Gain industry experience to enhance your PhD or Early Career Research

We offer fully funded 10-day PhD placements that allow students and early-stage researchers to gain valuable industry experience with some of Scotland’s leading companies. There is funding available to provide up to 50 industry placements for PhD students and early-stage researchers in Scotland up until 2024.

This is a unique opportunity for post-graduates to apply their academic expertise in a work environment. Placements are available across a wide range of sectors and organisations. Examples of the work done on a placement include:

• Working on a Proof of Concept.
• Contributing to a Research Paper.
• Overcoming a business problem using data.

Who is eligible?

This programme is open to PhD students, from 1st year onwards, and early-stage researchers across Scotland studying in data and AI-related fields.

You must have the right to work in the UK and you will be required to complete eligibility to work checks prior to being accepted onto the programme. Tier 4 students will be considered, but project allocations will be subject to project flexibility, allowing for any visa restrictions on working hours.

What’s involved?

Timescale: Placements typically last for up to 10 days. They will involve carrying out a short project or piece of research for the host company, on a continuous (2 weeks) or intermittent (up to 8 weeks) basis.

Finance: You will be employed and paid for your time by the University of Edinburgh.

Extra training: You will also be provided with additional employability support including a 1-2-1 CV review, interview skills and overcoming imposter syndrome workshops.

Key Benefits

How to apply

Applications are accepted at any time.

Please note:

Whilst we endeavour to successfully match as many students and organisations as possible, the success of your application will depend on the relevance of your skillset to project requirements.

If we are unable to offer you an immediate placement we will keep your details on file, and unless notified otherwise, will continue to search for a match on your behalf.

Examples of past placement projects:

• AI in automated human vaccination.
• Blockchain-driven sustainable chemical marketplace.
• Connecting electric vehicle drivers with nature-based tourism.
• Energy market price forecasting.
• Enhancing computer vision interpretation of vegetation photography.
• Machine learning for glucose prediction in diabetes.
• Reinforcement learning for herd mentality in investments.

Hear from The Data Lab PhD placement alumni:

“I have had so much support from my colleagues at Grand Bequest and The Data Lab throughout the process. It has been an insightful and beneficial opportunity for me to understand the differences between academia and industry, and how they blend together. The placement has helped in seeing the variety of jobs out there for someone with my skillset, and I am extremely excited to join the Grand Bequest team in the autumn.”

Alina Kumukova
PhD in Statistics at the University of Edinburgh