Research Committee Internship

Our internship offers early-career researchers a firsthand experience with the grant review process.

In 2023, Cure Parkinson’s launched its Research Committee Internship Programme to give early-career researchers an inside look at how research funding decisions are made.

Each year, PhD students and post-doctoral researchers working in preclinical or clinical Parkinson’s research are invited to apply for a one-year, voluntary internship on Cure Parkinson’s Research Committee.

The Research Committee are a group of 16-20 volunteers that review and assess Cure Parkinson’s grant funding applications. It is made up of world-leading research scientists in Parkinson’s, including both preclinical and clinical experts, industry representatives and people with Parkinson’s.

The aim of the initiative is to provide early-career researchers with experience and exposure to the grant review process by joining the research committee on four grant review meetings to evaluate research proposals.

This unique opportunity offers first-hand experience of the grant review process, allowing interns to see what goes into reviewing research proposals and recommending projects for funding.

Throughout the year, interns:

• Participate in quarterly Research Committee meetings, where leading Parkinson’s experts review and assess funding applications.
• Are actively involved in reviewing proposals, contributing to discussions and presenting and reviewing applications to the committee.
• Gain mentorship from experienced committee members.
• Build valuable networks within the Parkinson’s research community.

The internship is designed to support the professional development of emerging researchers by providing insights into the charitable research landscape, strengthening critical evaluation skills, and encouraging a broader understanding of the research funding ecosystem.

Applicants for these positions must be either a PhD student or in post-doctoral training based in the UK or Europe, working directly in either preclinical or clinical Parkinson’s research.

Since the initiative’s inception in 2023, the internship has supported 5 early-career researchers across 4 different institutions.

Here is what our 2025 interns said about the experience:

“The internship was a fantastic ‘behind the scenes’ opportunity to understand in detail how the grant application process works. I found the discussions among the committee members to be very insightful and it really highlighted to me the importance of having a realistic project timeframe. I would highly recommend that ECRs apply for the research committee position as I found it to be a valuable experience.” – Áine Heffernan, University of Edinburgh

“For those considering applying to the internship scheme, in order to make the most of it, it is really important to remain open to new concepts and methodologies whilst using your own expertise to remain constructively critical. I would recommend this opportunity to anybody who is considering becoming an independent researcher in the future.” – Dr James Conway, University College London