North West Social Science Doctoral Training PartnershipThe placements below have been arranged by other DTPs or external organisations. They have been publicised widely and are open to students beyond the NWSSDTP.
To apply, students should follow the instructions in the relevant role details, as the first step. Then, if successful:
- Sept 2024+ students will need to inform the NWSSDTP Placement Coordinator (ripps@liverpool.ac.uk) who will request some further details about the placement arrangements.
- Pre-Sept 2024 students will need to apply for additional funding, and a funded studentship extension, following internship guidance.
These opportunities are listed in chronological order by deadline and will be updated regularly:
QinetiQ
SME Cyber Security Compliance Placement
- Global Order & Security Public Policy & Governance
- The key research question is: Why is there gap between cyber security standards and their implementation by organisations, and where there is regulation, what level of compliance is there with the regulation?
- Deadline: 27 May 2026
QinetiQ
Innovation & Procurement Reform for UK Tech Sovereignty
- Global Order & Security Public Policy & Governance
- The key research question is: How can the UK leverage innovation-driven methods and procurement reform to strengthen national technological sovereignty, resilience and global competitiveness?
- Deadline: 27 May 2026
Makinen Unlimited
Help businesses understand the future workforce by bridging the gap between the Gen Z and the more experienced workforce.
- Post available: Research Assistant to help to develop a new diagnostic framework that organisations can use to assess how well their multigenerational workforce is functioning and identify where the gaps lie.
- Deadline: 29 May 2026
RSPB
Lessons learned from conservation livelihood interventions in the Guinea Savannah Landscape of Ghana
- Placement 1: Scoping Review of livelihood interventions in Ghana
- Placement 2: Qualitative and thematic analysis of practitioner insights
- Deadline: 31 May 2026
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
UK Health Data Model Placement
- Chief Data Officer (CDO) Group
- Supporting the Data Architecture team on health-related data modelling projects
- Deadline: 31 May 2026
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
Digital and Data Project Management Placement
- The placement will be based within the Portfolio Office and Business Partnering Team of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) Group.
- Hands‑on experience in strategic project management within a national public health organisation, providing exposure to real‑world decision‑making, governance and stakeholder engagement.
- Deadline: 31 May 2026
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
Digital and Data Product Analysis Placement
- UKHSA’s Data Products Delivery team
- Undertake a high impact strategic analysis of the organisation’s live digital and data services.
- Support UKHSA’s mission to deliver secure, efficient and high value digital services that underpin national health security.
- Deadline: 31 May 2026
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
Digital and Data Mapping Placement
- Mapping the full lifecycle of delivery items, including handoffs, approvals, delays and remediation.
- Identifying bottlenecks, systemic issues and sources of waste across multiple delivery streams.
- The insights will support more predictable delivery, better prioritisation and a streamlined pipeline for data and analytics products that underpin UKHSA’s mission to protect public health.
- Deadline: 31 May 2026
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
AI Digital Delivery Placement
- UKHSA’s Digital Products & Services (DPS) team
- Investigate how emerging AI and automation technologies can strengthen digital delivery, DevOps practices and workforce models.
- Analyse current DPS workflows, identify opportunities for automation, and assess how AI could support or augment roles.
- Deadline: 31 May 2026
North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership 