Host Organisation Guidelines for a Successful Placement

In order to ensure that both Host Organisations and TDL Academy students have the best possible experience during the Placement Programme, we ask all participating organisations to agree to the following set of rules and regulations which follow ‘best practice’ guidelines.

We understand that employers will be operating in a number of different ways in regards to remote/hybrid working. If working mainly remotely, the student will be required to be in regular contact with the host organisation during placement (daily if required) and must be provided with access to the data and any specialist equipment required to deliver the project. 

If the project requires the student to work mainly/full-time in the office and remote work is not feasible please provide this detail when submitting your project form. It is our duty to ensure that students are working in a safe manner at all time and are comfortable with the expectations in relation to work location.

 1. All students must be employed by the Host Organisation and paid for their time working on this Project at a minimum of the Real Living Wage.

 2. The student’s terms and conditions of working and working pattern will be agreed prior to commencement of employment, in line with the Host Organisation’s normal HR processes. This is usually 35-40 hours.

 3. Project duration is normally 8-12 weeks and we ask that you bear in mind the submission date of the student’s academic dissertation. Please try to allow sufficient time for writing up on an ongoing basis and we advise that the project should end at least 2 weeks before the student’s submission date. 

The duration of the project and time allowed for write up must be agreed with the student and academic supervisor prior to commencement.

 4. Timing of placements:  for most full-time students this will be May – August. Some part-time students may wish to start their projects earlier in the year or continue into the Autumn, if this is feasible.

 5.  Any background checks, on-boarding, etc must be started as soon as the student has been identified and offered the Project. Please ensure any stakeholders (including external service providers) in this process are aligned as soon as possible and that the checks can be completed well in advance of the student’s start date.

 6. An industrial supervisor/s should be identified (preferably a permanent member of staff) prior to the placement commencing. The student will also have an academic supervisor who will liaise with the industrial supervisor and the student. There should also be regular meetings (at least monthly, although preferably weekly/biweekly) with the industrial supervisor, academic supervisor and student.

 7. All technology and data resources for the Project should be sourced and accessible from the first day of student starting with your organisation. Delays in providing these resources will result in project delays which can seriously impact the student’s ability to complete the project and their dissertation.

 8. Any IP agreements/restrictions and/or NDA requirements should be discussed and resolved before the placement commences. IP normally resides with the company with the stipulation that the student has access to the elements required to complete their dissertation. The academic supervisor will be the main point of contact on IP and NDA issues.

 9. Any concerns over the Project or the students’ performance must be raised, in writing, immediately with the student’s academic supervisor. If these concerns are not addressed satisfactorily by the academic supervisor, this should be escalated at the earliest opportunity in writing to the Placements team at The Data Lab. You will receive contact from The Data Lab before, during and after the placement to check on progress and provide support.

 10. Should the student be offered further employment by your organisation within 12 months of the placement completion, a fee will be incurred payable directly to The Data Lab:  

• Public sector organisations, third sector organisations, & partners of The Data Lab – £0
• Start-ups – £1000
• Private sector SMEs – £2500
• Private sector Other – £5000

The Data Lab reserve the right to amend these fees at their discretion. Income generated from fees is not for profit and will be used to further develop and sustain The Data Lab Academy Programme, enable the continuation of scholarship funding and industry placements in the future. If the student leaves the role within the first 3 months of further employment, your organisation will be eligible for a full rebate of the fee.

 11. The Host Organisation agrees to provide all information and assistance as reasonably required by The Data Lab for the purposes of The Data Lab assessing the success of the programme, promoting the programme or as required for reporting to its funders, this shall include but is not limited to, the provision of a case study in relation to the Project.

 12. For further information about how we use personal data including contact details, please see our privacy policy. The information submitted via the Project form will be stored on a third party platform for the purposes of matching, but no personal data will be transferred.

The Data Lab Academy Programme Funding Call for 2025/26
  Scottish Universities are invited to apply to become part of The Data Lab Academy programme for AY 25-26, providing the opportunity for students to receive scholarships to participate in a programme of employability, networking and skills training alongside their academic studies, improving opportunities and better preparing them for the fast-paced and changing world of work.

Background
  The Data Lab Academy programme differs from other academic courses as it focuses on applying academic knowledge to the world of industry, and on developing non-technical skills that are essential to becoming a data scientist. Around 1,200 students have benefitted from the programme since AY 15-16 and we have worked with every university which provides data courses in Scotland over that period.  You can view  the list of courses approved The Data Lab Academy courses for AY 25-26 here.

  Students on our programme have access to our highly regarded employability enhancing, networking and skills programme which includes:
 

• More than 50 hours of training spread across the academic year designed to maximise students’ employability.
• Access to networking events with industry experts.
• The opportunity to apply to undertake a paid industrial placement in Scotland.
• An industry-sponsored residential ‘Innovation week’ challenge.
• An interactive master class on Data Ethics.
• Access to a network of expertise through The Data Lab MSc Alumni and The Data Lab Community.
• Activities linked to digital badges to demonstrate skills in networking, employability, ethics and innovation and participation in the programme.

