This scheme aims to connect NHS real data and issues with academic thought and research through short-term PhD internships. The benefit to the NHS is the added value that academia brings to evidence-based research but on timescales that allow the insights to be acted upon. For the student and university, the benefit is an avenue to conduct related research in an industrial environment and access to NHS data.

We are looking for PhD students working in a quantitative discipline but with an interest in applying their knowledge and gaining experience of creating solutions for the NHS. Both student and university will be funded during the duration of the internship covering between three and six months.

Our aim is to continually build on previous learning whilst having an avenue for including the latest research and approaches. Where possible we will work in an open and transparent way ensuring that learning is shared and insights made available for others to reproduce. At the end of the project the applicant will submit a final report suitable for publication in open literature, and presentations to NHSX on their results including their experience of the project. The nature of the output will depend on the specific project.

Key priorities of the internship will be:

●     Safe and appropriate use of NHS data

●     To producing a balanced outcome for both the student and NHSX, with useable outputs

●     To provide the student(s) with experience of completing a live business project

●     To provide the NHS with an avenue to experience current research and ideas

●     To kick-start or accelerate current projects and ideas

●     To build a long term programme with developing research areas

The Role

The successful candidate will occupy a permanent role within the NHSX analytics unit. During the internship the candidate will be expected to progress their chosen project autonomously with supervision from colleagues in the analytics unit as well as their current academic supervisor. The candidate will be expected to be focussed on the project and self-driven during the internship period, providing regular updates on progress and issues.

Within the topic area of the chosen project, there will be some freedom to direct the development of the research and knowledge but this will also need to be balanced against creating a learning outcome or tangible output, that benefits the PhD scheme objectives and is in a shareable state for future projects to pick up and continue the development.

As the candidate will be a NHSX employee during the internship period, standard employment checks and some mandatory training are required.

Key aims for the intern will be:

●     Progress the research project ensuring learning/outcomes are shareable with NHSX and where appropriate made suitable for publication.

Further information can be found at https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/key-tools-and-info/nhsx-analytics-unit/nhsx-internship-scheme-innovation-and-analytics-health/

The currently available projects can been found at: https://nhsx.github.io/nhsx-internship-projects/