SEPnet Summer Placements 2025- Employer Registration Form

1. About your organisation/department
*

Name of proposed supervisor(s)	*
Supervisor's telephone number	*
Supervisor's email	*
Organisation name	*
Address of placement (including postcode)	*
Organisation telephone number	*
Location of placement (if different)	*
Name of contact (to whom student should send application)	*
Contact email	*
Contact telephone number

2. About the project *

Proposed start date (exact/approximate and/or flexible)	*
Proposed end date (exact/approximate and/or flexible)	*
Brief description of company/department (max 200 words). Please avoid jargon and explain acronyms.	*
Industry Sector of the organisation eg Finance, Education, Research, Engineering, Technology, Manufacturing, Space	*
Project title or job title of placement	*
Project brief or job description (max 200 words. Please avoid jargon and explain acronyms)	*
Student specification (this is optional. However, an idea of the type of student suitable for the project will ensure the best match for your needs)	*
The closing date for students to submit their applications to you is the 31st March. If you would like to give an earlier deadline and/or provide a link to an online application form, please add here. Please do NOT close applications early without prior confirmation with m.limbert@soton.ac.uk	*
Is the placement based in the office or remote or hybrid	*

3. Funding for Placements
Please indicate if you are able to fully-fund or match-fund a minimum payment of £3,420 (this sum is based on national living wage costs which in 2025 shall be £12.21 hourly )for a student to work a 35-hour week for an 8-week period in line with the national living wage. Projects will be advertised to eligible physics and maths students (and can include current physics and maths PhD students). PhD students should be paid £3,600 for an 8-week placement.

Please tick all that apply:

I am able to fully-fund a placement
I am able to match-fund a placement at £1710 sums to be confirmed subject to national living wage.
I am happy for the placement to be advertised to PhD students as well as to undergraduates. (I understand PhD students should be paid £3,600 for an 8-week placement. I understand that PhD placements cannot be funded by SEPnet
I am a SEPnet University Partner (RHUL, Soton, Herts, Portsmouth, Sussex, QMUL) and would like to advertise a research placement
Other (please specify). If you would like to discuss, please email summerplacements@sepnet.ac.uk/m.limbert@soton.ac.uk to arrange a call
I am interested in hosting both regular 8 week summer placements and shorter 4 week summer placements

Comments:

4. Supporting Neurodiverse Students

We potentially have some funds to support neurodiverse students.

Would you be open to receiving applicants from neurodiverse students either for this project or another and happy to make the recommended modifications eg to run the placement remotely/ run the placement over a shorter period of time etc all of which would of course be discussed with you in advance. *

Yes happy to discuss/ find out more

5. SEPnet Support with Recruitment

We are looking at developing a new project to support finalist students who will be looking for employment. If SEPnet can work with you in sourcing finalist candidates to your specification and providing tailored support to you in your recruitment plans we would like to hear from you.
Similarly SEPnet is looking at applying for funding which would support PhD students entering the job market possibly through PhD funded placements which we would fund.

If you would like to be part of any of this work could you please complete a very short survey

Yes happy to find out more/discuss in more detail

. *

Yes happy to discuss/ find out more
Yes happy to complete a very short survey
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EmployerQuestionnaireRED/

6. I will advise my HR department/accountant of this placement and ensure that the SEPnet placement student is added to the company payroll (even if the student is funded by SEPnet) *

Yes
No (please contact SEPnet to discuss further)

Terms and Conditions - SEPnet Summer Placement Scheme 2024

HOW THE SCHEME WORKS
1. SEPnet placements are open to undergraduates in Yr 2 and Yr 3 studying physics or maths within the SEPnet consortium. Yr 1 students may be eligible with permission of the Head of Physics/Maths at their university. Physics and maths PhD students are eligible to apply for employer-funded placements. EU/international students must check with their Student Services that they are eligible to work in the UK during their holidays.

2. Organisations are invited to submit projects suitable for a research or industrial placement. Projects include data analysis, programming, product-testing, modelling, website development or science communication.

3. The SEPnet placement should take place in the summer holidays. Students should work no more than a 35-hour week for a total of 8 weeks which may be non-consecutive. Start and finish dates to be mutually agreed by host and student. Term dates vary by institution. Host organisations can extend this period and stipulate this at the outset or by negotiation with the successful applicant, provided they are able to fund the additional time on a pro-rata basis and provide the student with a further employment contract.

