An internship programme to help talented Black health data scientists flourish in STEM careers

Tackling underrepresentation within health data science and providing motivated candidates with an opportunity to expand their knowledge and gain experience

Working together to transform prospects

The UK has an urgent need for new health data scientists – it’s a rapidly expanding field with the recognised potential to transform the future of health and care for all, and we believe that health data science should be as effective as possible in serving and reflecting the needs of the entire UK population.

With the UK Health Data Research Alliance and the 10,000 Black Interns Foundation, we are committed to delivering the sixth year of our programme. We continue with our aim to tackle the underrepresentation of Black people within health data science and, with your support, provide motivated candidates with an opportunity to expand their knowledge around the sector and gain the experience they need to advance their careers.

The programme is championed in the Medical Research Council’s Strategic Delivery Plan 2022-25 as a way to develop a diverse research and technical workforce with the skills to address today’s innovation challenges.

Interested in hosting interns for 2026?

Pledge now

Want to learn more about what to expect and the support available to you?

We are hosting a free webinar for you to learn more about what being a host organisation involves, with the opportunity to ask any burning questions.

The session will take place on Thursday 27 November from 11am to 12pm.

Find out more and register

What we offer to host organisations

Year-round support for delivery through our dedicated Training team before, during and after the internship
Oversee the recruitment process from receipt of applications to sifting, whilst also ensuring that you have suitable interviewees
Support mentors for interns and mentoring guidance
Promote the programme to a national audience of students and graduates to generate a large pool of potential candidates
Manage the internship education and co-ordinate cohort-wide training programmes and activities throughout
Highlight the impact from the programme and provide communications toolkits
Develop and deliver networking events for all involved in the programme
Highlight relevant career opportunities across your organisation for alumni

Pledge here for 2026

What we ask from host organisations

Let us know about logistical requirements in our pledge form
Pay interns the Real Living Wage for London (£14.80/hour) as a minimum (regardless of where host or intern are based)
Reimburse interns for their travel expenses for the opening and closing ceremonies according to your organisation’s staff expense policies
Obtain organisational permission to host interns
Carry out interviews – (we will screen and match applicants for you)
Conduct Right To Work in the UK checks
Create an 8-week health data project for your intern(s)
Provide a laptop if needed for your intern(s)

Dates for the Black Internship Programme 2026

Pledge deadline: January 2026
Recruitment windows: February and March 2026
Opening ceremony: Wednesday 24 June 2026
Internships: Monday 29 June – Friday 21 August 2026
Closing ceremony: Wednesday 26 August 2026

If you have any further questions or you’d like to find out more, please contact us below.

Impact

The Impact of Our 2023 Internship

Our Black Internship Programme is about more than providing excellent training opportunities - it actively celebrates the UK's diversity and talent. The programme itself, plus the opening and closing ceremonies were all designed to create strong and lasting links between the interns, their host organisations and HDR UK.

Learn more

Host organisations for our 2026 programme

We are pleased to work with organisations in health data across a wide range of sectors including academic, charities, civil service, industry and the NHS.