The UK has an urgent need for new health data scientists – it’s a rapidly expanding field with the recognised potential to transform the future of health and care for all, and health data science should serve and reflect the needs of the entire UK population.
Once again, NortHFutures is supporting HDR UK, the UK Health Data Research Alliance, and the 10,000 Black Interns Foundation in delivering the Black Internship Programme, which aims to help foster a diverse future talent pipeline of health data scientists. NortHFutures is offering bursaries to fund 5 internship placements in the Northeast and North Cumbria (NENC) Region.
Read more about the projects we sponsored in 2025: Diversifying access to health data science: the Black Internship Programme 2025
Interested in hosting interns for 2026?
Who can host?
The scheme aims to showcase the breadth of roles within the health data sector. We welcome hosts from academia, business, civil service, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations working in the medical, social and related services, and NHS bodies.
To host NortHFutures-funded places, organisations must have a strong presence in the NENC region. While organisations can pledge multiple internship placements, NortHFutures will fund one place per organisation; beyond this, organisations are welcome and encouraged to self-fund additional placements.
Organisations will need to be able to meet the Black Internship Programme host requirements (outlined below).
Learn more at our upcoming online information session on the 22nd of October.
How it works
The BIP funding and appointment process will be slightly different for different host organisations, depending on whether they are eligible to receive UKRI funding. To make funding accessible to all hosts, we have set up a dual approach to administering it.
All types of organisations are welcome to apply for a NortHFutures-funded internship placement. See how the funding and appointment process will work for your organisation:
Dates for the Black Internship Programme 2026
- Pledge deadline: Friday 28 November 2025
- Notification of outcome: Monday 15 December 2025
- Intern application deadline: Sunday 4 January 2026
- Recruitment windows: February and March 2026
- Opening ceremony: Wednesday 24 June 2026
- Internships: Monday 29 June – Friday 21 August 2026
- Closing ceremony: Wednesday 26 August 2026
For more information about the programme, please click below or get in touch at blackinternprog@hdruk.ac.uk.
If you have questions about the NortHFutures placement funding, please contact emma.letham@newcastle.ac.uk.
Interested in hosting interns for 2026?
Applying as an intern?
The paid Health Data Science internships for summer 2026 are open to all Black people (those of African, Caribbean and those of Black mixed heritage) who are:
- Current students at a UK university at any level (undergraduate, post grad diploma, Master’s, PhD or returning student)
- Recently graduated from a UK university (2023 and 2024)
- International students currently registered at a UK university
- Of any academic background, but is ideally suited to those with a degree in maths, engineering or computer / data sciences, and medicine and bioinformatics-allied subjects.
All applicants must have the right Right to Work in the UK.
For more information about the programme, please click below.