STEM Research Internships

06. General Position in Networks
Location: Hybrid (mainly home working, but some travel to Milton Keynes campus required, the number of trips depends on the distance the selected candidate lives from the OU)  
Terms:Full-time preferred (10 weeks, 37 hours per week) but part-time also available(20 weeks, 18.5hours per week). The project will feature daily meetings, with time for collaborative and independent research. Suggested start date 1 July 2024. 

The role:
"The successful candidate will perform research in the general position problem for graphs. This problem involves finding sets of vertices in a network such that no shortest path contains three of them. This is a rapidly growing field in combinatorics that has an extensive literature and has applications including robotic transport and communication. This project will explore variations on the problem. The student will be able to experience the realities of mathematical research, including writing papers, presenting research and getting stuck! They will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other researchers from the UK, Slovenia, Italy, Spain and Indonesia and present their findings." 

The full summary of duties and person specification can be found within the Job Description . 

07 Re-membering and Re-presenting Numbers, Symbols and Algebraic Objects
Location: The internship can be home-based, Milton Keynes campus-based or hybrid. We have a preference for some in-person meetings to discuss evolving work but that is not essential.
Terms:10 weeks full-time, proposed start date 15 July 2024. Pro-rata part-time can be considered with minimum 3 days a week.

The role:
The number and algebra systems we use today arrived in Europe thanks to Arab mathematicians. The word ‘algorithm’ derives from Al-Khwarizmi, author of both the original algorithm for representing numbers in decimal form and the defining 9th century text on algebra.

The successful candidate, with knowledge of mathematics and Arabic, will study contemporary and ancient sources to clarify how our number and algebra systems have been and can be developed. Crucially, this includes how the movement between symbolic print-based representations and embodied and dynamic shape-based representations can illuminate and shape doing mathematics in our increasingly digital and virtual world.   

For this project, we are looking for a bi-lingual individual, fluent in both English and Arabic (written and spoken).  

The full summary of duties and person specification can be found within the Job Description

08. Single Cell Network Analysis Using the Galaxy Interface
Location: Home based
Terms:10 weeks full-time or 20 weeks part-time. 37 hours/week full-time; or 18.5hrs /week part-time.Hours are flexible, but with regular meetings with the supervisor and the potential to deliver training at a virtual event. Suggested start date 8 July 2024. 

The role:
The intern will review the literature on gene network analysis using single cell datasets, develop workflows using currently available single cell outputs and network / data exploration tools within the research group’s user interface, test this on data of interest to the research group and with users within the research group, and create a tutorial to ensure reproducibility by future researchers. They will develop programming skills, FAIR data management skills, and ensure high quality data analysis by future scientists. 

The full summary of duties and person specification can be found within the  Job Description

09. Stochastic Simulation of Phytoplankton Bloom in a Cold Environment 
Location: Home based  
Terms:10 weeks full-time or 20 weeks part-time. 37 hours per week full-time; or 18.5 hoursper week part-time. Working hours can suit candidate’s schedule. Suggested start date 1 July 2024.

The role:
Applications are invited for a vacation internship in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the Open University. The selected candidate will work with Dr. Ivan Sudakow on the international and interdisciplinary project titled 'Statistical Mechanics Modeling of Critical Phenomena in Phytoplankton Living in a Cold Environment.'  

In this project, the candidate will assist in running and parameterizing the stochastic model of phytoplankton growth in the Arctic Ocean, using available observational data. The model aims to enhance our understanding of the role of phytoplankton in the Arctic climate system and reveal its potential as a climate tipping point. 

The full summary of duties and person specification can be found within the Job Description  

10. Trial Development of a Pressure Pad to Prevent Bed Sores
Location: Hybrid (home working with some travel to Milton Keynes campus required) 
Terms:10 weeks full-time, 37 hours/week full-time. Suggested start date 1st July 2024.

The role: 
Bed sores (also called pressure sores or pressure ulcers) typically occur in hospital when a patient is – for whatever reason – unable to move position and needs assistance in moving. If left in the same position for too long, a pressure ulcer develops, which can take a long time to heal. They are the single most costly chronic wound in the NHS, costing around £3.8 million per day.   

At the Open University and Milton Keynes University Hospital we are developing a new low-cost mat for placing under a hospital mattress to detect the lack of movement to notify nurses and prevent bed sores occurring in the first place. If you have an interest in making things, coding things, or health-related things, please come and help us out. 

The full summary of duties and person specification can be found within the Job Description

11. Understanding Soft Skills in Software Engineering
Location: Home based 
Terms:10 weeks full-time or 20 weeks part-time. 37 hours/week full-time; or 18.5hrs /week part-time. If part time, a suggested pattern is Monday and Tuesday 9 to 5, with a half-day on Wednesday. Suggested start date 24 June 2023.

The role:
Software development and engineering is a human-centered activity where communication is both a necessity and imperative. The aim of this project is to uncover research that has been carried out into the domain of soft skills within software engineering with a view to uncovering new research directions. The role will involve working closely with a senior member of the OU School of Computing and Communications to carry out a detailed and systematic literature review of the area, potentially as a precursor to further research. 

The full summary of duties and person specification can be found within the  Job Description

If you would like further details about the role before making an application, then please email [email protected] quoting the reference number and job title.

Please note: If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that on this occasion you have not been selected for interview, however we thank you for your interest in The Open University and encourage you to apply for future positions.