Why apply?

We are looking for an excellent student to join our community and gain professional experience through a funded internship.

The summer internship is a great way to gain knowledge and experience in Palaeobiology. It will help support your application for PhD positions and other research jobs.

Duration

6 to 8 weeks

Host and location

Palaeobiology Research Group, University of Bristol

You will work in the research group within one of our eight palaeobiology labs.

The experience

You choose the person you would like to work with. If your application is successful, you will design a project with them that addresses your enthusiasms and style of working. This could be field work, laboratory work, chemistry of fossils, computational study of phylogeny or macroevolution.

You will be an active member of the Bristol Palaeobiology Research Group.

As well as focusing on your project, you will meet our palaeobiologists, attend seminars and debate current papers.

You will aim to complete an original piece of research and then engage in writing it up for publication. If you are ready to lead, we will do everything to encourage you to do this.

We will cover skills in handling data, scientific writing, quality illustration, and an understanding of the publication process.

Eligibility

You can apply for the internship if you meet the following criteria:

• you are a UK, Commonwealth or EEA national
• you are in your second year at university as an undergraduate student
• you are studying a relevant degree in palaeontology, biology, or geology (biological or earth sciences)

We are particularly keen to hear from applicants from BAME backgrounds. BAME underrepresentation is a recognised issue throughout science in the UK (Royal Society report).

Funding

This internship offers a stipend of £250 per week. For students whose home address is outside Bristol, there might be some support towards the accommodation costs.

How to apply

To apply, you must submit the following information, grouped into a single document and saved as a pdf:

1. A letter of intent (no more than two A4 pages in font size 12) explaining why you are interested in the internship and how you think it can enhance your career prospects.
2. Your CV, with two referee names and their email addresses.
3. A brief summary (no more than 100 words) of the supervisor and project that you have in mind.
4. Your ideal dates for the internship - 6 to 8 weeks through early June to mid-September, 2019.

Email the above information to Vanessa Luk at vanessa.luk@bristol.ac.uk before Friday 5 April 2019 at 5 pm.

Selection process

If successful, we will invite you for interview within two weeks after the submission deadline. This can be either in person or via Skype.

The interview panel will include one or more palaeontology staff, and a member of the University of Bristol BAME Staff Network.