Student Casual – Summer Internship in Patient Safety Data- Applied Health Sciences- Grade 5 - 907337

 

Post titleSummer InternshipCollege/DivisionCMHSchool/DepartmentApplied Health SciencesFull time/Part timePart timeDuration of the Post01/07/2026-31/08/2026GradeGrade 5Hourly rate£16.52 per hour plus holiday entitlementNumber of positions available1Closing Date25/05/2026 at 23:55

 

Please note that this vacancy may be taken down early depending on the number of applications received. We advise you to submit your application promptly.

 

Our offer to you

At the University of Birmingham, Worklink is the dedicated student employment service which helps students to find flexible, well paid part-time roles that fit around your studies. Each year, the University invests more than £2.5 million to employ 3,000 of our own students in a wide range of roles, supporting our student community into part-time work. Roles available via Worklink include a range of positions, including administrative roles, support staff such as cleaners or baristas, research roles and many more.

Jobs through Worklink help you to gain work experience, develop skills relevant for your future career, and improve your soft and hard skills in a professional setting. Enhance your CV and get valuable experience ready for graduate roles and feel connected to your university and local community.

Our jobs are flexible and can be scheduled around your academic commitments, so you can focus on your studies first. Our team are passionate about supporting students into work. Worklink are based in a central location on campus which is easily accessible for students and can also be contacted online.

Find out more about working through Worklink here [https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/student-experience/careers-and-employability/part-time-work-opportunities-for-students] or via the student intranet [https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/worklink/index.aspx].

 

Background 

This internship forms part of a major research project funded by the Midlands Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC), titled “Identifying Delays in Cancer Pathways: Patient Safety Implications from Four Common Cancers.”

The project examines patterns, determinants, and outcomes associated with cancer waiting times across NHS diagnostic and treatment pathways. Delays in cancer diagnosis and care are a critical patient safety concern and remain a key focus for NHS policy and performance improvement. Timely diagnosis and treatment are strongly associated with improved survival rates, better patient experiences, and more efficient healthcare delivery.

The research brings together expertise in epidemiology, data science, and patient safety to better understand where and why delays occur, and how these can be addressed.

The intern will be supervised by Dr. Yixin Wang, who will provide structured guidance and training, particularly in the use of R for data analysis. Additional mentorship will be provided by Professor Samuel Watson and Dr Michael Newnham, both experienced researchers in patient safety and health services research, ensuring a supportive and enriching learning environment.

 

Role Summary 

The Research Intern will play an integral role in supporting the analytical, comparative, and evidence synthesis components of the project. The role sits within a collaborative research team and involves close interaction with supervisors and other team members.

Working under supervision, the intern will contribute to the preparation and analysis of large-scale health datasets, support the interpretation of findings, and assist in synthesising existing research evidence. The intern will also contribute to internal reporting and dissemination activities, gaining exposure to the full research cycle—from data preparation to communicating findings.

This role is particularly suited to candidates seeking to develop practical research skills and gain insight into applied health services research within an academic and policy-relevant context.

By the end of the internship, the intern will be able to:

• Apply data management and statistical analysis techniques to real-world health datasets.
• Interpret and critically evaluate quantitative findings in the context of patient safety and healthcare delivery.
• Demonstrate an understanding of applied health services research and NHS data systems.
• Communicate research findings effectively through written summaries, tables, and visualisations.
• Reflect on the ethical and practical challenges associated with using routinely collected health data.

 

Main Duties

Data Preparation and Management

• Support the cleaning, organisation, and documentation of project datasets, ensuring data are accurate, consistent, and well-structured.
• Conduct systematic data quality checks to identify missing, inconsistent, or anomalous values.
• Assist in merging datasets from multiple sources and preparing analysis-ready datasets using R.
• Maintain clear documentation of data processing steps to ensure reproducibility and transparency.

