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Internship Opportunity in the Parliamentary Estate at Westminster
This joint initiative between the PSA and House of Commons Committee Office provides a fantastic opportunity for Early Career Network members of the PSA, currently studying toward their PhD, to gain some valuable experience working in Westminster.
The successful candidate will be placed either within a team of staff supporting a specific Select Committee or in the Scrutiny Unit during the academic year 2024-25, offering PhD students the opportunity to challenge themselves in an environment outside of academia.
As the succesful intern, you will be able to agree a balance of working in the office and working from home, subject to business need and the House of Commons working policy.(more detail in the person specification).
You will be working in a fast-paced policy environment - not necessarily specific to your field of study - be able to progress your research skills and develop invaluable transferable skills. Feedback from previous participants has been very positive- not just from the students themselves but also from the committee clerks and their academic supervisors.
What will your role be?
Whether placed with a Select Committee or in the Scrutiny Unit, the successful candidate will be assigned to a specific project which is likely to involve one or more of the following:
- Policy and evidence analysis
- Research using both primary and secondary sources
- Preparation of written briefing materials for Members serving on a Committee
- Briefing MPs orally
For more information about the role, and our person specification, please see here.
You can read reflections from previous successful applicants’ here.
How do I apply?
To apply for this opportunity please send your CV, together with a one page covering letter detailing why you want to take on the internship and how you fulfil the personal specification. You will need to confirm that you are a PSA ECN member and that your supervisor and department are supportive of your application. Please email to joan.fisher@psa.ac.uk with ‘HoC Placement’ in the subject line.
Not a PSA ECN member yet? Join today for £20 for twelve months membership! You can be a member of the PSA’s ECN from when you started a doctoral degree until three years after the completion of a doctoral viva. It covers the full range of dedicated events and support provided by the ECN committee, as well as the benefits of an Academic PSA membership at a reduced price!
The deadline for applications is Sunday 29 September (midnight).
Short-listed candidates will be contacted by the end of the following week and will be invited to attend for interview via Zoom, week commencing Monday 21 October.
* The start date of the internship is negotiable and will be confirmed with the winning candidate once an offer has been accepted.