Zinc Innovation Internships 2023

Innovation Internships are open to any PhD student whose funding arrangements cover time spent on this placement. For the Innovation Internships, we can accept applications from students including from both SHAPE and STEMM disciplines. Passion for one of our missions is paramount and we are especially keen to hear from students whose research is in a field relevant to the mission they are interested in and/or who have relevant professional or voluntary experience in this area. We are also looking for students with a strong interest in learning more about how research can be used in evidence-based, mission-focused early-stage innovation.If you hope to join the Zinc team in the environment mission venture-builder, it would be advantageous (though not essential) if your research relates to one of the following four priority areas for that mission:- Farming, fishing and food- Transport- Construction and building operations- Manufacturing and supply chainsWhile we don't yet know what problems our new founders will seek to address, we expect them all to work in one of these four broad areas. You may also have professional or voluntary experience in a relevant field.If you are more interested in joining a portfolio company to work on a specific research-related project, you will need to demonstrate a strong interest in a relevant mission. All of our portfolio companies will be working in fields relevant to mental health, healthy ageing or the future of work. Again, it is an advantage if your research is relevant to one of these missions, but we are also very open to hearing from students with professional or voluntary experiences relevant to those missions too.Beyond this, we will look for evidence of the following skills and attributes:Ability to help design and deliver high-quality research: You'll have experience in designing and implementing research projects from scratch and feel comfortable with the idea of doing that in a new context (with support, of course!).Excellent communication skills: You’ll need to have outstanding written and oral communications skills and be comfortable initiating and holding conversations with people at different levels of seniority, and with people from different personal and professional backgrounds.Information synthesis and report-writing skills: You’ll need to be able to process and synthesise information from different disciplines and fields, and to report key findings clearly and succinctly.Flexibility and ability to respond positively to changing circumstances: You can plan and execute research in a fast-paced, agile environment, working to tight deadlines.Team player: Although much of your work will be self-directed, you’ll be part of Zinc’s growing Research & Development team and will join a cross-disciplinary cohort of Innovation Internships placed across Zinc and our portfolio ventures. An interest in and ability to work with people from different backgrounds is important to the role.Effective, positive and proactive: You are organised and hands-on, and able to use initiative to make decisions. A positive, “can-do” attitude is essential.