International Undergraduate Summer School Guidelines

These guidelines describe the International Undergraduate Summer School (IUSS). Please read these guidelines before making an enquiry or completing an application form.

The closing date for receipt of applications is midnight GMT 16 Jan 2025. The closing date for receipt of references is 5pm GMT 23 Jan 2025.

Students will be informed if their application has been successful by 5pm GMT 28 Feb 2025.

Nature of Training Programme

The purpose of the training programme is to provide experience of research to undergraduates with research potential, in order to encourage them to consider a career in scientific research.

The programme will assist the participating students by way of providing them with a bursary at the rate of £250 per week and free accommodation, for a total period of 8 weeks. The John Innes Centre/The Sainsbury Laboratory/The Earlham Institute will also contribute bench fees of £500 per student to the host laboratory. The financial support results in no National Insurance contribution liability.

Eligibility

Students at universities and educational institutions within the UK and abroad are eligible to apply. The range of disciplines includes the Physical Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematics and the Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Applications on behalf of first-year students, final-year undergraduates already committed to a PhD Program, or graduates, will not be considered. Medical students, and medical students studying for intercalated science degrees, are not eligible. Students must be registered at a higher education institution for the majority of their degree.  Since this is an international training programme, the eligibility criteria may be slightly different for different countries. In all cases, eligible applicants should be at the stage in their education when they are considering the possibility of eventually undertaking a PhD programme, but at the time of application they should not have chosen or accepted any particular PhD studentship programme.

Selection of Applicants

Selection of applicants will be the sole responsibility of the IUSS committee. The programme is competitive and applications will be judged primarily on the academic ability and track record of applicants. Preference will be given to Students who are expected to achieve a 1st or 2.1 degree (or equivalent outside the UK) in their final examinations and who are considering careers in research.

How to apply

The application must be made by the applicant in person. However, if they wish to do so, applicants are welcome to discuss potential projects with Project Leaders at JIC/TSL/EI in advance of their application.  Details of Project Leaders who are offering positions in their laboratories may be found on the web site.

The application form includes space for a personal statement, a brief curriculum vitae and a statement of choice of preferred research topic.

A supporting statement is also required from the student’s academic tutor.

Applications must be made using the application form for 2025.

Conditions of Attendance and Participation

The programme is of 8 weeks’ duration during the months of July and August. Each participant will conduct a research project under the guidance of a Project Leader and report their findings through a written report, a research poster and an oral presentation at the end of programme. Each participant must attend all scheduled meetings, including the social events, and workshops as well as the end of programme activities. These activities form an integral part of the programme. Photographic and video material of the student may be recorded during the programme and used for promotional purposes by the John Innes Centre, The Sainsbury Laboratory and The Earlham Institute.  Students shall be deemed to have given permission for such recordings by enrolling in the programme (unless they specifically opt out in writing).

The John Innes Centre and Sainsbury Laboratory are registered charities and offer this programme to support young scientists by promoting access to science and encouraging scientific research careers.  This programme provides charitable investment in human capital and research capacity along with a contribution to the host laboratory of £500 per student to cover bench fees.

Privacy Policy

This is a privacy notice highlighting how personal data is collected, stored and processed, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

What (personal) information do we collect and how do we use it?

When you apply for the International Undergraduate Summer School, we collect personal data in order to process your application, which also contains sensitive personal data (as classified under the legislation) as follows:

Non-sensitive Data:

This will include information such as your name, address, email together with details about your skills, qualifications e.g. personal statement, relevant to this application. The information allows us to accept and process your application.

Application referee details allows us to make an informed decision about your application.

Sensitive Data:

Date of birth to validate your application and the legal basis used is our legitimate interest to process this application correctly and fairly.

Equality opportunities monitoring data, which is optional and the legal basis to satisfy our legal obligation in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

What are the legal bases for processing your personal data?

Legal Basis Explanation

1

When you apply to the undergraduate summer program, we will be required to collect, store, use and otherwise process information about you for any purposes connected with teaching, support, research, administration, your health and safety and for other reasons deemed necessary for the purpose of entering into or for the performance of your contractual agreement. See GDPR Article 6(1)(b)

2

Processing of your personal data may also be necessary for the pursuit of our legitimate interests or by a third party's legitimate interests – but only where the processing does not fall within our core functions, is not unwarranted and will not cause a prejudicial effect on your rights and freedoms, or legitimate interests. See GDPR Article 6(1)(f).

