The Eden Centre had funding available to employ undergraduate students as research interns or assistants during the academic year 2023/24.
This was intended to support the research work of academic staff, but also to offer students different experiences: insight into the research process; skills development; knowledge of the content of a cutting-edge project.
Departments and academic staff can choose the most suitable model for them. For example:
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activities can take place within or outside term time;
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time commitment can be shorter or longer;
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projects can be undertaken by solo students, or more than one student can be involved.
We wish to acknowledge the generous bequest from the late Guy R Davies (BA International History, 1974), and his family, for making this year’s awards possible.
We spoke to both students and staff who were keen to share their experiences of the Scheme with the wider LSE community
“I’m applying to jobs which require the applied skills that I’ve developed further over the course of this internship, and having recommendations from the primary investigator will be very beneficial.” - Wilson King, BSc Accounting and Finance
"I've gained exposure to cutting-edge research and witnessed first-hand the planning and rigour thatgoes into producing it, which has led to a highly enriching and insightful work experience." - Sudhanshu Maheshwari, BSc Accounting and Finance
"My intern assisted me in adding a new dimension to our research study that we wouldn’t have been able to add if we hadn’t had that extra capacity. We wanted to look at the media environment in Kuwait and how it talks about young people. He and I worked together to design a content analysis of online newspapers in Kuwait. He did that brilliantly and he also generated really useful insights on different elements of our research work that I hadn't considered – he did a stellar job." - Sam Mejias, researcher in Social Justice and Community Engagement
Since 2019, the Eden Centre has enabled over 70 LSE students across 12 departments to collaborate with staff to extend and expand research projects. The ambitious Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme was founded with the aim of integrating students into the scholarly research-rich environment of the School – a key ambition of LSE 2030 and the LSE Student Futures initiative.
Student interns are given opportunities to gain insight into real-life research, building skills and helping to enhance their career prospects. They work in collaboration with staff to introduce fresh ideas and materials, extending the scope of research projects and developing strong working relationships.
Applications were open until Wednesday 1 November 2023.
All projects will be considered, and contacted, within 10 working days of the respective deadline.
With limited funds, we are likely to prioritise:
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Projects which enable a larger number of students to be involved.
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Departments which have not had projects funded in this year, or the preceding academic year.
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Projects of fewer than 80 hours per student, and under 150 hours in total.
If you are not currently a full-time member of LSE teaching or research staff, please contact the Eden Centre in advance for a discussion about your application.
If your application is successful, the Eden Centre will transfer funds into a budget code in your department. You will be responsible for setting up a contract for the student(s), and submitting timesheets for them, although Eden Centre staff are happy to help with this.
The Eden Centre is pleased to discuss potential projects, and to put departments in contact with academics who have carried out similar projects. Please contact the Eden Centre with enquiries.