ARC GM | Economic Sustainability Summer Internships

What do our internships involve?

Our internship programme gives an essential introduction to research and focuses on the personal development and needs of the intern.

An internship gives candidates:

time to develop key skills which are relevant and useful for future goals - for example, how to formulate research questions and identify appropriate research designs
skills in which methods to use when searching and reviewing literature, plus tips on conducting research and understanding, analysing, and presenting findings
access to a whole host of resources including the University of Manchester library, online research resources and training opportunities

About us

The NIHR ARC-GM supports applied health and care research that responds to, and meets the needs of local populations and local health and care systems.

Our overarching goal is to improve the health of the GM population and the quality and sustainability of the health and social care they receive. We are achieving this by co-producing excellent research in prioritised areas and by enhancing its impact through supported implementation into policy and practice.

We have recruited two Economic Sustainability interns every year since 2022.

Meet our previous Economic Sustainability Interns

Edward Thomas

Find out more about Edward

Year of study

2025

What did you gain from the internship?

During my internship I gained a strong understanding of the health context of the UK, and how this motivates policy commitments, such as the strategic shift to community healthcare. I learnt how community healthcare can be an effective tool for prevention, reducing demand for acute services as well as improving health outcomes. I also developed insights into commissioning structures and the challenges that they have faced, something I am particularly keen to continue exploring further.

My skills in quantitative research have also been developed significantly. I have learnt new econometric techniques or panel data such as fixed effect models and clustered standard errors, and understood how these methods can be applied to improve causal inference. As well as acquiring this theoretical knowledge, my technical skills have improved. I have become more competent in R studio, particularly in merging datasets and mapping data points to each other.

Finally, this internship has provided general research experience for me. I have improved both my communication skills, presentation skills, and analytical skills. It has been very interesting to gain first hand insight into the daily work of a health economics researcher, and I am particularly grateful for this.

Siyu Chen

Find out more about Siyu

Year of study

2025

What did you gain from the internship?

Conducting the research project substantially enhanced my academic and technical skills. I began by critically reviewing the literature to identify theoretical mechanisms, assess identification methods, and highlight UK-specific evidence gaps, which deepen my understanding of the research context and informing my analytical approach. I assembled, merged, and cleaned several large datasets (including the UKGC venue register, IMD, SAMHI, ONS urban/rural classifications, and 11 sub-datasets from Understanding Society) resolving all missing and non-applicable values. This process was invaluable for strengthening my data analysis skills and preparing me for future empirical work.

Using R, I implemented econometric techniques at both area and individual levels, including LAD fixed-effects models and decomposition of composite indices, to test my hypotheses. Having previously worked primarily in Python, this project also allowed me to develop proficiency in R, expanding my programming capabilities. I documented my workflow reproducibly in R scripts and produced clear, well-structured tables suitable for academic presentation.

Throughout the project, I learned to interpret results accurately, connect findings to regulatory and geographical contexts, and apply precise referencing alongside evidence-based argumentation. Writing the final report familiarised me with academic research conventions, such as structuring sections effectively and integrating existing literature with my own empirical analysis. Most importantly, this experience gave me a realistic understanding of how research is conducted in practice, insight into how other researchers work in real life, and exposure to a variety of topics within health economics.

Saif Al Abri

Find out more about Saif

Year of study

2024

What did you gain from the internship?

During my internship, I significantly enhanced my technical and analytical skills, particularly in statistical analysis and econometrics. I became proficient in using software tools like Stata and R Studio for data manipulation, modelling, and visualisation. Working with complex datasets such as the Health Survey for England and the Small Area Mental Health Index (SAMHI) data, I applied econometric techniques like difference-in-differences analysis and the Wagstaff-adjusted Concentration Index to investigate health inequalities and mental health disparities. This hands-on experience deepened my understanding of econometric modelling and statistical inference, allowing me to analyse real-world data effectively.

In addition to technical skills, I gained valuable experience in research methodology and critical thinking. I learned how to design robust studies, test assumptions like parallel trends, and interpret results within the appropriate context. Navigating challenges in establishing causal relationships and addressing model limitations sharpened my problem-solving abilities. Presenting my findings helped me improve my communication skills, enabling me to convey complex statistical concepts clearly and concisely. Overall, the internship enriched my quantitative expertise and prepared me to tackle pressing issues in health economics through rigorous analysis and thoughtful interpretation.

Ibrahim Al Jawari

Find out more about Ibrahim

Year of study

2024

What did you gain from the internship?

