UKRI Internship (Senedd Research)-Mischa Emery

I completed a 3-month internship at the Senedd in Cardiff, Wales. Welsh Government is the devolved government for Wales, and it works on devolved areas such as health, education and the environment.

I worked as a research assistant at Senedd Research, in the Health and Social Care team. The team works on all aspects of health and social care in Wales, where their research supports Welsh parliament. Working in the Senedd gave me the opportunity to watch first minister’s questions and attend committee meetings and stakeholder events. The Senedd offers a courtesy Welsh course to all staff, which I completed during my placement. Over the course of my internship, I came to understand the broad range of research topics the team covers and how it differs from academic research.

My main output from the placement was producing articles that are published by Senedd Research. These were on known health and social issues, but with a particular focus on the effects in Wales. The process of producing articles helped me understand how to research and write for policy and the editorial process needed to publish impartially. Other tasks included answering enquiries from members of Senedd, writing a petition briefing and helping other team members with committee work.

The internship gave me an insight into working in policy and how academic science and policy interact.  Whether I decide to pursue a job in policy or stay in academia, I will apply the skills I gained from working in the Senedd to my future roles.