Summer 2025 Artificial Intelligence Research Internship Programme
Summer 2025 Artificial Intelligence Research Internship Programme
Google DeepMind Research Ready Scheme
The School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham is delighted to offer Artificial Intelligence research internships to 12 eligible undergraduate Home students (see the Eligibility Criteria), prioritising individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds across the UK. This programme, supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering, in partnership with Google DeepMind and the Hg Foundation, is designed to equip participants with the tools and opportunities needed to progress into research and careers in AI. Running from 30 June to 23 August 2025, the eight-week summer internship programme provides a unique opportunity for current undergraduate students to engage in cutting-edge AI research.
The programme begins with a dedicated orientation and workshop week (30 June – 4 July), offering broad AI training and skills development. Following this, participants will attend a weekly seminar series featuring inspiring researchers from academia and industry presenting their work on AI. The programme also includes community-building activities, from a welcome event to a final demo and presentation day, creating a supportive and enriching environment for all participants.
The optional online information session was held on 29 January 2025 from 13:00 to 14:00. Thank you to all who attended! Applications for the programme are open to all Home students across the UK. Please refer to the Eligibility Criteria, Application Guide, Selection Process as well as information on Pay, Travel and Accommodation for details.
Benefits of the Programme
Participants will have the opportunity to:
- Improve their knowledge of the different areas of AI.
- Understand the routes into different AI careers.
- Build confidence in taking the next steps in their education or career journey in AI, strengthening their CVs.
- Indicate their preferences to choose from their favourite AI research projects.
- Collaborate with world-class experts and PhD students in the research field.
- Join a diverse cohort of fellow undergraduates to develop your transferable skills through community-building activities and networking while developing early-career research expertise.
Participants will also have access to the University of Nottingham’s enriching learning facilities. These include computer labs, meeting rooms, libraries, cafeterias and high-performance computing resources – providing a fully-equipped learning and research environment.
The programme here at Nottingham draws on expertise from key research groups in the School of Computer Science, where AI is a central inter/multi-disciplinary research theme. Additional support comes from the Horizon Digital Economy Centre, Faculty of Science Doctoral Training Centre in Artificial Intelligence and more. The School of Computer Science is committed to nurturing a positive research culture in an inclusive environment and is uniquely placed to integrate research and training in AI with involvement in leading initiatives in the area, including UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Hub, Responsible Ai UK Hub, and BBSRC AIBIO-UK Network.
Key Dates (in UK time)
- Online information session: 29 January, 13:00-14:00
- Application deadline: 12 March, 13:00
- Reference letter deadline: 19 March, 13:00
- Programme dates: 30 June – 23 August
Contact us
If you have any questions about this programme or the application process, please contact us at ps-cs-internship@nottingham.ac.uk.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for an internship, you must meet all the following essential criteria:
- Be a UK resident and eligible to pay UK home fees.
- Have, or expect to have, the right to live and work full time in the UK for the duration of the programme and be able to provide proof of this.
- Be in the penultimate year of your undergraduate degree, or have already completed an undergraduate degree, in Computer Science or an AI facilitatory-related technical field.
- Be on track to achieve or have achieved a final undergraduate degree grade of a 2:1 or higher in Computer Science, or an AI facilitatory-related technical field.
- Not currently studying for or have completed a master’s degree or PhD.
- Have an interest in obtaining an AI-related postgraduate degree or building a career in AI.
In addition, you must meet at least one of the following socioeconomic criteria:
- Have been eligible for Free School Meals in the 6 years up to the end of key stage 4 in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
- Live in an area in the lowest two deciles according to a postcode measure such as IMD or POLAR.
- Have at some stage been in local authority care.
- Be in receipt of full state support for maintenance for your course of undergraduate study.
- Identify as having Black or Asian or Minority ethnicity.
- Identify as female or non-binary.
- Be a mature student (21 or over at the beginning of the course).
- Have completed one of the following programmes:
- Realising Opportunities nationally.
- UNIQ (University of Oxford Summer School).
- Lincoln Medical Summer School.
- Sutton Trust Summer School.
- Sutton Trust Pathways Programme.