In addition to the knowledge I gained from the literature readings, I also used software such as ArcGIS to map my results. I also heavily relied on R Studio for the analysis and familiarized myself with using functions and analysis in R Studio that I had not done in my Economics and Data Analytics degree so far. This was mostly about handling large and complex datasets – integrating different years, datasets, and variables together, and then conducting regression analysis. I became immensely more comfortable and confident with this skill.

Belen Matos Perales

Find out more about Belen

Year of study

2023

What did you gain from the internship?

This internship was my first professional job related to my studies and it has been an enriching and amazing experience. Something really valuable I got from the job was seeing how my university studies and learnings could be applied in real-life scenarios. It has allowed me to look at my learnings from another point of view; not only reflecting on what I have learned but also thinking about how I can apply it. I also really enjoyed being able to develop my skills, especially my coding ones. I had just learned how to use R studio in my last academic semester, so I was quite nervous to work with it. However, the internship just allowed me to further my skills with it and feel a lot more comfortable by actually working with it. I also kindly received constant support from Ruth which helped me feel more confident with it. Furthermore, I really enjoyed presenting in the HOPE seminar and it contributed to my personal development. I learnt to overcome my nerves and practice doing a professional presentation; making me feel quite proud of myself after. Additionally, the internship has also made me feel more empowered and confident in myself. I really liked how I was trusted to make decisions and practically be in charge of the work I wanted to do. It helped me learn that if you can trust me, I can also trust myself to excel.

Harriet Bullen

Find out more about Harriet

Year of study

2023

What did you gain from the internship?

During my internship I have developed many valuable skills. Firstly, I enhanced my ability to conduct a literature review and analysis of academic research. I cultivated my data analysis skills by engaging in tasks such as data cleaning, filtering, and creating statistical models by conducting both linear and ordered logistic regressions. All these skills are transferable and beneficial to develop. Next, I learned how to handle and merge large datasets from multiple sources to compile a unique dataset for analysis. Additionally, I gained the ability to apply economic theory and concepts to independent hospitals, this was valuable to understand the economic implications of our findings. The internship provided me with an opportunity to apply what I have learned in my degree to academic research and real-life scenarios which is fulfilling to see that my university learning does have a practical purpose. The opportunity to present my work at the HOPE seminar enhanced my presentation and communication skills. Effective communication and presentation skills are valuable in any career path that I decide to pursue. Moreover, the internship required me to think critically about the implications of the results within the broader context of independent hospitals.

The internship also underscored the importance of adaptability when occasionally I needed to chance my approach when faced with unexpected results. For instance, the significant increase in independent providers in 2022 forced me to listen to advice and change my approach. The ability to adapt and remain open to feedback is a crucial skill and this internship has allowed me to develop these skills. Finally, during the internship I was offered the opportunity to learn how to use Stata. Programming in Stata is a valuable skill which can be transferred to whatever career I decide to pursue. Stata allowed me to clean and manipulate data and allowed me to create visual representations of the data and create statistical models.

Pulkhit Singh

Find out more about Pulkhit

Year of study

2022

What did you gain from the internship?

Doing this internship has given me the opportunity to learn a lot of new things. I now have a better understanding of how economics and econometrics can be used to answer important questions and frame policy in the health sector. The entire process has largely helped develop my econometric and coding skills with both R and Stata. I was given the opportunity to learn and use Stata as a part of my internship and using R and Stata together has been extremely insightful in learning what each software does best. I worked with a large survey dataset, learnt how to clean it and understood how to work with survey weights, and have become familiar with other survey design elements, to a certain extent. I have also been able to develop my writing skills with invaluable feedback from my supervisor.

Charles Smith

Find out more about Charles

Year of study

2022

What did you gain from the internship?

Econometrics – I have learnt and applied many econometric techniques including the use of linear and non-linear regression technique such as Ordinary least squares regression (OLS) and logistic regression, respectively. I have gained an insight in the role that omitted variable bias plays in regression analysis and means to address this through instrumental variable techniques that were not possible in university classes with prepared datasets specific to each topic.

Stata – Before the internship, I had never used Stata before, and was not aware of any programmes to aid econometric analysis other than R. I would now consider myself proficient in a second programme, improving the range of econometric methods I can use.

Seminars – Attending weekly departmental meetings has given me an insight into other research areas and methods in Health Economics. I then presented my work at one of these meetings, improving my communication of findings, public speaking, and receiving feedback from experts in the field. I also hope to attend the HESG conference in Manchester in January 2023, to learn even more about the field and presenting work.

Supervision – This internship has given me invaluable working experience, both helping and receiving help from colleagues in an office environment for the first time, and working for a supervisor, rather than self-motivated university study. Regular meetings with my supervisor have helped me structure my work and solve problems, as well as come up with many more proposals to research.