Research Internship - Birmingham Business School - Space for all: creating “safer spaces” for students at BBS – a student led research project - Grade 2 - 900342

Position Details

School or Department: Birmingham Business School

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Grade 2

Hourly rate: £12 plus holiday entitlement

Casual contract from 3^rd June 2024- 30^th August 2024

Advert closing date: Sunday 21st April 2024

  via our portal.

The application deadline is 21/04/2024, though it may be adjusted based on the volume and quality of applications received. We recommend that candidates submit their applications promptly.

Our offer to you

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Role Summary 

Research interns will work closely with the relevant academic(s) and will be supported to undertake a range of research tasks. Depending on the skillset of the selected students and the needs of the projects, such tasks may include assisting with literature searches and literature reviews; assisting with the collection and/or analysis of primary research data; analysing data from existing data sets, creating and maintaining one resources; summary project results etc. 

Research Project E

Project Title - Space for all: creating “safer spaces” for students at BBS – a student led research project

Project Leads - Anita Lateano and Tobiloba Osogbiye

Department – BBS-wide 

Summary of the project:

One theme that came up repeatedly within the decolonisation workshops we organised with students in 2022/23 was an idea of ‘spaces’ that better reflect BBS students’ diverse identities and needs. This was also inspired by the presentation from Clarice Metzger ( on her in creating spaces for Black students at Bayes Business School. Building on this, it was suggested at the EDB/DELs away day that some work around students’ spaces and identities could be done at BBS. 

As such, we would like to work with students to conduct some research to generate ideas and proposals to create ‘safer spaces’ at BBS that better represent students’ diverse identities and needs and where they feel a sense of comfort and belonging, whether this be a real physical space, or a virtual one.  By working with students, we can ensure that this project is student-centred, collaborative, and bottom-up. In addition, this project is an opportunity for students to develop and/or practice skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaborative working, action research, and to disseminate their ideas and findings on topics and initiatives related to EDB. 

During this project, the student research interns will devise a mini research project to understand what BBS students would like ‘safer spaces’ in BBS to be, and based on the findings, to create a proposal for what this would look like in practice, test their initial ideas with other BBS students, etc. and then make some concrete recommendations (including costing). Student will be supervised by Anita Lateano and Tobiloba Osogbiye and work with the wider BBS decolonisation project team and student experience team. 

Additional Skills Desired: 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 
• Interest in interdisciplinary and qualitative research 
• Good organisation and time management
• Self-starter and motivated 

How will you benefit?

For the student, the suggested research tasks are bounded and will ensure a completed project will be achieved by the end of the internship, providing tangible outputs for a student to refer to on their CV. Through the tasks, a student intern will gain skills that are useful to a career in academia, but also transferrable across other sectors, and across disciplines. In addition, there are elements of co-creation within the suggested tasks, to ensure the intern feels empowered, heard, and has agency over the final outcome of the project, which will then have wider positive impacts on all students at BBS. 

Please complete the online application via Worklink alongside the following to express your interest: 

1. Write 300 words on why you want to work on this specific project and what skills, attributes, and experience that you will bring to the research internship. 
2. CVs are encouraged but are optional. 

The application closing date is 21^st April 2024 (11.59 PM UK time). 

If shortlisted, applicants will be invited for a brief informal interview with the lead academic(s) for the relevant project. which could be just one person or it could be a small panel (2 to 3 people).

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any barriers/challenges to making an application, please contact Yao Yao Associate Professor of Economics and BBS ED&I Lead, or Tripp Martin/Symrun Samria in BBS Careers,   

For support with your application before submitting

You can book a 1-to-1 BBS Careers appointment to get feedback on your application before you submit.   

Alternatively, if you don’t have time for an appointment, you can email your written or video submission to  . 

BBS Research Internships FAQs

 Is this a paid internship?

Yes, research interns register with WorkLink and are paid £12 per hour plus holiday entitlement.

How long is the internship?

The research internship will begin no earlier than 3^rd June, 2024 and has a maximum number of 106 hours per student intern.  Each research project consists of two interns with a total number of work hours set at 212.  Each intern cannot exceed the 106 hour limit unless agreed upon with the PI if the other intern wishes to work less than 106 hours.  I.E.  One intern works 80 hours and the other intern works 132 hours.  The hours need to be worked between 3^rd June and 30^th August 2024.

 How many hours per week can I work?

All Students are restricted to working a maximum of 15 hours per week between 3^rd June and 21^st June as it is in the university term-time period.  Home students can get authorisation from Worklink to work more than 15 hours per week during this period if desired, if all work has been handed in, by providing a letter from your tutor verifying that you have completed all course work for the semester.  International students  are also restricted to 15 hours per week during this period and CANNOT work more than 15 hours per week until after 21^st June.  Beyond this restriction, you can work as many hours per week as you wish as long as the work is completed by 30^th August, and you do not exceed the maximum of 106 hours per intern or 212 hours per project.

 Do I need to complete work authorisation checks before I start working?

Yes! Sym or Tripp from BBS Careers will contact you if you are offered an internship and schedule a time to complete the necessary checks/paperwork.

Who can I contact if I have any questions not answered in this document or the job advertisement?

You can contact Sym Samria at  

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