NIHR SPHR Summer Internship in Public Health Research

This is an exciting opportunity provided by the NIHR School for Public Health Research (NIHR SPHR) for two promising undergraduate students with an interest in a career in public health. The successful candidates will gain experience of working within an established research team and the opportunity to develop valuable research skills.

Qualifications

• Current Lancaster University undergraduate students
• In the middle years of their first degree studies (normally between years 2 and 3 for students on a 3-year undergraduate programme or equivalent for 4-year programmes)
• Expected to obtain a first or upper second class UK honours degree

The opportunity is hosted by the Liverpool and Lancaster Collaboration for public health research (LiLaC) and funded by the NIHR School for Public Health Research (NIHR SPHR). We are looking to recruit two undergraduate students with an interest in a career in public health research. The internships are offered as a casual work opportunity, on a part‑time, flexible basis over the 2026 summer period. Each post is planned as 0.6 FTE (3 days per week) over approximately 8 weeks (exact working pattern to be agreed with the successful candidate and supervisors).

The successful students will be based in the Division of Health Research (DHR) at Lancaster University and work on one of two projects described in the further details document. Candidates must indicate a preference for one project during the application process.

Project 1: Trauma‑informed, creative research on belonging, safety and first contact (CREATE + Recognised, Not Retold). This internship is suited to students interested in health inequalities, the wider determinants of health, and participatory/creative qualitative research. You will support work that explores what makes support‑service spaces feel safe and welcoming (or not), and how learning from lived experience can be translated into feasible improvements for practice. A distinctive feature of this placement is structured learning in trauma‑informed approaches, and involvement in knowledge translation, helping turn findings from creative activities into stakeholder‑ready learning (e.g., housing, council, NHS, voluntary sector).

Project 2: Public health systems and health inequalities (Systems project using Qualitative Comparative Analysis). This internship is suited to students interested in public health systems, policy action on inequalities, and innovative methods. You will work with an experienced team using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to explore how different configurations of system "conditions" (e.g., governance arrangements, stability, policy embedding) relate to action on health inequalities and their social determinants. You will gain experience working with structured qualitative data sources and learning how QCA can be applied in public health research.

Supervision and Mentorship

Both internships sit within projects led by Dr Rebecca Mead (Lancaster University, Division of Health Research / LiLaC). Day‑to‑day supervision will be provided by the relevant project supervisor: Project 1 (CREATE + Recognised, Not Retold): Dr Yessica Mestre, Research Associate. Project 2 (Systems/QCA project): Dr Zoe Swithenbank, Senior Research Associate. Dr Mead will provide overall oversight and mentorship across both placements, alongside the wider LiLaC/SPHR team as needed.

Expected Outcomes

The successful applicants will be supported by the project leads and work within a friendly research environment. You will develop skills in research processes and writing for different audiences. You will be expected to complete a short report at the end of the internship plus either a blog or a practice/public‑focused briefing (and there may be an opportunity to support dissemination activities).