3

Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the Data Controller is subject.

4

Processing of Special Categories data is necessary for statistical and research purposes in accordance with Article 89(1) based on the duties in the Equality Act 2010 (see GDPR Article 9(2)(j))

5

We will obtain consent from you in order to use your information beyond any purposes described above GDPR Article 6(1)(a)

Purposes of processing

By submission of a signed application form each applicant accepts that the information provided in the application form will:

• Be processed for the purposes of reviewing eligibility and suitability for the programme and to form part of their personal record if the applicant is offered, and accepts, a position on the programme (1) (4)
• Apply suitable institute policy and internal process to ensure fair selection and encourage participation by demographics underrepresented in the institutes. (2)
• to provide you with information and updates (1,2)
• the production and, as appropriate, distribution of research and educational materials (1,2)
• internal and external auditing purposes (2,4)
• meeting health and safety obligations and equality of opportunity monitoring obligations (3,4)
• Notification of PhD opportunities with the institutes. (2)
• engagement and communications related to institute activities, newsletter etc. (5)

How do we store your information?

We are committed to keeping your personal information safe and secure. Electronic or paper copies of your application form or CV will be provided to the Institute shortlisting/interview panels. Equality monitoring data is stored electronically and not shared outside of the institutes working committee who manage this program, other than in the form of anonymized data for equality monitoring and reporting purposes.

Your application and personal details are kept for a period of 12 months after the program has concluded after which information is anonymized and stored for reporting and statistical purposes.

Sharing your personal information

We may use your name along with details on what you are working on, participation in certain activities which may include photos on social media and other public engagement activities as appropriate. Appropriate safeguards and measures are taken to ensure platforms used are secure.

No sensitive personal data is shared with any internal or external parties.

Accessing, correcting or deleting your information

We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You have the right to request a copy of the information we hold about you, to request a correction and to request that your personal data is deleted. In some cases, we may not be able to agree to your request. In this situation we will provide you with the reason and you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner if you are unhappy with our decision. You have a range of other rights under the GDPR. If you would like more information, please see the Information Commissioner's Office website: https://ico.org.uk/ (see “For the public”)

Who can I contact for compliance related questions?

If you have any questions about how your personal information is used, or wish to exercise any of your rights, you can contact the data protection officer at dpo@nbi.ac.uk.

Conditions of Award

General arrangements

1

The John Innes Centre should be informed immediately if a student awarded a position is subsequently unable to take up their position on the programme. Decisions about the transfer of available places rest with the John Innes Centre.

2

The John Innes Centre, The Sainsbury Laboratory and The Earlham Institute reserves the right to terminate attendance on the programme if a student is in breach of any of the conditions of award (before or after taking up an award) or becomes unfit or unable to pursue or complete the programme.

Bursary payments

3

Bursaries will be paid to the student directly and either weekly or fortnightly in arrears (as appropriate)

4

These bursaries are provided to support a student’s learning and are not payment in respect of work carried out which would constitute employment. Therefore such bursaries produce no national insurance liability for any person receiving full-time instruction at a university, technical college or similar educational establishment.

Intellectual property, copyright and acknowledgement of the host institutions and funding bodies

5

Project Leaders are expected to publish results of their research in accordance with accepted scientific practice and to provide a copy of all such publications arising from the programme to the programme committee. In such publications (written or electronic), poster or presentation and, where possible, in any newspaper article or radio or television programme about it the financial support for the project should be properly acknowledged.

6

The host institution shall retain ownership of any intellectual property rights arising from the research training programme and these terms are not intended to affect any institution’s ownership of any previously existing or unrelated intellectual property whatsoever.

Requirements for Final Reports

A final Scientific Report (approximately 2000 words) written by the student should be submitted within one month of the end of the training period. The report should include:          

• A summary paragraph describing the project and its outcomes written for the lay reader. This may be used on the John Innes Centre, Sainsbury laboratory or The Earlham Institute's web site or in publications to promote the programme. (Such summary paragraph should not contain any confidential information from the host institution or third parties).
• An account of the research carried out by them during the programme and a brief assessment of its outcomes.
• General comments from the student about the programme experience.