STOR-i Summer Research Projects

STOR-i summer research projects offer a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to experience and learn how Statistics and Operational Research can tackle challenging, real-life practical problems.

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How to Apply
Previous Research Projects
FAQ

The STOR-i Summer Research Programme is a 7-week programme that gives undergraduate students the opportunity to gain invaluable research experience and practical transferable skills within Statistics and Operational Research.

As a Summer Researcher, you will get the opportunity to work under the supervision of a current STOR-i PhD student on a project strongly connected to their research work. Through these exciting and innovative projects, you will learn how Statistics and OR can be used to tackle challenging practical problems with real world applications, and gain invaluable research experience and practical transferable skills.

The Benefits of Becoming a STOR-i Summer Researcher

As a STOR-i summer researcher, you'll have the opportunity to work in the vibrant research environment at Lancaster University. Some of the key benefits of being a STOR-i Summer Researcher include:

Receive a Stipend

All summer researchers will be supported by a stipend equivalent to £450 each week across all weeks of the internship.

Gain PhD Insight

Work directly with current PhD students on real-world projects. Gain valuable insight into what it would be like to do a PhD, including the benefits of studying within a Centre for Doctoral Training.

Develop your Network

Benefit from part of a learning group of other like-minded undergraduate students from across the country, as well as current PhD students and Academics in the field of Statistics and Operational Research.

Build Your Skills

Learn how to use mathematical ideas and apply quantitative skills to help solve important real-world problems. This will enable you to excel in your studies and give you valuable work experience going forward.

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Daily Life as a Summer Researcher

A typical day on the programme, from about 9am to 5pm, will involve independent research working to complete tasks set by your supervisor(s) and on some days meeting with your supervisor(s) to discuss your progress.

Guidance and advice about your research will come from your supervisor(s) but we encourage you to take an active role with your fellow researchers. This includes meeting to discuss your research as a group. In this way, you can support each other and develop transferable skills such as communication and teamwork.

Outside of this, you will have the option to take part in group activities and explore all that Lancaster has to offer along with your fellow researchers and STOR-i PhD students.

Learn about our previous summer researchers

Research Projects

‌The STOR-i summer programme offers a variety of research projects in areas such as modelling and methodology from a broad range of theoretical and application areas.

Previous projects have been based on theory from many areas of Statistics and Operational Research. These include Bayesian statistics, extreme value theory, optimisation, queueing systems, simulation, time series and wavelets.

We have applications across a number of areas, including criminology, environment, finance, transport logistics, and health.

The projects available change from year to year to reflect the dynamic nature of research and to offer new and exciting project topics.

Explore previous summer research projects

Allocation of Projects

If accepted onto the STOR-i summer research programme, you will receive a list of sample projects before the programme begins. These projects are grouped into similar research areas called Project Groups.

You will be asked to state a preference for a Project Group and share with us your background and experiences. This will allow us to allocate a specific project based on your background and preferences.

Please note, we cannot allocate projects based on requests for a specific project title, but we will endeavour to assign a project from your preferred Project Group.

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Training and Events

In addition to working on your independent research project, other events and opportunities will take place throughout the programme. These include:

  • Courses: You will attend short taught courses, including an introduction to computing and presentation skills.
  • Seminars: You will have the opportunity to attend fortnightly seminars with current Lancaster University research students who will share their experiences.
  • Coffee mornings: Regular organised sessions will be held to give you an opportunity to meet with staff and students in both Statistics and Operational Research in a relaxed environment.
  • Problem-solving day: We incorporate a full day programme in which you will work together in small teams to investigate an industrial problem and present your findings as a group.
  • Research presentation: Towards the end of the programme you will prepare a short presentation about your research. This will give you the chance to practice your presentation skills and share your research and experiences.
  • Poster: In addition to the research presentation, you will also create an academic poster, which will be displayed in a final poster session.
  • Exit interview: At the end of the programme, there will be an exit interview. You can discuss the programme and your future plans, as well as identifying ways to improve the experience for future students.

How to Apply

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the Summer Research Programme, you must be aiming to achieve a strong 2:1 or first degree in a subject with a high mathematical content, for example, mathematics, statistics or physics.

The programme is open to UK and non-UK students. However, we are only able to accept non-UK students who are currently enrolled at a UK university onto the programme.

Application Process

To apply, please send the following information in an email (as separate attachments) to:

stor-i.summer.projects@lancaster.ac.uk

  • CV;
  • Cover letter explaining why you wish to be considered for the programme;
  • Copy of your degree transcripts and marks to date;

Please also include in your email:

  • Your current fee status (UK/Home or Non-UK / International);
  • Details of where you heard about the summer research programme.

Please note that there are two application rounds for the programme:

Round 1: The application deadline is Friday 17th January 2025 with interviews in w/c Monday 3rd February 2025

Round 2: The application deadline is Friday 21st February 2025 with interviews in w/c Monday 10th March 2025

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Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Chloe Fearn

    I took part in the STOR-i internship after finishing the second year of my undergraduate degree in maths. It was a totally different experience to what I had encountered so far in my academic career. Instead of being told what to learn and learning it, the project gave me a new level of independence that I really appreciated. With the help of my supervisor, I got to explore areas of statistics that were new and fascinating. The only regret about the internship was that I'd had loved more time working on my project, and that's how I knew I wanted to do a PhD. I decided to return to the department a year later, on the completion of my degree.

  • Ed Austin

    From my studies, I knew that I was fascinated by the world of Mathematics and Statistics. I did not know, however, if this fascination would translate into an enjoyment of producing original research into a new field. The STOR-i internship allowed me to find out that this was indeed the case, and I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone who has been thinking about a PhD. The internship offers more than just the chance to carry out your own original research, however. It also provides the opportunity to experience life in the STOR-i environment. Not only does this mean enjoying talks on cutting edge concepts, but it also means enjoying the support of like-minded students and staff. To me, this makes the internship with STOR-i even more appealing.

  • Callum Barltrop

    The STOR-i internship was a fantastic opportunity for me to experience what it would be like to do a PhD. It showed me that a PhD doesn't have to be the big scary thing which everyone makes it out as! I thoroughly enjoyed completing my own individual project while at the same time taking part in many team exercises and getting to know the STOR-i family. I also learnt many skills from my project and found many new areas of research that I was interested in!

Contact Us

Email: STOR-i.summer.projects@lancaster.ac.uk

If you have any queries that aren't answered in the FAQ section above, reach out to the STOR-i team via email. We will typically try to respond within 48 working hours, but this can be extended during busy periods.