As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s postgraduate training portfolio, the UKRI Policy Internships scheme provides an opportunity for UKRI-funded doctoral students to undertake a three-month placement at one of a selected group of influential policy organisations.
Currently the scheme supports on average 125 internships per year across all host partners.
During their internship, the student undertakes training and experience on a policy topic agreed with their host partner that is relevant to both parties. At the end of the internship, the student is expected to have:
- produced a briefing paper
- participated in a policy inquiry and, or
- organised a policy event
The intention of the scheme is to embed students in an environment where they can engage with the process of converting research outputs into policy. These internships equip students with transferable skills and training relevant to the future career paths that the student may choose.
Funding opportunities
Annual opportunities typically go live in the summer and can be found on the UKRI Funding finder.
Eligibility
This scheme is only open to doctoral students funded by the research councils of UKRI (AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC and STFC).
For the purposes of applying to this scheme, students funded through UKRI Centres for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence should follow the eligibility criteria and funding details for EPSRC grants.
You should contact the training grant administrator at your research organisation with any queries relating to your funding status.
How to apply
You should complete the application on UKRI’s Funding Service, accessed via the Funding finder.
Contact
Enquiries should be directed to UKRI Talent and Skills.
Email policyinternships@ukri.org
Last updated: 23 April 2026