The programme, run in partnership with the UK Health Data Research Alliance and 10,000 Black Interns, helps kick-start the careers of recently graduated Black data scientists or those in their undergraduate years by providing opportunities to work on health data science projects.  

Ribka Aschalew, 2022 Health Data Science Black Internship Programme Intern at The Health Foundation, said: 

“I have a huge passion for science and technology, with a particular interest in data and Artificial Intelligence. Through HDR UK’s internship programme, I look forward to gaining invaluable insights into how data science is harnessed in the health sector, and to developing my skills as an analyst and researcher.” 

The UK has an urgent need for new health data scientists as it is a rapidly expanding field with the recognised potential to transform the future of health and care for all, and HDR UK welcomes its Class of 2022 to help health data science serve and reflect the needs of the entire UK population. 

 Dr Katherine Boylan, Head of Innovation at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), said: 

“Having interviewed an outstanding group of candidates – and part-funded by NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre – we are delighted to have appointed three new colleagues under the Black Internship Programme to support data projects across our Trust, hosted infrastructure and Clinical Data Sciences Unit (CDSU). I look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the MFT Innovation Team.” 

Tammy Palmer, Head of People, Health Data Research UK (HDR UK)  

“Following the success of last year’s programme, we are thrilled to welcome this year’s cohort of talented Interns. It is incredibly exciting to once again be supporting the next generation of health data scientists. A huge thank you to all of our Host Organisations for their support and commitment to helping ensure the programme’s success again this year.” 

The launch event webinar  on Friday 1 July will be attended by the interns, host organisations and the programme’s advisory board 

From Monday 4 July 2022, an impressive 81 interns will start their eight-week placement with over 40 host organisations. 

The interns will not only learn about health data science in action but will also carry out their own clearly defined research projects. 

Health Data Research UK and our partners will continue to work to build the next generation of health data scientists, and with this programme we will be helping to ensure that health data science becomes a more inclusive career prospect. 

Find out more details including how to register here