Summer Placement Opportunity with Heriot-Watt

SSERC are offering a placement opportunity to an Orkney school pupil, to be based at the Heriot-Watt University campus in Stromness during the summer holidays.
 
The placement is open to current S5 pupils and the successful applicant will spend two weeks during the summer working on a project.  You will work independently, with support from a mentor, creating a report and poster at the end of the project.  You will also be able to work towards a STEM Leader 7 Award and a Gold CREST Award.

---

This is a fantastic opportunity and will look great on a UCAS application, or when applying for a job in the future.

To be eligible to apply for this opportunity you must have five National 5s at B, studying at least one STEM Higher (Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths) and must meet ONE of the following criteria:

• Family’s combined income is less that £40,000 per year.
• Entitled to free school meals.
• Live, or have lived in local authority care.
• In receipt of, or entitled to, discretionary payments at school/college.
• First in your family to go to university.
• From an ethnic minority background.
• Your school is classed as rural or remote.*

*Orkney is classified as a remote rural area.
 
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 8 April 2026, and you can submit your application at:  www.sserc.org.uk/stem-engagement/research-placements-programmes/
 
There are two routes for applications:

• If you meet any of the disadvantaged criteria or are the first in your family to go to university, you can apply on the Destination STEM website.  There is a bursary available through this route.
• If you are from an ethnic minority background or live in a remote or rural area, apply through the Learner Research Placement website.

 
More information about this opportunity can be found at the links below.  You can also watch a video about the placement programme, here.

For more information you can also email [email protected]

Research Placement Student Information

Heriot-Watt University Placement