Future Focused Micro Internships Programme

This programme is exclusively open to penultimate and final year undergraduate students. Within this group, priority will be given to APP students and to those without prior professional work experience, to increase access to research-related formal work experience for students who most need it. 

Due to the aims of this programme, we reserve the right to judge applicants’ eligibility on a case-by-case basis. If you are unsure whether you are eligible, please contact our team on workexperience@contacts.bham.ac.uk. 

Please note if you already have a broad range of work experience, we encourage you to look for paid opportunities outside of this programme where you can transfer your skills to other roles. You will find information below on the ways you can access further support with this from the Work Experience team. 

We strongly encourage applications from eligible undergraduate students who meet the following criteria: 

1. Birmingham Scholar 

You are considered an undergraduate Birmingham Scholar if you belong to one or more of the following groups: 

• Pathways to Birmingham

• Care Experienced  

• Realising Opportunities 

• Sanctuary Scholarship 

• Black students from IMDQ1 neighbourhoods who are identified for additional support through our Access and Participation Plan (2025–28).  

And/or 

2. An undergraduate student from a low socio-economic background, defined by having a home postcode (at the time of application to the university) in an IMDQ1 neighbourhood, which consists of the most deprived areas by postcode. 

Check if your home neighbourhood is in one of these areas namely Decile 1 or 2 by using the IMD neighbourhood checker to confirm your eligibility 

Information can be found here on indices of multiple deprivation and *If your home address is in Northern Ireland you will need to contact us with your home postcode so that we can check your eligibility to apply. 

Existing experience which falls into the following categories may deem you ineligible for the programme:  

• Any formal/professional work experience of 35 hours/5 days or more, including placements and internships    

• Part-time jobs in professional roles developing higher level skills of 35 hours/5 days or more e.g. in marketing, web development, accounting, office-based roles or anything which requires a more significant level of responsibility or scope   

• Any internship programme or short voluntary placement organised by the University of 35 hours/5 days or more, including B-Experienced internships; international opportunities funded through Turing; UoB’s Graduate Internship Programme and The Virtual Internships Programme. 

• If you are an international student with UK based experience that meets the criteria outlined above, you may not be eligible for the programme. 

Opportunities which fall into the following categories would be eligible for the programme:  

• Volunteering  

• Part-time jobs in non-professional roles e.g. bar/restaurant work and customer facing retail   

• Work shadowing, Insight Days and external virtual programmes such as those on Forage and Bright Network’s Internship Experience UK  

• UoB Employer Challenges, e.g. Impact Challenge, Birmingham Project, Masters Consultancy Challenge, Masters Campus-based Team Internship, Future Leaders Certificate   

• Society membership, Student/Course Reps and Student Ambassadors   

• If you are an international student with no UK work experience or have gained minimal experience from the above examples, and have work experience in your home country, you would be welcome to apply. 

Where can I go for assistance if I am not eligible?   

If you already have formal work experience as outlined above, Careers Network can still support you with finding paid internships, part-time work and graduate roles. You can speak to our team by:  

• Attending Careers Networks top tips sessions on how you can articulate your experience in applications, and for interviews and assessment centre success, demonstrating your transferable skills. (Your past/previous experience doesn’t have to match the job you’re applying for).   

• Checking out the Careers Network events page for our workshops and events, to gain tips and for opportunities   

• Visiting us at Careers Corner in the Main Library – our work experience drop-ins are every  Tuesday 12.30pm -1.30pm  

• Coming along to our weekly careers drop-in on Wednesdays 1-3pm  

• Emailing our team on workexperience@contacts.bham.ac.uk 

1. Interns will receive a £250 bursary provided by the University of Birmingham for undertaking an internship through this programme. 
2. You must be able to commit to a 35-hour internship – Please ensure you are fully available on the internship dates stated on this webpage.
3. Students on a confirmed leave of absence are not permitted to apply or undertake an internship during the period of their absence.
4. You must provide your bank details via the University Funding Administration System (UFAS) to enable the bursary funds to be transferred to an eligible bank account.
5. Successful candidates must complete a pre and post programme evaluation form.
6. By undertaking a B-Experienced Internship you are eligible to gain recognition on The Birmingham Award, the University’s employability award.

Application deadlines (subject to change):

• Round 1: Applications open Monday 09 March and close midnight on Sunday 29 March 2026
• Round 2: Applications open Monday 27 April and close midnight on Sunday 24 May 2026

Applications steps:

1. Review the brochure of available internship projects which will become available when applications open for each round.
2. Attend information webinar which will cover further details about the programme, application top tips and advice directly from one of the internship project leads (Optional but encouraged).
3. Select your top three projects and complete the Careers Network application form.
4. Matching: Successful applicants will be assigned to their preferred roles wherever possible, however we would encourage students to look at the overall value of participating in the programme if assigned to a project that was not in their top three.  
5. Attend online information seminar for successful candidates to discuss confirmed projects and potential issues before accepting place on the programme (attendance to this will be strongly encouraged to ensure interns do not drop out during the programme).

Ramisa’s Insights from the Future Forests Micro-Internship at BIFoR

“The Future Forests Sustainability Micro-Internship at BIFoR is more than just a program – it’s an experience that transforms intern’s view of the world. It provides a profound and unique experience, allowing interns to collaborate across disciplines, create space for youth voices, expand their scientific knowledge of climate crisis and empowering the next generation of sustainability advocates. For anyone eager to explore climate science, teamwork, and meaningful engagement, this internship proves that hands-on experiences can spark lasting change.”

Ella’s Sustainability Micro-Internship

“Possibly the biggest highlight of the experience was the chance to visit the FACE (Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment) facility in Staffordshire. This is a long-term project in which a forest is being transported to the future – increasing carbon dioxide levels to simulate the atmosphere predicted for the year 2050 – so that we can analyse how woodland will cope with this change. It is the largest experiment of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere, and witnessing it in person under the guidance of experts was fascinating.”

You can speak with the programme leads during the application process and before your work experience starts to highlight any reasonable adjustments that you may need. This is to ensure that you do not experience any barriers or challenges during the application and when undertaking the role. These adjustments can include physical adjustments (such as adapted equipment), flexible working patterns and any support or training. You can also request for reasonable adjustments to be made during the application process. 

It is your responsibility to inform the programme organisers and.r of what you need and why so they can make amendments in due course for your experience.  For more information on what reasonable adjustments are and how you can request them here are some helpful links:  

• Adjustments in the recruitment process 

• Reasonable adjustments at work 

• Reasonable adjustments and your rights 

The Future Focussed Programme application form will provide you with the opportunity to highlight any reasonable adjustment requirements for recruitment and selection purposes. 

Please email the team at workexperience@contacts.bham.ac.uk if you would like to discuss your particular circumstances before your application is forwarded to the organisation hosting the internship.