 

Descriptive and Comparative Analysis

• Generate descriptive statistics to summarise waiting time distributions across different cancer types and referral pathways.
• Support exploratory and comparative analyses across patient subgroups, including analyses related to health inequalities and demographic variation.
• Assist in creating tables, charts, and visualisations to communicate key findings effectively.
• Contribute to the interpretation of preliminary results under supervision.

 

Literature Review and Evidence Synthesis

• Identify relevant academic and policy literature on cancer waiting times, diagnostic delays, and patient safety.
• Critically review and summarise study methodologies, findings, and limitations.
• Identify gaps in the existing evidence base and help position the current research within the wider literature.
• Contribute to written outputs, including internal briefings and draft sections of academic manuscripts.

 

Interpretation and Reporting

• Assist in interpreting analytical findings in the context of NHS priorities, policies, and clinical pathways.
• Contribute to the preparation of written reports, presentations, and slides for internal meetings and external dissemination.
• Support the communication of findings to both academic and non-academic audiences.

 

Collaboration and Skill Development

• Participate actively in weekly supervision meetings and wider project team discussions.
• Engage with training opportunities, particularly in statistical analysis using R and applied research methods.
• Develop an understanding of ethical considerations and governance related to the use of routinely collected health data.
• Maintain organised records of work undertaken, including progress updates, challenges encountered, and solutions implemented.

 

Person Specification 

Essential Criteria

• Currently undertaking an undergraduate postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., public health, epidemiology, statistics, data science, health sciences, or a related field).
• Demonstrated interest in health services research, patient safety, or cancer research.
• Basic knowledge of quantitative research methods and statistical concepts.
• Willingness and ability to learn statistical programming, particularly in R.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy and quality.
• Good organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

 

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience working with healthcare or administrative datasets.
• Familiarity with statistical software such as R.
• Experience conducting literature reviews or contributing to academic writing.
• Interest in NHS systems, healthcare policy, or health inequalities research.
• Experience in data visualisation or presenting analytical findings.

 

For any informal queries, please contact Dr Yixin Wang (y.wang.19@bham.ac.uk)

The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time for a maximum of 13 consecutive weeks. If your application is successful and your course does not follow the usual academic term timetable (e.g.  PGT, PGR or PhD student), you and your supervisor must formally agree vacation periods if this role exceeds 20 hours per week. In addition to this, please be aware if you are an international student you will be required to apply to the Registry for the appropriate authorised absence. 

You are only eligible to apply to this role if you are a current University of Birmingham student. If you are not a University of Birmingham student your application will not be considered.

To work you will need to carry out a right to work check. These checks will need to be completed prior to work commencing.

Regarding the use of AI in applications, we review hundreds of applications and shortlist candidates based on their unique perspective, motivations and potential. Cover letters generated through, or edited by, AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT or CoPilot) are easy to identify. They produce generic answers and will not score highly enough to progress. You may use AI tools for research, but all written content in your application must be your own work. Authenticity and originality are key to standing out in this process. 

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we’re unable to contact all applicants individually. You can check the progress of your application by logging into the Worklink jobs portal using the same email address you used to apply. If you haven’t heard back within six weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful. 

Our Shared Values 

Ambitious  

We are confident in the University of Birmingham and project this globally.  We are focused on our goals, are clear about our strengths, and pursue our own direction.  We are bold and take intelligent risks. 

Innovative 

We enjoy being the first to do things.  Inspired by our Birmingham heritage, we are resourceful, creative, grounded, and practical, and seek to make a real and positive difference to the world around us. 

Open 

We welcome colleagues, collaborators, and students from across the world to work and study with us.   We are committed to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and equality of opportunity for all.  We expect everyone to act with sensitivity, respect, and fairness.

Collaborative  

The major challenges facing our city, nation, and the world cannot be solved if we act alone.   We enhance our research and education by pursuing creative partnerships within and beyond the University.

Responsible 

We operate with transparency, trust, and respect.  We value our role as an anchor institution for Birmingham.  We strive to be an excellent employer, to reduce inequalities in access to education, and to place sustainability at the heart of our work.