Research In Practice: Placement Opportunities

These placement opportunities are only open to students funded through the WGSSS Studentship scheme, awarded from October 2024 onwards. This scheme includes additional funding to complete a 3-month Research in Practice placement as part of your ESRC-funded PhD.

Please note:

Placements cannot be completed within the first 3 months of your PhD.
Placements cannot be undertaken during your Master’s year.

How to apply
Apply to the host organisation for the opportunities listed below.
Applications must be submitted before the advertised closing date.
The host organisation will review applications and select the successful candidate.

Currently Recruiting

Research Assistant – Creative and participatory research opportunity working alongside people with lived experience to drive meaningful change

Company / Department:  Empower Dementia Network Plus, The University of West London
Job Sector: Research Centre
Full or Part time: Full time or Part time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Remote / Hybrid

Closing date: 13th April 2026

Start date of placement: Summer 2026

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Policy Research Assistant: ‘What Matters to You?’

Company / Department: Age Cymru
Job Sector: Charity
Full or Part time: Full time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid (Cardiff/Online)

Closing date: 17:00 17th April 2026

Start date of placement: 11th May 2026

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Data and Insights officer: Assessing the impact of sports-based positive youth development programmes across primary and secondary schools

Company / Department: Greenhouse Sports
Job Sector: Youth Charity
Full or Part time: Full time or Part time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid or Remote

Closing date: 31st March (for June Start) 30th June (for a September start) 31st October (for a January Start)

Start date of placement: June 2026 , September 2026 or January 2027

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Creating Dementia Inclusive Universities

Company / Department:  Working with Dementia
Job Sector: Research Centre / Academic
Full or Part time: Full time or Part time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Remote

Closing date: 30 April 2026

Start date of placement: 1st June 2026

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Evaluating trends in language-based areas studies focused on Europe-Asia

Company / Department:  Shifting Global Polarities
Job Sector: Research Centre / Academic
Full or Part time: Full time or Part time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid / Remote

Closing date: 30 April 2026

Start date of placement: June 2026

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Examining a thematic area of significance for the UK within the context of Europe-Asia region

Company / Department:  Shifting Global Polarities, University of Birmingham
Job Sector: Research Centre / Academic
Full or Part time: Full time or Part time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Remote / Hybrid

Closing date: 30 April 2026

Start date of placement: 1st June 2026

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Exploring the evolution of cultural practices among post-2022 Russian diaspora communities

Company / Department:  Shifting Global Polarities, University of Manchester
Job Sector: Research Centre / Academic
Full or Part time: Full time or Part time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Remote

Closing date: 30 April 2026

Start date of placement: June 2026

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Benchmarking and Advancing the Citizen Prosperity Index

Company / Department:  UCL Institute for Global Prosperity
Job Sector: Research Centre
Full or Part time: Full time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Remote

Closing date: 30 April 2026

Start date of placement: June 2026

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Livelihood Security, Productivity, and the Beyond-GDP Policy Agenda

Company / Department:  Shifting Global Polarities, University of Manchester
Job Sector: Research Centre / Academic
Full or Part time: Full time or Part time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Remote

Closing date: 30 April 2026

Start date of placement: June 2026

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Research Assistant: Participation in Democratic Decision Making

Company / Department: Vale of Glamorgan
Job Sector: Local Authority
Full or Part time: Part time, 6 months
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 17:00GMT 1st May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Evidence review of the safeguarding roles and responsibilities for professionals working with older people experiencing Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV)

Company / Department: Welsh Government – Communities, Social Justice and Early Years Evidence Unit
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

Data Analyst : Measuring the impact of Flying Start using a quasi-experiment and data from the SAIL databank

Company / Department:  CASCADE – Children’s Social Care Research Development Centre
Job Sector: Research Centre
Full or Part time: Full or Part time
In Person/Online/Hybrid: In Person/Hybrid

Closing date: 18th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Research Assistant: Investigative scrutiny into Committee specific identified areas

Company / Department: Vale of Glamorgan
Job Sector: Local Authority
Full or Part time: Part time, 6 months
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 17:00GMT 5th June 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Measuring Wales’ Soft Power: Evidence, Impacts and a Theory of Change for International Engagement

Company / Department: Welsh Government – Knowledge and Analytical Services (KAS).
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

Tourette’s Syndrome Evidence Review – Prevalence, Demographic
Patterns, and Co-Morbidities

Company / Department: Neurodivergence Policy team and Disability Disparity Evidence Unit
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

A Guardianship Scheme for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) in Wales?

Company / Department: Social Care Team, Government Social Research (GSR)
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Millennium Cohort Study: Welsh thematic analysis

Company / Department: Government Social Research (GSR)
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th March 2026

Start date of placement: No earlier than April 2026

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Application form

Data analysis of peer relationships using data from the School Health Research Network (SHRN)

Company / Department: Health Research, Government Social Research (GSR)
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

Exploring the concept of housing affordability in Wales

Company / Department:  Housing Team, Government Social Research (GSR)
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

Evidence Review of youth justice models and outcomes for young people across the UK

Company / Department: Welsh Government – Knowledge and Analytical Services (KAS).
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

Secondary data analysis to provide evidence about the Childcare sector in Wales

Company / Department: Welsh Government – Knowledge and Analytical Services (KAS).
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

Financial Inclusion evidence synthesis and research project to inform policy planning

Company / Department: Welsh Government – Communities, Social Justice and Early Years Evidence Unit
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

Export Programme Analysis – Survey Design & Impact Evaluation

Company / Department: Welsh Government – Knowledge and Analytic services (KAS)
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026

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Application form

Applied Economic Modelling Intern – Exploring Novel Uses of Input-Output Tables for Wales

Company / Department: Welsh Government – Knowledge and Analytic services (KAS)
Job Sector: Public Sector
Full or Part time: Flexible
In Person/Online/Hybrid: Hybrid

Closing date: 23.59 GMT 15th May 2026

Start date of placement: September 2026 (exact date to be negotiated).

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Application form