.
Professional and personal development for SHARE participants
In a single week during a SHARE project placement, time will be ring-fenced for participants to join the doctoral training manager for a range of workshops, group and individual discussions, as well as a range of resources they can work on offline.
Each week will have a specific half-day allocated to personal and professional development and another half day allocated to methods training.
The personal and professional development sessions will generally look like this:
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Group catch up – half hour group chat around how the week has been.
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'Meet the researcher' and/or 'meet an alum' – one hour slot with a current postgraduate at Cambridge and/or a postgraduate alum with an overview of their career.
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Personal development training - a workshop on topics such as 'Dealing with imposter syndrome' or 'Being a reflexive researcher'. These are usually around an hour and a half.
In addition, during the week there will be opportunities to visit departments and meet academics on a one-to-one basis (these are set up by the training manager based on discussions with participants and their particular research interests).
All participants will be offered a half-hour with the training manager to discuss their future and potential prospects as a postgraduate. There will also be opportunities for participants to talk about their wellbeing and support during their time in Cambridge.
