Paid summer internship for under-represented students

Diversity is important for the success of physics. The Institute of Physics (UvA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy (VU) want to stimulate diversity by offering about 12 specially selected Bachelor (those about to begin their final year) and Master students of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to explore their interest (of a career) in physics. 

The duration of the internship is one month and it will take place in July. You are expected to work 38 hours per week, however requests for part-time internship over a longer period of time can also be accommodated. During the internship you will be part of one of the research groups within IoP/DPA and work on a theoretical or experimental research project. You will have a chance to choose from a selection of projects. You will receive personal supervision, and we will also organize special events for the whole group. The internship will take place on location, at Science Park 904 (UvA) or in the WN building (VU).

The stipend for the internship is 1500 EUR. Please contact the council if you would like to apply but have concerns about the timing or the stipend amount. We can make accommodations for special scenarios.

Who: motivated UvA/VU students who contribute to the diversity within IoP (e.g. socioeconomic background, gender, LGBTQ+, ethnicity, disability, or any other categories). Tell us how you will contribute to a more diverse environment within the IoP. Bachelor students entering their last year, Master students who are about to enrol in the UvA/VU programme and Master students entering the second year are welcome to apply.

Procedure: Applications can be submitted until and including 10th May 2025. Please send an email to diversitycouncil-iop@uva.nl, including the following:

• a copy of your transcript (please put your name in the file name)
• a motivation letter of one page, indicating why this internship is suitable for you and your field of interest, and how you will contribute to a more diverse environment within the IoP. (please put your name in the file name)
• Your research interest. We strongly encourage you to approach faculty members at UvA/VU with whom you are interested to work. Let us know if you have done so in the application. If not, we will assist you in finding a research project within your area of interest.

Decisions will be made by early May. Applications from outside UvA/VU will not be assessed. Applications are open to students in other programmes who are interested in working with the physics faculty members at UvA/VU. 

Applications from outside UvA/VU will not be assessed.

It is vital to make physics more representative of society as a whole: not only do diverse teams and organizations perform better than those that are not, it also expands the talent pool. The Institute of Physics (UvA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy (VU) in cooperation with the Diversity and Inclusion Council at the Institute of Physics, have offered students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to take part in a full month of paid research at one of the two institutes.

Questions? Please contact Arghavan or Sander with questions about science, or talk to Daniela at the secretariat IoP about admin questions.