Science and Technology Facilities Council
Salary: £23,493 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term – 10 weeks
Hours: Full-time
Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX
Closing date: 8th March 2026
Interview: Onsite in April 2026
Start date: June or July 2026
Are you passionate about making science accessible? Do you want to develop your communication skills while showcasing the technologies driving scientific innovation?
At STFC's Technology Department, we empower researchers to make major scientific breakthroughs through the invention, development, and application of cutting-edge technologies. We also provide organisations from science to industry with access to our world-class expertise, facilities and IP, helping them innovate, solve problems and scale new ideas.
We are now looking for a student passionate about science communications to help us share our vital work and promote its positive impact on the UK public, industry, international science community, and beyond.
In return, we'll support your development into a well-rounded science communications professional through varied experiences and support from our science and communication teams.
This role is ideal for students who excel at taking complex scientific concepts, like gravitational waves or dark matter, and making them accessible to non-expert audiences.
A science communications degree is beneficial, but not essential. You could be a communications or journalism student looking to focus on science, or a science student interested in communications – your enthusiasm is what matters.
Summer Placements at STFC
STFC's incredibly diverse range of placements allow you to work alongside world leading engineers, scientists, and technicians in highly collaborative environments. Whichever you choose, you will become a critical member of the team in which you will be exposed to exciting projects and challenges from the start. You will also be supported every step of the way by our dedicated Early Careers Development Team
Key Duties & Responsibilities
The successful candidate will complete a 10-week placement at STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in South Oxfordshire and will be responsible for:
* Writing engaging content for our LinkedIn page, newly designed Technology website, and staff newsletter.
* Creating short-form videos that showcase our collaborations with industry.
* Meeting with staff to collect compelling stories that bring our work to life for diverse audiences.
* Using photography and graphic design to create promotional materials for digital channels.
* Supporting the department's involvement with public engagement events.
* Contributing to other communications activities as they arise.
These duties will be conducted with ongoing support and mentorship from your manager. The placement will also include opportunities to manage your own communications projects and develop new skills through training
Person Specification
The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).
In order to apply for the role, we are looking for the following:
Essential:
* You are in full time education at university, and will be returning to university/your studies to complete your undergraduate degree once the summer placement has concluded (S)
* You have the right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the placement (S)
* Keen interest in science and science communication (S&I)
* Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex topics clearly (S&I)
* Excellent organisational and time management skills (S&I)
* Experience producing digital communications materials (S&I)
* Willing to learn new skills, both technical and non-technical (I)
Desirable:
* Experience in graphic design or video/audio production (S&I)
* Experience using social media in a professional context (S&I)
* Experience using web editing software like WordPress (S&I)
* Experience in writing for publication (S&I)
Employee Benefits
We are offering a fixed term position with a whole host of benefits including:
* 30 days holiday pro rata
* Flexible working hours.
* Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking.
* Excellent learning and development opportunities.
Link to more benefits:
As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status, we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK.
You can check your eligibility here:
Application Guidance
Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.
Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert.
Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.
We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.
What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible
UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
More information can be found at
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce'.
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a world-leading multi-disciplinary science organisation where curiosity-driven, blue-skies thinking meets practical, application-led science and engineering. Our goal is to deliver economic, societal, scientific and international benefits to the UK and its people – and more broadly to the world.
One of Europe's largest research organisations, we're trusted to support, enable and undertake cutting-edge projects in an amazing diversity of fields. Through world-class facilities and people, we're driving ground-breaking advances in science, engineering, computing and technology. Our research seeks to understand the Universe from the largest astronomical scales to the tiniest constituents of matter, yet creates impact on a very tangible, human scale.
For more information about STFC please visit
You can also visit our careers site