House of Commons Internship Opportunity

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED 

This joint initiative between the PSA and House of Commons Committee Office provides a fantastic opportunity for Early Career Network members of the PSA, currently studying toward their PhD, to gain some valuable experience working at Westminster.  

Not a PSA member? Join today for £20 a year!

You can be a member of the PSA’s ECN from when you started a doctoral degree until three years after the completion of a doctoral viva. It’s a full PSA membership, with the additional benefits and services provided by the Early Careers Network, at a reduced price.

Successful candidates will be placed either within a team of staff supporting a specific Select Committee or in the Scrutiny Unit during the academic year 2022-23, offering PhD students the opportunity to challenge themselves in an environment outside of academia. 

Two posts are available, based on the Parliamentary Estate at Westminster. Interns will be able to choose the balance of working in the office and working from home, subject to business need and the House of Commons flexitime policy. 

You will be working in a fast-paced policy environment - not necessarily specific to your field of study - be able to progress your research skills and develop invaluable transferable skills. Feedback from previous participants has been very positive- not just from the students themselves but also from the committee clerks and their academic supervisors. 

What will your role be? 

Whether placed with a Select Committee or in the Scrutiny Unit, the successful candidates will be assigned to a specific project which is likely to involve one or more of the following: 

• Policy and evidence analysis 

• Research using both primary and secondary sources 

• Preparation of written briefing materials for Members serving on a Committee 

• Briefing MPs orally 

For more information about the role, and our person specification, please see here. 

You can read about a previous succussful applicant's positive experience here.

How do you apply?  

To apply for this opportunity please send your CV, together with a one page covering letter detailing why you want to take on the internship and how you fulfil the personal specification. You will need to confirm that your supervisor and department are supportive of your application. Please email to joan.fisher@psa.ac.uk with ‘HoC Placement’ in the subject line. 

The deadline for applications is  Sunday 25 September (midnight). 

Short-listed candidates will be contacted by the end of the following week and will be invited to attend for interview via Zoom, week commencing Monday 10 October. 

The start date of the internship is negotiable and will be confirmed with the candidate once an offer has been accepted.