What happens on the programme

What you will receive on the programme

The SHARE programme is a four-week paid research experience placement. You will receive: 

  • Four weeks of research project experience, research training, postgraduate study information, and mentoring. 

  • A visiting student maintenance payment, tracking the National Living Wage (currently £12.21 per hour) for a 35-hour week, for four weeks. Payments may be subject to tax, depending on personal circumstances.  Holiday pay will accrue at standard rates and will be added to the standard rate of pay.

  • Access to free accommodation provided by Gonville & Caius College.  

  • Contribution to 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 on 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.  

Participants will be working in departments in the city of Cambridge.  

In addition to your placement, you will have access to weekly training, skills workshops, seminars and check-ins, plus social and mentoring opportunities, 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: 

  • Live in Cambridge for the duration of the programme (6 July - 31 July 2026);
  • Observe any expected codes of behaviour in the Department or College;
  • For full-time placements, participate in a research project, based in the Department premises, for 35 hours per week for four weeks on the dates provided. Hours for part-time placements may be agreed on an individual basis;  
  • Attend all training sessions organised for the programme;
  • Attend all other events and seminars organised for the programme (some of which will take place outside typical Department hours);
  • Provide feedback at the end of the programme so that we can improve it for future years and report to our funders;  
  • Commit to keeping in touch with us in future years to let us know how your career progresses.
  • At all times, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of research integrity. 

What happens during your SHARE placement

You will receive an induction at the start of SHARE, which will introduce you to the College, the University, the programme, the student mentors, and the other participants.  

A typical week during the programme would look like the following sample weekly timetable: 

sample of a weekly timetable

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:  

  • Sessions around how to write a postgraduate application and understanding where to find funding for studentships.
  • Meet current and past postgraduates and hear about how their academic journeys have progressed to where they are now.
  • Meet academics and visit departments to learn about research experiences and where possible specific to the participant’s discipline interest.
  • Personal development training – a workshop on topics such as ‘Dealing with imposter syndrome’ or ‘Being a reflective researcher. These are usually around an hour and a half.
  • One to one meetings to discuss personal plans around being a postgraduate and where to find support and guidance. 

In addition, there may be opportunities to visit departments and meet academics on a one-to-one basis based on discussions with participants and their particular research interests.  

All participants will be offered a half-hour to discuss their future and potential prospects as a postgraduate.   

Accommodation 

As a SHARE participant, you can opt to take up an offer of free accommodation in Gonville and Caius College. Gonville and Caius accommodation for postgraduates comprises a private bedroom, single-sex shared bathrooms, a shared kitchen and common spaces.