UKRI internship with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) - Sophia Qais

DiMeN flexible funding enabled me to undertake a 3-month policy UKRI internship with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). I worked within the All-Hazards Intelligence (AHI) group, which focuses on collating qualitative and quantitative evidence to analyse health risks and provide health intelligence assessments for policy makers. This was a unique and exciting opportunity that enabled me to gain invaluable experience in the world of policy and government.

My work involved supporting the National BioSurveillance Network (NBN) project, an initiative designed to improve the sharing of bio-surveillance data across the human, animal, and plant health sectors. The project aims to strengthen the UK’s ability to detect and respond to biological threats by enabling more coordinated, cross‑government data access. I was involved in the project’s outreach work, delivering presentations to inform stakeholders and foreign delegations about the NBN. I additionally facilitated workshops designed to gather feedback and support the project’s continuous improvement.

In addition, I worked with the All-Hazards Situational Awareness (AHSA) team, which delivers daily public health reports on topics such as respiratory viruses, weather and climate risks, international health alerts and environmental hazards. These reports are vital as they inform decision makers about key public health alerts. I took the lead on producing the daily report, liaising with incident response teams to obtain the most recent and relevant data, and ensuring the content was presented concisely and clearly.

I attended a UKHSA science careers event in Birmingham as part of my placement, where I gained valuable insight into the organisation’s scientific work and the wide range of career pathways available. This helped me better appreciate the breadth of opportunities across UKHSA. I also had the chance to attend an Early Careers Researchers training event in Canary Wharf, which focused on understanding key ‘Civil Service’ behaviours and how to succeed in job applications and interviews. I networked with other PhD students on the programme, along with senior leaders across the organisation, learning about their journeys through academia, industry and government, which was incredibly insightful.

I worked alongside a wonderful team that consistently encouraged my learning and development. I am extremely grateful to have been given this enriching opportunity, which has broadened my perspective on government careers and enhanced my skills, which I will utilise within my PhD and future career.