Supervise an internship
If you are a researcher at the DFT, IFT or CIAFF and would like to host a student for a research internship, you can propose a project through SPIN.
Internships can be related to Theoretical Physics or Astrophysics and are arranged taking into account both the needs of the project and the student’s background.
Offer an internship
If you are part of the DFT, IFT or CIAFF and would like to introduce a student to research, you can propose an internship project. We will help you with the administrative arrangements.
Internships can be carried out in Theoretical Physics or Astrophysics.
What do you need to propose?
You do not need to have a fully defined project from the outset — we can help you shape it.
To offer an internship, we just need a short proposal including:
- Title or topic of the internship
- Research area
- Brief description of the project
- Recommended background or skills for the student
- Approximate period when the internship could take place (first or second semester)
- Number of places available
At the end of the internship, you will be asked to provide a short assessment or report on the student’s work and progress.
Already have a student?
If you have already spoken to a student who is interested in doing an internship with you, please contact us before starting any administrative procedures so we can help you with the necessary arrangements.
FAQs
When can you offer an internship?
You can propose internships for either the first or second semester of the academic year.
We also receive applications from students interested in carrying out research projects over the summer, so proposals for this period are very welcome too.
What does supervising an internship involve?
Supervising an internship does not mean designing a full research project. The idea is to give the student a specific problem or research question that they can work on independently during the internship.
Depending on the project, the work may involve literature searches and reviews, learning new tools or methodologies, analysing a problem, carrying out calculations, programming, or contributing to a research-related task within the group.
The aim is to give the student a realistic experience, on an appropriate scale, of what research work is actually like.
How much supervision does the student need?
Students are expected to carry out a significant part of the work independently. As a supervisor, you would normally arrange regular meetings to review progress, answer questions and discuss the next steps.
Continuous supervision is not expected, nor does the student need to be accompanied throughout their working day.
Whenever possible, we encourage you to involve the student in the group’s usual activities: seminars, talks, group meetings, scientific discussions or any other activities that can help them better understand how a research environment works.
This is also an important part of SPIN: giving students the opportunity to experience the day-to-day reality of research.
What happens at the end of the internship?
The student will be required to prepare a final report on the work carried out during the internship, which may form part of their academic assessment.
Depending on the student’s home university and the applicable agreement, the supervisor may also be asked to provide a short assessment of the student’s work.
