Summer Projects at Oxford

Each summer there are opportunities for students to stay in Oxford to work on a research project under the supervision of a member of the Mathematical Institute.  Summer projects last for between 4 and 10 weeks.  The projects usually require a knowledge of second-year mathematics and are principally aimed at second and third years (fourth year students are welcome to undertake summer projects too but some projects and funding sources will not be suitable for them). 

Please note that as of the 2019-2020 academic year, these will be referred to as Summer Research Internships.

Applications for the Summer Research Internships at Oxford in 2022-2023 are now open.

Ideas for Summer Projects

Towards the end of Michaelmas term, the department will circulate details of some of the summer projects which have been proposed by faculty members. You may have your own idea for a summer project so you should not feel limited to the projects which have been proposed.

Finding a Supervisor

You are welcome to approach any of the supervisors who have proposed a summer project.  In addition, you can approach any member of the department to ask whether they could supervise a summer project; your college tutor will be able to advise you about this.  In both cases, you should discuss the project with your potential supervisor, to give you and the supervisor an opportunity to think further about what the project might involve, and whether you are the right student to do it.

Finding Funding

Once you have found a supervisor, you will need to find funding for your project.  You should talk to your supervisor and college tutor who may be aware of possible funding sources.

The department has some funding for summer projects, details of which will be sent out over the Christmas Vac.  The department will also circulate emails about other possible sources of funding, e.g. the EPSRC and LMS undergraduate summer research schemes.

Useful Documents