SEEDS (Supporting Equity, Engagement and Development in Science) is a 2-month paid internship programme aimed at providing undergraduate students with hands-on research experience in environmental science. The programme is funded through the NERC Research Experience Placements (REPs) scheme and is part of TREES’ broader commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in doctoral training.
Interns receive at least the National Living Wage and they can undertake the internship full-time or part-time, depending on their circumstances.
Applications
- Applications for summer 2026 internships are OPEN now and will close Friday 10th April at 12noon.
- We produced an application guide and an application preparation document to assist applicants.
- Make an account and apply now
Projects
- What controls the length of sewage spills into rivers?
- Hydroseismology: Monitoring Groundwater Changes Using Railway Quakes
- Assessing the Kent seabed for potential native oyster restoration
- Isolation of anaerobic acidophiles with metal bioremediation potential
- Ecological Relevance of Memory in the Fruit Fly
- Recovering lost cotton diversity from historical collections
- Igneous rocks and processes associated with the Paektu
What SEEDS Offers
- A Real Research Experience
Interns join a live environmental science research project based at one of the 10 TREES partner institutions, working under the supervision of experienced researchers. Projects are drawn from critical areas in environmental science and provide opportunities to build quantitative research skills. - Induction and Support
Interns will begin with induction, supporting them to prepare for their placement. There will be multiple opportunities during the internship to engage with online and in-person networking, training and mentorship with the TREES academic and doctoral community. - Mini-conference
The programme ends with a mini-conference, where interns will present their findings to peers and researchers from across the TREES network.
Pathway to PhD
Any SEEDS intern who successfully completes the programme will have one guaranteed interview in a TREES recruitment round, provided the student i) applies for a TREES studentship in that recruitment round, and ii), as an applicant for the TREES studentship, the student meets the TREES academic requirements.
- If an intern applies for TREES PhD entry immediately after finishing their degree, they are guaranteed an interview in that recruitment cycle.
- If an intern chooses to delay and apply later, the guarantee applies to the next recruitment round they enter.
- The interview guarantee applies to one recruitment cycle only.
While this does not guarantee a studentship offer, completing SEEDS is designed to strengthen future applications.
For example:
- Student A completes SEEDS in summer 2026, graduates in summer 2027, and applies for TREES 2027 entry: interview guaranteed.
- Student B completes SEEDS in summer 2026, graduates in summer 2027, waits a year, and applies for TREES 2028 entry: interview guaranteed.
- If a student applies more than once, the guarantee only applies to the first application.
Who Can Apply
We particularly encourage applications from individuals who are currently underrepresented in environmental science research and academia. This may include students who identify with one or more of the following groups:
- From a low-income background
- From a low participation neighbourhood (e.g. POLAR4 Q1 or Q2)
- First in family to attend university
- From an ethnic minority background
- A disabled person
- Care-experienced or young carer
- Refugee or asylum seeker
- LGBTQ+
- Mature student (aged 21+ at start of first degree)
- From a Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller background
You will be invited to voluntarily self-identify during the application process, with the aim of prioritising places under our positive action policy (Equality Act 2010, Sections 158–159). Your data will be treated confidentially and used solely for monitoring and prioritisation purposes.
Eligibility Criteria
- Education: You must be currently enrolled on an undergraduate science degree or integrated Master’s science degree in the UK. You must not have graduated prior to the internship. The degree must be your first degree.
- Right to Work: As SEEDS is a paid internship, you must have the right to work in the UK (e.g. UK/Irish citizen, or indefinite leave to remain). Your right to work must be verified before the internship can commence.
- Language: Interns must be fluent in English to participate fully in the programme.
- NERC PhD Eligibility: You must meet the criteria to be eligible for future NERC PhD studentship funding (see UKRI eligibility guidance).
Interviews
- Applicants will be told whether they have progressed to the interview stage by Friday 24th April
- Applicants invited to interview will broadly be made aware of the topics of interview questions prior to the interview.
- If you are invited to interview, please do make the TREES Team aware of any reasonable adjustments you wish us to implement.
SEEDS Mailing List
- If you would like to receive updates about SEEDS, please sign up to our SEEDS mailing list.