Rebecca Phillips, intern in 2025
I had a fantastic experience doing the summer research internship in 2025. I studied maths and stats in my undergraduate degree and knew that I was fascinated by statistics but was unsure how I felt about research as I hadn’t had the opportunity to do any. Through this internship, I had the opportunity to work with my supervisor and also gain confidence on my ability to research independently (including learning to sit with the feeling of being completely stuck on a problem!)
The department was incredibly welcoming throughout the internship. Through my supervisor, I was able to attend OPIG meetings within the department to hear about current research going on within the university, which was incredibly interesting. Spending time with the other interns was such a valuable experience as well, as we were able to discuss our projects together and support each other. The department also organised activities for us to do together, such as going punting, which I am so grateful for!
This internship was a priceless experience in every way. I am now studying an MSc in Statistics at Lancaster through the NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. Whilst I am still unsure about whether I want to do a PhD afterwards, I know now that I would absolutely be capable of doing one due to the skills I gained this summer.
Kitty Knight, intern in 2023
I really enjoyed my experience doing the Summer Research Internship. I did a project studying rabies case data from Tanzania, and learnt so much doing my project, both about statistical techniques and about the process of carrying out research. I had two very diligent supervisors who gave me lots of useful advice, and were also very understanding when unfamiliar things took some time for me to get used to. I also got the chance to meet their collaborator in Tanzania who had sourced all of the data, who provided amazing insight into the context of the data, how the data were collected, and why what we were doing was so important.
The other great thing about the internship was the other students - there was such a lovely sense of community as we all lived together and had lunch together every day. I think we also all really helped to motivate each other, and give the kind of everyday advice you might not want to ask a supervisor. I’m now doing a masters degree at Cambridge focusing on statistics, and I think my experiences on the summer internship really motivated me to take this path, as I had seen both how fun and how useful statistical research is.
Estelle McCool, intern in 2023
I participated in the summer research internship in 2023. I knew that I loved working on statistics and exploring new methods, but I wasn’t sure I was cut out for research. I didn't know anyone personally who had gone into research and felt like I wasn't smart enough for a PhD.
This program gave me the chance to experience working with a supervisor on developing methods and built my confidence on my ability to research independently. The department did an amazing job in helping the cohort bond, including some fun trips to the board game cafe. It was great to experience the relationship with a supervisor but for me, it was even more valuable to experience collaborating with my peers on our research and being able to discuss exciting ideas in statistics together.
The experience of this internship was invaluable, it made me realise I did want to do further study and I’m now studying for a DPhil in Health Data Science at the University of Oxford. The internship has made the start of my PhD so much easier, as I feel like I already have some experience with independent research. Being able to talk about my research experience for PhD interviews helped me to present myself as a strong candidate who had the necessary skills for a PhD. Ultimately, the overall experience of the research internship made me realise I was capable of studying for a PhD.
Joanna Marks, intern in 2022
I had the incredible opportunity to take part in Oxford’s summer research internship after my first year of undergraduate studies. Having had no significant experience with statistics, I took on the challenge of building a model to assess football players’ passing abilities and enjoyed every minute of it. This project allowed me to combine my passions for mathematics and sports, while also helping me realise that I wanted to pursue further studies in statistics and probability.
The internship led to some exciting outcomes. My model was used to contribute to the pre-match reports for Oxford City Football Club, created by my supervisor, and our work was featured in two publications: one in Nature and another in the Royal Statistical Society Journal. The experience allowed me to understand how impactful research can be when applied to real-world problems.
Today, I am a PhD candidate in the Statistics and Machine Learning CDT, a joint programme at Imperial and Oxford. The research internship was my first step towards realising I want to continue on a research path in the area of statistics and proved to be an invaluable asset in my PhD application process. Beyond the academic benefits, it was an unforgettable experience—living in Magdalen College, meeting inspiring people, and studying in iconic spaces like the Radcliffe Camera made it a truly special summer.