4. Placements should be carried out at the workplace of an approved industrial host if possible.

5. The SEPnet board will review the placement projects and assess their suitability based on academic merit and potential for students to gain commercial awareness and transferable skills eg communication and teamwork. Projects which meet our criteria and are fully- or match-funded by employers will have priority.

6. Placement projects will be advertised to students at all SEPnet partner universities which can include current physics and maths PhD students. PhD students should be paid £3,600 for an 8-week placement.

7. If a suitable student is not found projects can be re-advertised across the SEPnet partner universities.

8. Successful students should be paid a minimum of £3,420 (as confirmed by 2025 national living wage figures ) gross to work a 35-hour week for an 8-week period (£3,600 for PhD students tbc). Organisations are required to treat students as employees for the placement period, provide them with an employment contract and include them on the company payroll ensuring provision and payment of accruing holiday (even if they are funded by another source) so they are protected by employment law and by employer's insurance and health and safety policies. Students should note that income tax and national insurance contributions may be deducted from their placement payment. The host organisation will advise on the amount deducted. Tax and NI contributions will vary based on the student's circumstances (student loan, other part-time work etc.) If an employer is unable to employ a student other working arrangements may possible on a case by case basis.

9. Placement supervisors are expected to assist students to produce a project poster and attend the SEPnet Students' Expo with their student who will present their work to employers, academics and peers. There is a contingency plan for commercially sensitive or classified work.

10. The project poster should be completed during the placement and financially supported by the host eg provision of materials, printing or related costs. eg the placement host should pay the printing costs on behalf of the student.

11. If a student is offered a research placement with a SEPnet partner university, SEPnet will honour additional charges incurred by the partner university where it is required to put the student on payroll, subject to discussion with the SEPnet Employer Liaison Director first.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, SECURITY CLEARANCES AND HEALTH & SAFETYAll parties agree to abide by the intellectual property rights, security clearances and health & safety requirements related to the hosting of student placements and in compliance with relevant legislation.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
SEPnet embraces equality, diversity and inclusion and seeks to promote their benefits in all our activities.
Placement conditions must be compliant with the Equality Act (2010), ensuring equality of opportunity to all. The Home Office: http://homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/equality-act/. Employers should not to discriminate against candidates on the basis of their gender, identity, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, disability or any other protected characteristics. We expect employers to recruit the best person for the job and that selection and interviewing processes are conducted fairly, objectively and without bias.

Students with disabilities
Students aren't legally required to disclose a disability. However, students shouldn't state that they don't have a disability if they do. Employers are not allowed to discriminate against candidates with disabilities and should make all reasonable adjustments to the working environment to accommodate the student.

Students who have disclosed a disability should explain to their placement supervisor how it affects them stating what they can and can't do in relation to the placement role. Students should explain any adjustments they would need the employer to make and the employer should make all reasonable adjustments to accommodate the student.

Projects carried out remotely
Both placement supervisors and students should keep in touch with their university’s Employability Adviser or Placement Tutor during the placement to make them aware of any issues or concerns.

Employers should:

provide the student with an employment contract
provide the student with all reasonable direction, support and, where necessary, equipment and technical supervision relating to the performance of the project
communicate with the student via video or phone on an agreed regular basis to ensure he/she is clear about project goals and remains motivated
agree regular objectives to be met to help the student to remain on target to complete the project and in order to highlight any problems early on.

ADMIN FEE A £300 admin fee will be payable per placement. This fee ensures:

Help of the SEPnet Employer Liaison Director, to develop /scope the placement brief
Production of a placement brochure which would include your brief
Dedicated training in the run-up to placements where needs are identified
Support and assistance throughout the placement from an Employer Engagement Adviser including a mid-placement review with you and/or a site meeting
Delegate conference package costs and catering to attend the London Expo
The opportunity to promote your company with a stand at the Expo (subject to availability)
The chance to raise the profile of your company through spotlight employer talks at individual SEPnet universities or be part of a careers panel
The opportunity to join the SEPnet Industrial Advisory Board for an exclusive insight into SEPnet’s future plans and potential collaborative funding opportunities
SEPnet’s help to construct a placement brief aimed at working with a neurodiverse student, which could be fully funded through Planet Possibility funds.

A payment link will be provided upon your placement submission, payment is required before your placement can be distributed to students. In the event that the placement is withdrawn or we are unable to source a SEPnet student for your placement the £300 is refundable.

