The UK has an urgent need for new health data scientists – it’s a rapidly expanding field with the recognised potential to transform the future of health and care for all, and health data science should serve and reflect the needs of the entire UK population.
NortHFutures is supporting HDR UK, the UK Health Data Research Alliance, and the 10,000 Black Interns Foundation in delivering the fifth year of the Black Internship Programme, which aims to help foster a diverse future talent pipeline of health data scientists. NortHFutures is offering bursaries to fund 10 internship placements in the Northeast and North Cumbria (NENC) Region.
Interested in hosting interns for 2025?
Learn more at our upcoming online information sessions
- 28th of November, 13:00
- 9th of December, 14:00
Who can host?
- The scheme aims to showcase the breadth of roles within the health data sector. We welcome hosts from academia, business, civil service, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations working in the medical, social and related services, and NHS bodies.
- To host NortHFutures-funded places, organisations must have a strong presence in the NENC region. While organisations can pledge multiple internship placements, NortHFutures will fund one place per organisation; beyond this, organisations are welcome and encouraged to self-fund additional placements. We will aim to provide at least 50% of the available funding to NHS, social care, VCSE and local authority organisations.
- Organisations will need to be able to meet the Black Internship Programme host requirements (outlined below).
What we ask from host organisations
- Pay interns the Real Living Wage for London (£13.85/hour) as a minimum (regardless of where host or intern are based)*
- Reimburse interns for their travel expenses for the opening and closing ceremonies according to your organisation’s staff expense policies
- Obtain organisational permission to host interns
- Let us know about logistical requirements in our pledge form
- Carry out interviews – (we will screen and match applicants for you)
- Conduct Right To Work in the UK checks
- Create an 8-week health data project for your intern(s)
- Provide a laptop for your intern(s) if needed
*For NortHFutures places, the Hub will cover the intern salary for the 8-week period.
Dates for the Black Internship Programme 2025
- Pledge deadline: Friday 20 December 2024
- Intern application deadline: Sunday 5 January 2025
- Recruitment windows: February and March 2025
- Opening ceremony: Wednesday 25 June 2025
- Internships: Monday 30 June – Friday 22 August 2025
- Closing ceremony: Wednesday 27 August 2025
For more information about the programme, please click here or get in touch at blackinternprog@hdruk.ac.uk.
If you have questions about the NortHFutures placement funding, please contact emma.letham@newcastle.ac.uk.
Interested in hosting interns for 2025?
Applying as an intern?
The paid Health Data Science internships for summer 2025 are open to all Black people (those of African, Caribbean, and Black mixed heritage) who are:
- Current students at a UK university at any level (undergraduate, post grad diploma, Master’s, PhD or returning student)
- Recently graduated from a UK university (2023 and 2024)
- International students currently registered at a UK university
- Of any academic background, but is ideally suited to those with a degree in maths, engineering or computer / data sciences, and medicine and bioinformatics-allied subjects.
All applicants must have the right Right to Work in the UK.
Application and internship dates
Deadline for applications: January 5 2025
Interview windows with host organisations: February – March 2025
The internship will be for 8-weeks on the following dates:
Internships: Monday 30 June – Friday 22 August 2025
Minimum working week: 35-40 hours (full-time), 20 hours (part-time)
Opening ceremony: Wednesday 25 June 2025
Closing ceremony: Wednesday 27 August 2025