Techne

Placements and Opportunities

Techne PhD student Anushka Tay researching at the Archive, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. Photo by Alice Nelson.

We encourage all Techne students to undertake at least one funded placement as part of their PhD as a chance to develop skills outside of their research and experience working at a range of organisations. Placements can be organised with Techne partners, or with any other organisation including HEIs.

Partner placement opportunities will be advertised to you through the weekly newsletter. 

Current Opportunities: 

The Politics of Grandmothers: Kinship, Memory and Resistance Across Generations

Four-month research-assistant placement with Dr Maria Kastrinou at Brunel University London, exploring the political significance of grandmotherhood through research in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and the UK. The project asks what becomes visible when grandmothers are placed at the centre of political analysis, and examines the relationship between kinship, ageing, memory, care and political agency across generations.

The role will involve supporting the early development of a larger collaborative research project and future external funding application. The doctoral researcher will undertake a focused annotated bibliography and literature review, helping to map key debates on grandmotherhood, kinship, ageing, protest movements, intergenerational politics and evolutionary anthropology. They will also help identify gaps in the literature and refine the project’s research questions. The placement may also involve some work with pilot interview material. It will involve supporting project development and administration.

Check latest Techne student newsletter for contact details.

 

Nutopia TV Productions

The goal of Nutopia's internship program is to discover and develop new talent seeking to gain an understanding of TV production, an idea of potential career paths within the industry, and to spend a fun and exciting time as part of a smart, creative production team. It’s also an invaluable opportunity to begin networking within a pool of the best talent in the business. 

Nutopia Production Team

Work on an 8 x 60-min factual entertainment series for a major US TV channel looking at the human capacity for resilience, how we endure life-threatening situations, and how individuals may respond when under threat. Apply by 6 August 2026 to placement@nutopia.com

Nutopia Archive Internship

Conduct historical research for a landmark 18 x 60’ documentary series for a major international channel on the story of the 20th century, with an ‘A-list’ host. Experience of historical research is essential. Mentor provided. Nutopia say: ‘I’m not sure a PhD student could find themselves on a more interesting project’. Full-time placement; apply by 18 August to placement@nutopia.com.

 

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is one of Techne’s partner organisations and they are very keen to work with us and to give Techne students opportunities. They invite students to design their own placement, eg work in NHM Film Studios, carve out a ‘green’ career, gain experience in museum engagement and interpretation.

Examples of previous placements include time working on exhibition research, but they have also supported individually designed research projects in collections. They have heard interest expressed from other teams in the museum – for example, in the National and International Programmes teams, Policy team, the NHM Film Studios – in potentially taking a placement student. 

 There is no application deadline. This is an excellent opportunity to gain fantastic experience at a world-class institution. 

Check current Techne student newsletter for contact details.

Previous Opportunities: 

Cabinet Office Open Innovation Placements

HM Government’s Open Innovation Team generates analysis and insight for government by helping officials collaborate with outside experts and research. Over the past three years, more than 75 PhD students have been hosted, with many going on to policy jobs after completing their studies. This placement offered the chance to work with clients across government, experience a diverse range of policy areas and learn how you can transfer your PhD skills into new environments. Placements

PhD students were invited to join their team for three months on a full time basis to help deliver policy projects on health, welfare reform, industrial strategy, digital transformation and other priority areas. 

Royal Institute PhD Science Presenter Internship (Ri)

The Ri provides science education and heritage activities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK and around the world. 

This internship was an opportunity for PhD researchers to build confidence in presenting to a group of young people in an engaging educational environment, to receive regular feedback and training in science communication and to design content for use on Ri social media.  Placements

The British Library (BL)

BL runs an internal PhD Placement Scheme that aims to provide an opportunity to PhD researchers to experience research in a different environment to that of a university, to engage with a range of research users and audiences, to gain insights into different potential postdoctoral career paths, and to make a tangible contribution to the purposes and programmes of a national library and major cultural organisation.

A broad range of opportunities to work with different collections are made available every year for projects of 3 months or part-time equivalent. Many of the projects are suitable for partial or full remote working.  A list of all available placement projects and full details of how to apply are available on the website here: PhD placement scheme 

Natural History Museum Arts and Humanities PhD Placements. The Natural History Museum is one of Techne’s partner organisations and they are very keen to work with us and to give Techne students opportunities. They invite students to design their own placement, eg work in NHM Film Studios, carve out a ‘green’ career, gain experience in museum engagement and interpretation. There is no application deadline. This is an excellent opportunity to gain fantastic experience. 

AHRC International Placement Scheme (IPS)

Which funds short-term fellowships at prestigious international research institutions for UK doctoral level research assistants and AHRC/ESRC funded doctoral students. The scheme is run annually, with places available across a number of different host institutions including: 

  • Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
  • The Huntington Library, California, USA
  • Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA
  • National Institutes for the Humanities, Japan
  • Shanghai Theatre Academy, Shanghai, China
  • Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA
  • YaleCenterfor British Art, Connecticut, USA 
  • National Museum Institute, New Delhi, India 

Placements will last three to six months. Participants will receive £1,000 for travel and visa costs.  Application opens in November and closes in February every year.  To apply, your School or Supervisor will need to submit an application via the IPS/AHRC scheme. Please check the IPS page on the AHRC’s website for details.  See here AHRC Guidance on filling the application, which includes criteria for the grading scale.  

Kate Ferry-Swainson exploring the National Theatre costume store.