Location: 21 Albemarle Street, London, with some opportunity for hybrid working
Contract Type: 3-month full-time internship for PhD students – 35 hours per week.
Payment: By stipend from university, DTP, Research Council. Please check funding with your DTP before applying
Duration: We're offering three internships (with some flexibility on dates for the right candidates):
- From September 2022 – December 2022
- From January 2023 – April 2023
- From April 2023 – July 2023
About the role
The purpose of the Royal Institution is to connect as many people as possible with science. We've been doing it for well over 200 years and have an international reach, working with world-leading scientists, from Hannah Fry to Carlo Rovelli.
We talk, and listen, to the public. We help scientists talk, and listen, to the public. We develop critical thinking and a spirit of exploration in young people through our educational work.
Our activities include the world-famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES, talks from leading scientists and thinkers, explosive science shows, engaging school programmes, the Faraday Museum, our archival collections, and our innovative digital engagement activities, including live-streamed talks and our YouTube channel, which has over one million subscribers.
We believe that science is transformative. It shapes our world, and everyone should have a say in how it is used in our lives.
About the team
At the Ri, we see digital as a vital way to deepen our relationships with current audiences and increase the reach and diversity of our audiences, as well generating a growing income stream. Our digital channels bring thought-provoking science and our rich heritage to millions of people online, many of whom may never set foot in our iconic historical home in London.
Through our YouTube channel, we have already established ourselves as a world-leader in in-depth, longform science video. Our monthly podcasts are growing fast, and we are growing our online communities, reaching new audiences across all our digital platforms.
These are exciting times for the Ri Digital team, we have just launched a new website for the organisation, continuing to nurture our existing audiences, whilst reaching out to new ones, developing our video and multimedia content.
The role of the Digital Media Intern
Working closely with all members of the Digital Team, the Digital Media Intern will help support the Ri’s digital content production and platforms.
There is some flexibility in the role, depending on the successful candidate’s interests and experience, and the time of year of the internship. We will provide some basic training in audio and video production.
Every day will be different, but potential tasks and responsibilities may include:
- Creating science engagement content for our social media platforms
- Helping film and livestream events
- Helping manage our YouTube channel
- Helping to develop our podcasts
- Marketing and promotion of our digital content
- Creating and editing content for the Ri’s new website
- Writing for our website and social media channels
- Monitoring our YouTube and podcast statistics and using this to make recommendations on how we can grow and develop our audiences
- Identifying under-performing content and finding ways for them to reach new audiences
- Helping develop new ideas for digital science engagement content
- Working on our social media and digital offer around the CHRISTMAS LECTURES
- Being involved in all aspects of video production
- Helping to test and evaluate our digital content
- Assisting with digital marketing campaigns
Who are we looking for?
This placement would be ideal for anyone interested in learning more about digital media and discovering the potential for using digital media to communicate science to diverse and global audiences, whilst working collaboratively in a small and creative digital team.
There is no need to have any formal experience, but a passion for digital media would be ideal.
The following experience and personal attributes are also highly desirable, and when applying you should demonstrate how you meet them in your supporting statement:
- A strong understanding of how online science content can encourage an audience to ‘think more deeply about science and its place in our lives’
- Ability to develop engaging content for a non-academic audience
- An understanding of the needs and requirements of website and digital users
- Ability to work collaboratively in a creative team with a passion for science communication
About the Ri
For over 200 years, our building has been home to some of the most eminent scientists in history, who have used our building to communicate scientific developments and discoveries with our audiences. Throughout our history we’ve been harnessing technological innovation to help us engage the public with science, and since May 2020 we've been livestreaming all our public events, featuring world-leading scientists and thinkers, online for free.
The Ri provides science education and heritage activities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK and around the world. These activities include the world-famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES public talks from the world’s greatest thinkers in our historic lecture theatre (currently via Livestream); a national programme of Masterclasses for young people in mathematics and computer science; science workshops in our L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre; animations and films from our YouTube channel (which has over 1 million subscribers) and the preservation of our scientific legacy through the Faraday Museum and archival collections.
Interested?
Practicalities
We are looking 3 PhD students to join our team for three months, and the internships will each run consecutively from September 2022 through to July 2023, with some flexibility around exact start dates.
The internships will be based within the Digital Team at the Royal Institution in Mayfair, London. This is a hybrid-working role, which we would expect to be based in our offices for at least two or three days each week, with other days worked from home if preferred. The placement is full-time, 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday with occasional weekend or evening hours.
This opportunity is only open to PhD students who are eligible to undertake an internship as part of their studentship and receive a stipend from their Doctoral Training Programme (DTP). Please check with your university/DTP to ensure funding is available before applying for this internship.
How to apply
Please review the full job description and person specification (downloads below), and send your CV and a supporting statement (no more than 500 words) explaining why you are interested in the placement and how you meet the criteria set out above to recruitment@ri.ac.uk by 9.00am on Monday 18 July 2022.
We plan to hold interviews week commencing 25 July.
Equal opportunities
We ask applicants to complete and return the recruitment monitoring form along with their application. The Ri is committed to equality of opportunity at all stages of the recruitment process. The information supplied in this form will be treated in strict confidence and not form part of the selection process. You may choose not to disclose some or all of the information requested in the form, and this will not affect your application in any way.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to PhD students who are eligible to undertake an internship as part of their studentship and receive a stipend from their Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) in order to do so. Please check your eligibility with your university placements officer or DTP to ensure funding is available before applying for this internship.
Participating Research Councils include (but may not be exclusive to): BBSRC, NERC, MRC, AHRC, EPSRC, ESRC.
Please note there is no formal agreement in place between RI and UKRI, and each placement will be reviewed by the grant holder and approved at their discretion.
You will need to obtain the grant holder’s written permission to undertake the placement, outlining any funding arrangements, before a position can be offered
Please note, the Ri is unable to assist with accommodation costs; applicants need to be able to arrange accommodation in London or the South East for the duration of the three months. Some assistance with travel costs may be available.