Introduction
Launched in 2020, the Turing Internship Network (TIN) is The Alan Turing Institute’s internship scheme that connects PhD researchers with leading organisations across industry, government and the third sector in the UK and Ireland, enabling them to work on cutting edge projects in the field of data science and artificial intelligence. The programme aims to bridge academia and industry through practical application and the exchange of ideas and skills.
"The Turing Internship Network provides an excellent opportunity to gain industrial exposure and to map academic research experiences to real-world challenges. I have a better understanding of the industrial challenges through this internship. It is a great experience to be able to solve real-world problems using my academic research skills."
Pauching Yap,TIN intern at TRL
The programme supports the Institute’s strategic goal of ‘building skills for the future’. With the growing demand for researchers who are appropriately skilled in the field of data science and AI, the Turing aims to capitalise on its unique position within the ecosystem and accelerate the transfer of skills by facilitating learning and knowledge exchange opportunities through full time and part time work placements. The Turing’s role is to convene, pairing doctoral students with internship projects put forward by our partners and internal research teams at the Institute.
Data from the ecosystem survey conducted by the Institute and the AI Council in 2021 showed that 81% of respondents agreed there were significant barriers in recruiting and retaining top data science and AI talent in their domain within the UK. The Turing Internship Network is one of the skills interventions the Institute has put in place to support the attraction and retention of that talent in line with the National AI Strategy.
Past Internships
The internship roles advertised through the scheme until now have covered a wide range of sectors, from defence & security and justice to environment & sustainability, transportation, law, health, finance and public policy.
Past organisations that have been involved are:
| Accenture Labs (Dublin, Ireland) | Example of role |
| AI for Cyber Defence (AICD) research centre, The Alan Turing Institute | Example of role |
| Clifford Chance | Example of role |
| Department for Transport | Example of role |
| Environmental Investigation Agency | Example of role |
| Fujitsu Research of Europe | Example of role |
| HSBC | Example of role |
| Ministry of Defence (Digi2al) | Example of role |
| Ministry of Justice (MoJ) | Example of role |
| Ofcom | Example of role |
| Peak District National Park Authority | Example of role |
| Plymouth Marine Laboratory | Example of role |
| TRL Software | Example of role |
