| Project Supervisor | Denise Hawkes |
| Institution & Department | King’s College London – Economics, King’s Business School |
| Research Area | RA6: Public Policy and Governance |
| Project Start Date | 1st July 2026 – flexibility offered, please discuss. |
| Project Duration | 3 months |
| Application Deadline | 4th June 2026 |
| Working Pattern | Full-time (5 days per week over 3 months) |
| Working Arrangements | Hybrid |
| Some remote working possible, with regular in-person meetings depending on institutional arrangements. | |
| How to Apply | View Guidance Here |
Project Description
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Universities across the UK are under increasing pressure to improve prevention, reporting, and institutional responses to sexual misconduct, harassment, and wider violence against women and girls (VAWG). However, unlike the United States, the UK does not currently have a standardised national dataset that enables meaningful comparison of campus safety incidents across institutions.
This project is a collaborative initiative between King’s College London and University of Exeter, combining expertise in higher education policy, applied economics, and gender-based violence research. The project will undertake the first stage of developing a comparable evidence base for UK higher education by analysing publicly available data from the US Department of Education Campus Safety and Security database, focusing specifically on London campuses of US universities. These campuses are subject to US federal reporting requirements and therefore provide a unique pilot sample located within the London higher education environment.
The student will identify relevant institutions, extract and clean administrative data, analyse reported incidents and trends, and assess how these reporting categories could inform future data collection for UK universities. The project will also review how comparable information is currently reported in the UK and identify key measurement gaps.
The anticipated contribution is threefold. First, it will generate an original pilot dataset and descriptive evidence on campus safety reporting in London-based higher education institutions. Second, it will establish a methodology for scaling this work to UK universities more broadly. Third, it will contribute to research on higher education governance, student welfare, transparency, and violence prevention.
For the academic team, this internship will support the development of future external funding applications, policy engagement, and potential journal articles, in the area of campus safety and institutional accountability.
Internship Details
The internship forms part of a wider collaborative research agenda between King’s College London and University of Exeter. The student will benefit from exposure to researchers across institutions and from interdisciplinary perspectives spanning economics, education policy, and governance. This internship is suitable for students who enjoy independent analytical work and want experience building a project from the ground up. The role combines structured data work with broader policy thinking and interpretation.
The student will be encouraged to shape parts of the project according to their interests (for example higher education governance, gender policy, quantitative methods, or comparative institutions). There will be acknowledgement in future outputs where contributions justify this, and the research team is open to discuss co-authorship for exceptionally performing intern at a later stage. The working environment will be supportive, collegiate, and focused on skills development
Internship Structure
Activities and Responsibilities:
Month 1: Scoping and Data Construction
o Identify London campuses of US universities listed in the US Campus Safety database.
o Download relevant annual datasets and reporting files.
o Clean and merge data across years.
o Produce an initial data dictionary.
Month 2: Analysis and Benchmarking
o Construct variables on reported offences, disciplinary actions, and reporting trends.
o Conduct descriptive statistical analysis and comparative summaries across campuses and years.
o Review publicly available UK university reporting practices for comparability.
Month 3: Outputs and Dissemination
o Produce tables, charts, and written summaries.
o Draft a short methodological note on building a UK university equivalent dataset.
o Present findings to the supervisory team.
Intended Outputs
• Clean analytical pilot dataset.
• Data documentation and coding notes.
• Short analytical report (5–10 pages).
• Presentation of findings.
• Background materials for future grant applications.”
Anticipated Benefits for the Student
This internship offers substantial doctoral-level training in both research and transferable skills. The student will gain direct experience in taking a project from raw data to policy-relevant outputs.
Research Skills
- Working with large-scale administrative datasets.
- Data cleaning, merging, and reproducible workflows.
- Quantitative analysis using Stata, R, or Python.
- Variable design and metadata documentation.
- Comparative policy analysis.
- Translating raw data into publishable research outputs.
Transferable Skills
- Independent project management.
- Time management and milestone delivery.
- Written communication for academic and policy audiences.
- Data visualisation and presentation skills.
- Working collaboratively within a research team.
- Experience contributing to early-stage grant and publication development.
Skills, Experience and Knowledge Requirements
Essential Requirements:
- Current PhD student with social science research training (ideally Economics).
- Quantitative data skills using Stata, R, Python, or similar software.
- Ability to work carefully with structured datasets and spreadsheets.
- Strong written English and attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently and manage deadlines.
Desirable Requirements:
- Interest in higher education policy, crime, gender-based violence, or governance.
- Experience using administrative or panel datasets.
- Data visualisation experience.
- Familiarity with reproducible coding practices.
- Prior literature review experience.
Note that technical skills (design, programming, prototyping) are not needed for this opportunity.