Apply to join the Programme
  We did not open our call for funding for 25/26 and carried over courses approved in 23/24 to 24/25 and 25/26.  We have now been awarded ADDITIONAL scholarships and so are opening our application process to a select number of Scottish Universities who have already flagged interest in applying for scholarships.  

We invite applications for Masters courses in data, AI and related subjects.  Acknowledging that the demand for data engineering skills is high, we are keen to see new course applications from MSc courses in computer science and software engineering in addition to the more data and AI focussed programmes of study.

  To be eligible to apply for students to join The Data Lab Academy, courses must be ready for delivery to commence in AY25/26.  Successful applications should demonstrate;
 

• a strong focus on data science, data engineering, AI, software engineering and computer science with data elements e.g. Databases, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing/Cloud Technologies, SQL, NoSQL, Python, R.  Related courses eg data analytics, business analytics and STEM data orientated courses can also apply
• innovation and creativity in course delivery;
• high standards and the teaching of data ethics with responsible data science/AI embedded throughout the course;
• a demonstrable commitment to maximising diversity in applicants (examples of initiatives to reach out to underrepresented applicants);
• strong industry engagement; and
• willingness (for new courses) and evidence (for existing courses) of strong engagement with The Data Lab Academy programme and support of The Data Lab Academy placement programme.

We will review all course submissions and successful universities will be awarded scholarship numbers to select the best candidates for their course  (up to a maximum of 5 places). We will prioritise courses which clearly meet The Data Lab Academy application criteria and provide strong evidence of industry relevance and demand for the skills being taught.

  We ask that potential scholarship candidates identified by universities are required to complete a short application form for review and approval by The Data Lab Academy prior to scholarships being confirmed with students. This is to ensure that all successful applicants to the programme are committed to its aims and are best placed to maximise the opportunity, including the placement programme. We normally only accept courses that commence in October although Jan/Feb starts may be considered.

Funding opportunities available
  Scottish Universities are invited to apply for their students to gain access to The Data Lab Academy programme. You can apply for one or all funding options.

MSc students who meet SFC eligibility
  Around 100 scholarships will support £6500 per student to cover MSc course tuition fees for The Data Lab approved courses for the academic year 2025-26.  Any shortfall between the University’s tuition fee and the £6500 scholarship must be met by the University, and not by the student or any other third party.  All students join The Data Lab Academy programme. Currently, funding from the SFC is not officially confirmed but we have received an indication that in addition to our annual allocation of 75 scholarships, we are earmarked to receive an additional 25 funded places giving an overall number of 100 scholarships. Refer to this SAAS advice (Eligibility Section) for guidance on who can be considered for a fully funded scholarship.

Next step
  Apply using this form.

The closing date for applications is 2 May 2025 at 24:00

Universities will be notified on the success or otherwise of their application by  Friday 9 May 2025.

Privacy 

We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Please read our privacy notice for full details of how we will use your information 

Information Session
  Do not hesitate to contact the team at The Data Lab TDL-Academy@thedatalab.com for further information on the application process or the programme we run. 

TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP YOU MUST BE REFERRED BY THE UNIVERSITY/COURSE WHERE YOU INTEND TO STUDY.   

 Through our highly regarded and well established The Data Lab Academy, The Data Lab supports MSc students on a programme which focuses on applying academic knowledge to the world of industry, and developing the non-technical skills that are essential to becoming a data scientist. The Data Lab Academy Scholarship includes:
 

• A fully funded scholarship to cover tuition fees on an approved The Data Lab Academy course at a The Data Lab  partner university
• Sector-specific training in employability and communication skills*
• Access to networking events including Data Talent and a launch and closing event with presentations from industry experts, data scientists and The Data Lab Alumni and a Lunch & Learn programme throughout the year*
• The opportunity to apply to undertake a paid industrial placement in Scotland
• An industry sponsored innovation challenge*
• Membership of The Data Lab Community with access to a network of expertise, mentoring and a jobs board*
• Membership of The Data Lab Academy Alumni LinkedIn group
• A Masterclass on Data Ethics and Responsible Innovation*

*Core elements that must be completed by all The Data Lab Academy students (the time commitment is approximately 9 working days over a 12 month period).  See https://thedatalab.com/students/the-data-lab-academy/ for more details.

 You have been recommended by a The Data Lab’s university partner for consideration by The Data Lab team for one of these scholarships. For us to make a decision on whether you meet our criteria, please complete the following form which asks for some information on you, and why you think you should be the recipient of one of our highly sought after scholarships.

 The Data Lab Student Privacy Document sets out how The Data Lab will use the data you provide for the purpose of this application, including your rights under data protection law in relation to this personal information.  You can find the document here. https://thedatalab.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TDL-Academy-Privacy-Notice-202526.pdf

 

This form is to update The Data Lab on the progress of the Industrial Doctorate project.
We will prompt you to complete this form after every 6 months.

The Data Lab (administered from The University of Edinburgh) may share information about projects with the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and any other appropriate organisation in the interests of developing and promoting the Innovation Centres Programme.