PROCESS FOR ARRANGING A PLACEMENT
1. Organisations register placement details using the Placement Programme Employer Registration Form or here-in the SmartSurvey registration link.
2. The SEPnet board reviews the proposed placements and selects projects based on the criteria above.
3. Contact details and placement descriptions are advertised regularly to eligible students by SEPnet Employability Advisers (EEAs) at SEPnet partner universities.
4. Students apply directly to supervisors or named contacts with a covering letter and CV unless advised otherwise by their EEA.
5. Supervisors review CVs and select candidates for interview. Placements are re-advertised until a suitable applicant is found.

SEPnet responsibilities:
1. Administration services and support with the application/selection procedure.
2. Internal advertisement of placements.
3. Match-funding for placements will be made available where finances permit up to the sum of £1710 , where full cost of placement is to £3,420
4. A visit to, or meeting with, the placement host by a SEPnet representative during the placement to discuss the student’s performance and welfare.
5. Support for the employer and student during the placement.
6. Organisation of the SEPnet Students' Expo.
7. Feedback forms.
8. Analysis of feedback.

Placement host responsibilities:
1. A placement that meets the SEPnet criteria.
2. Completion of relevant forms.
3. A fair selection/interview process for applicants compliant with the Equality Act (2010), ensuring equality of opportunity to all.
4. Feedback on applications and applicants.
5. Confirmation of the selected student
6. Feedback on, and to, unsuccessful applicants.
7. Employment of the student (including students funded by a SEPnet partner), provision of employment contract, employer liability insurance and H&S compliance, payment of at least minimum wage, provision and payment of accruing holiday, adequate supervision/training.
8. Suitable support to conduct a placement (desk space, computer, lab facilities, materials, reasonable adjustments where necessary).
9. A meeting with a SEPnet EEA/Placement Tutor to review progress with the placement
10. CV references for the student if requested.
11. Support for the student and help with production of the final project poster to be completed during the placement.
12. Participation and attendance at the SEPnet Students' Expo in November
13. Completion of the feedback form.

Student responsibilities:
1. Attendance and transport to/from the interview with the host as required.
2. Commitment to carry out the placement once an offer has been accepted.
3. Completed application forms.
4. Completion of IPR, security clearance and health & safety documentation as required by the host.
5. Payment of tax and national insurance contributions if employed by the placement organisation.
6. In case of sickness, or if requesting absence for other reasons, students should check their employer’s policy and contact their SEPnet Employability Adviser.
7. To dress in appropriate clothing for the office environment (if unsure of dress code please ask the placement supervisor).
8. A commitment to share any issues or concerns with the host supervisor or SEPnet contact.
9. Completion of the final project poster.
10. Participation in a placement site visit or meeting with the placement host and SEPnet contact.
11. Participation and attendance at the SEPnet Students' Expo in November.
12. Completion of a feedback form.

SEPnet Summer Placement Timeline

Monday 10 February
Placement projects to be submitted to m.limbert@soton.ac.uk.

Friday 28 Feb
Projects are advertised by SEPnet Employability Engagement Advisers (EEAs) to students via email and other departmental communications.

Mid-March
Employers provide feedback on number and quality of applications via the SEPnet tracking form Monday 31 March (midnight)
Closing date for applications.

1 – 30 April
Employers select and interview candidates.
Unfilled placements are re-advertised.

May Employers inform SEPnet of successful and unsuccessful candidates. Unfilled placements can be re-advertised.

.June - September
Students carry out placements. Student prepare posters for Students' Expo. Placement visits with students and supervisors take place.

November
Students and supervisors attend SEPnet Students' Expo.

7. I agree for my personal data to be held by SEPnet and processed in the strictest confidence and in accordance with UK data legislation.

*

8. I am happy for my details to be shared with SEPnet staff and to be added to a list to receive mailings from time to time about SEPnet placements and employer engagement activities and events. I understand that my details will not be shared with other groups without my permission. *

9. I have read and agree to the above terms and conditions of the SEPnet Summer Placement Scheme and accept my responsibilities as outlined above. *

10. I have read and agree to the above terms and conditions of the SEPnet Summer Placement Scheme and accept my responsibilities as outlined above.

I also understand an administration fee is payable to SEPnet of £300 .

A payment link will be provided upon your placement submission, payment is required before your placement can be distributed to students. In the event that the placement is withdrawn or we are unable to source a SEPnet student for your placement the £300 is refundable. *