Placement Opportunities
This page contains information about placements developed with Techne partner organisations for Techne students to apply for. Please note that you need to be within your funded period when the placement begins in order to apply. You can find out more about funding for placements here.
Techne's Partner the British Library, updates it’s placement opportunities regularly, please follow this link.
23 Things international – Engagement Mentor, University of Surrey
23 Things International is a unique collaboration between universities across the world, led by the University of Surrey. It’s an online learning programme that introduces researchers of any discipline and career stage to useful online tools and techniques to support their work and professional profile building.
In 2021 we had 400 participants from the Universities of Surrey and Cambridge (UK), Florida (USA), Otago and Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand) and Avondale University (Australia), as well as the Africa Research Excellence Fund, and the Techne and SeNSS doctoral training partnerships. For 2022 we also welcome University College Dublin, University of Swansea, and Royal Holloway, and expect to recruit around 600 participants.
One of the best parts of 23Things is that we put researchers from similar disciplines into ‘pods’, to instantly create connections around the world. It’s a chance to meet new people, work together on the tasks for each Thing, and dream up new collaborations beyond the programme.
This year we are delighted to recruit a Techne Engagement Mentor, with the specific task of facilitating interaction within the pods, adding new content relevant to Techne researchers, and assisting with our small research project into participants’ experience.
The Engagement Mentor will be responsible for devising and implementing strategies to help our pods communicate, making sure that initial contact takes off and each pod has a plan for how they want to ‘meet’. This could involve different online platforms. They will also be asked to give participants feedback and encouragement through the community forum, their websites and blogs.
Depending on the mentor’s interest and agreed time commitment, they may also be involved in supplying content and resources for the blogs, and helping to run our participant feedback questionnaire and focus group. There may be opportunities to contribute to subsequent research outputs.
The mentor will report to with project lead Mike Rose (Doctoral College, University of Surrey) and Sarah Stein (Director of Distance Learning, University of Otago), and will be offered full support and mentorship training.
Start & end date of placement: The core period will be March-June 2022, over the 14-week duration of the programme. Depending on the mentor’s preference, they may get involved in the planning stages before this (from February), or in the assessment research, June-Aug 2022.
Hours of work: Hours can be arranged to suit the individual mentor. Total hours worked would reflect the length of funding extension applied for – minimum 30 working days, to max 12 weeks equivalent. During the 14-week programme we would anticipate at least one day per week.
The placement student will be eligible for a stipend extension for the duration of the placement, pro rata if part-time.
Because they will be working with ‘pods’ split over different time zones, some early morning / early evening meetings will be required.
Essential criteria: the placement is open to all techne-funded researchers. It will suit researchers with an interest in fostering international collaborations, public engagement work, and mentoring.
No prior experience or knowledge is necessary, but the successful applicant will demonstrate an understanding of building team relationships, and the ability to give constructive feedback.
The role will be largely self-directed, so a proactive approach is crucial. Knowledge of some of the ‘Things’ will be helpful, but more important will be an interest in learning.
All of our project meetings are online, so the candidate will need to have their own IT equipment and internet connection. No regular travel is required.
Depending on what is feasible by March, we may hold occasional in-person live events to supplement the online programme. The mentor may be compensated for travel to these events if attending (but it would never be compulsory).
Expected project outcomes: the engagement mentor is a new role, designed to promote greater connections within and between pods, allowing research relationships to flourish. 23Things is a growing project, with unique opportunities for the mentor to contribute to its future shape. For the mentor, this is an opportunity to make connections internationally and across disciplines, with potential research publications, as well as developing new skills in mentoring, digital tools, and project management.
This is a new role for 2022, meaning there is scope to develop it in different ways. At the end of the placement we will ask the mentor to write a short report on their experience to inform future recruitment.
Please email techne@rhul.ac.uk if you are interested in applying.
Deadline: Applications must be submitted by 18th February 2022.
Other placement opportunities will be added to this page when available.