- Ambition 16-18 at the University of Nottingham as a Tier 1 member.
- Have been granted independent status by Student Finance England due to estrangement.
Application Guide
Before you apply
Please read the Eligibility Criteria carefully and ensure that you meet all of them first.
As part of the application form, you are required to nominate one referee and provide their contact email. We will email your referee directly to request a reference letter, which must be submitted by the deadline of 19 March 2025, 13:00 (UK time). We strongly recommend reaching out to your referee as early as possible to give them sufficient time to prepare the letter and inform them of the submission process. The reference letter should be written by an academic from your undergraduate course who knows you and your work well such as a personal tutor, dissertation supervisor, module coordinator, module convenor or lecturer. Please choose a referee who can positively attest to your academic performance and potential for further study or a career in AI, as their support will strengthen your application.
What to include in your application
All applications must be submitted via email, including the following documents:
Please download and complete this form without altering its format (.docx) with the following naming convention: LastName _Application.docx. The application form consists of 4 main parts that are mostly self-explanatory: Personal Details, Eligibility, Referee Nomination and Personal Statement.
Please ensure that your referee submits the reference letter once receiving the request from us by the deadline of 19 March 2025, 13:00 (UK time).
The Personal Statement (maximum 2 pages) is an important part of the application, where you will demonstrate how you meet the assessment criteria. Follow the instructions in the form, where you will find hints to help you complete each section.
We strongly encourage applicants to complete the personal statement in their own words based on their unique background and experiences.
- Curriculum Vitae. (maximum two pages)
You should provide an overview of your qualifications, skills, and experiences that demonstrate your suitability for this programme, and your recent achievements.
Your CV should be returned in PDF format with the following naming convention: LastName _CV.pdf
- University transcript. You should provide us with a copy of your university transcript(s) in PNG or PDF format, showing the grades/marks you have received so far for your undergraduate degree. We will also accept scans of your transcript(s) or screenshots from self-service portals, provided that your name, institution, and a breakdown of grades are clearly identifiable. Please use the following naming convention: following naming convention: LastName _transcript.pdf or LastName _transcript.png
Supporting documents
Although this is not essential, we would like to encourage applicants to submit any relevant documents they believe can support their eligibility in PNG or PDF format.
Privacy Notice:
The University of Nottingham processes your personal data to support the summer research internship programme. Please visit [this webpage] for our Privacy Notices, which explain how we process your personal data and the rights you have with respect to your personal information.
Apply
The programme is now open to applications. Eligible candidates must submit their application materials via email to ps-cs-internship@nottingham.ac.uk by the deadline of 12 March 2025, 13:00 (UK-time).
Click here to download application form
IMPORTANT: Applications will be considered incomplete until all required documents, including the reference letter, are received. Files must be submitted in the specified format; failure to do so may result in rejection. You should compile all application files (excluding the reference letter) into a single ZIP folder (not exceeding 10MB) labelled with your last name.
After You Apply
If we require any additional information from you to make a decision, we will get in touch. We aim to notify applicants of the outcome via email during the week of 28 April 2025. Once a decision has been made, we will provide you with the next steps.
Selection Process
Once we receive your application materials and reference letter, they will be reviewed and your application will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Academic potential and motivation
- Extent of benefits from the programme
- Contextual information about your personal, socio-economic background
Successful applicants will be notified of their internship offer via their registered email addresses and will have the opportunity to rank their preferred research projects. The summer AI research internship projects will then be automatically assigned based on these preferences using specialised software.
Pay, Travel and Accommodation
Participants in the AI Research Internship Programme will receive a stipend of £400 per week for a 35-hour workweek. Additionally, travel expenses to and from Nottingham at the start and end of the programme will be reimbursed, up to £225.
You will have the option to stay in University of Nottingham accommodation, providing a safe and accessible environment for all participants in the programme. Rooms will be assigned randomly unless a participant specifies particular needs (successful applicants will have the opportunity to indicate their accessibility requirements). Alternatively, you can choose to commute or make their own accommodation arrangements to accommodate personal responsibilities or circumstances that may prevent them from being away from home for extended periods. We will reimburse accommodation costs in Nottingham, up to £2,076, for the eight-week duration.