Program Overview

Introduction to the UCL East London Undergraduate Internship Programme

The UCL East London Undergraduate Internship Programme is a six-week paid summer opportunity designed to widen participation for students to explore master's study, build confidence, and gain direct experience of academic research and practice at UCL East. This programme is particularly aimed at students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in master's-level education, and from those who have experienced educational, financial, or structural barriers to progression.

About the Internship

UCL is offering a six-week paid summer internship for up to four current undergraduates between their second and third year of study. Participants will work on projects connected to selected master's programmes at UCL East in the following areas:

• Chemistry | Manufacturing Futures Laboratory
• Mathematical & Physical Sciences | UCL Institute for Materials Discovery
• Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis | Connected Environments
• Chemical Engineering | Manufacturing Futures Laboratory

The programme is designed to:

• Build academic and professional skills
• Provide mentoring from academics and PhD students
• Offer insight into master's-level study
• Support applications for funded postgraduate study

Available Internships

The available internships include:

• Chemistry | Manufacturing Futures Laboratory: Turning Plastic Waste into Catalyst for the Preparation of Biofuel Precursors. Supervisor: Dr. David Palomas
• Mathematical & Physical Sciences | UCL Institute for Materials Discovery: Advanced Materials Research to Support Sustainable Net Zero Ambitions. Supervisor: Dr. Prospero Taroni-Junior
• Chemical Engineering | Manufacturing Futures Laboratory: Smart Robotics for Nanomaterial Manufacturing. Supervisor: Solomon Bawa
• Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis | Connected Environments: The Giant Robot's Handbook - creating a Digital Twin of UCL East. Supervisor: Prof. Duncan Wilson

Programme Structure

The programme structure consists of:

• Week 1: Welcome, cohort-building, and introduction to UCL East master's programmes
• Weeks 25: Project placements within host departments
• Week 6: Showcase, reflection, feedback, and structured support with master's and scholarship applications

Eligibility

To apply, you must be a current UCL undergraduate in your second year (entering third year in autumn 2026) and meet the eligibility criteria for the UCL East London Scholarship, meaning you must:

• Be ordinarily resident in the UK or Ireland and eligible to pay the Home fee rate
• Have an annual household income of ｣42,875 or less
• Have been a permanent resident for the last five years (since 2021), or have completed GCSEs or A-Levels in one of the following east London boroughs: Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, or Waltham Forest

Benefits

The benefits of the programme include:

• ｣2,000 paid internship (paid in arrears for completed work)
• Supervision and mentoring from UCL academics and PhD students
• Experience that strengthens your pathway into postgraduate study
• Structured support to develop competitive master's and scholarship applications

Timings

• Closing date of applications: 1st April 2026
• Interviews: May 2026
• Start of Internship: 30th June 2026

Future Pathways

The UCL East London Undergraduate Internship Programme is just one pathway into the UCL East London Scholarship, which helps students in the four Olympic boroughs complete Master's programmes at UCL East.