Students celebrate their IRR internship

The IRR interns from both programmes were invited to a joint celebration of their dedicated and enthusiastic work experience in our Institute’s labs and offices. This was alongside researchers, technicians and professional service staff who were their mentors and colleagues duting their internship.  

The celebration followed two separate events where the Interns presented about their internships; one for IRR and other BioQuarter Summer Interns attended by the Principal, and one for those engaged in the Career Ready programme . 

Career Ready 

The Career Ready programme is a national social mobility charity that encourages educators and employers across the UK to invest in young talent and create the opportunity to kickstart their future careers. 

The IRR is one of several institutes and schools within The University of Edinburgh that is pairing high school students with mentors to help bridge the gap between school and the workplace. 

The programme involves 18 months of mentoring through regular meetings, in which S5/S6 students are paired with someone working at the University, based on their interests and career aspirations. The mentorship ends with a four-week paid internship within that mentor’s department and a celebratory event thanking participants for their time and efforts. 

It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for the interns and mentors alike, and any IRR staff that are interested in participating in the 2026 programme should keep an eye out for emails and newsletters announcing when applications once again re-open. 

Career Ready – national social mobility charity 

BioQuarter Summer Interns 

S6 students from four high schools local to the BioQuarter have also been mentored by our research and professional service staff, including administration, scientists, and lab technicians.  

The aim of this programme is to engage with our local community and empower pupils to build their work skills and confidence, while discovering some of the diverse career opportunities happening on their doorstep. We were fortunate enough to have four summer interns with us at IRR, who have joined us from Castlebrae Community Campus, Liberton High School, Gracemount High School and Holy Rood RC High School. 

The Summer Interns programme started in 2016 at our Centre for Regenerative Medicine and has since grown across the wider BioQuarter district and beyond. The internship allows students to have an up-close look at careers they wouldn’t otherwise have access to until after further studies and helps inform their decision for their next steps.

Watch our video to hear about the benefits of the BioQuarter Summer Internship programme.

 Summer Internship – Edinburgh BioQuarter 

Celebrating together 

At the end of their IRR internship, BioQuarter Summer Interns were invited to come together to celebrate their achievements. 

Hosted in our seminar room, the interns were joined by their mentors along with the Principal of The University of Edinburgh, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson. 

The interns shared their experiences and development from the respective programmes and the Principal spoke of the mutual benefit and enrichment for the University by welcoming new voices, talent and ideas. 

One of the interns enjoyed the internship so much that he wanted to extend his stay at the BioQuarter. When asked why he felt this way after presenting his work, he simple answered, “Because it feels like I’m contributing to society in a way.”