My summer of science: internships at British Antarctic Survey

16 August, 2024 Diversity in UK Polar Science

This summer British Antarctic Survey (BAS) hosted two paid internships through the 10,000 Black Interns scheme. We are committed to creating a workplace that is fair and inclusive and where everyone can thrive. As their time at BAS draws to a close, Ufuoma and David reflect on their experience at BAS and future career plans.

Ufuoma Ehwerhemuepha, Intern in the Environment Office

I was curious about working in the public sector,and after finding the 10K Black Interns scheme, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to gain some experience and clarity.

Over the summer I have been working in the Environment Office, compiling BAS waste data into annual statistics reports. This was my first time working with large sets of data, so it was slightly intimidating but also very rewarding. I’ve also helped with researching waste disposal options for the RRS Sir David Attenborough aiming to increase our recycling rates at different ports.

One of the highlights during my internship was celebrating Midwinter (the shortest day in Antarctica on 21 June)! It was great to socialise and meet more people at BAS Cambridge at the BBQ as well as having the opportunity to join in on the tradition!

I would definitely recommend this internship to others. This experience has been the perfect balance between enjoyable and challenging. I was able to push myself and practice new skills in a supportive environment. Everyone in the Environment Office and across BAS has been so friendly and helpful!

David Asamoah, Intern in the Archives team

I applied to the 10,000 Black Interns Scheme to open new doors and to widen my perspective beyond my hometown. The 10,000 Black Interns’ scheme has given me a chance to work in Cambridge at the British Antarctic Survey (or BAS, we dote on our acronyms), an organisation I’d never heard of, but became one I could never forget.

I have been working as an Assistant Archivist at BAS over the past 12 weeks. My role duties are the following: accessioning donated gifts to the archive, displaying materials for archive tours, bringing out material at a researcher’s request, answering some internal information enquiries, cataloguing items. I have also been working on a project to digitally scan and catalogue previously unseen film negatives of Rothera (the largest running British Antarctic station).

My favourite experiences at BAS include the Midwinter BBQ – celebrating passing the darkest day in austral winter, and the 2024 science symposium – a series of talks and afternoon poster sessions hosted in BAS.

I have learned so much about archival processes: how to search for material to answer an enquiry, the types of preservation material used to store items and how to be succinct in describing an item in the catalogue. Furthermore, the office skills of working under a variable schedule, how to phrase questions and responses in directorate meetings, and how to make a strong impression on colleagues throughout an organisation.

I would recommend the 10,000 Black Interns scheme for anyone looking for a chance to try something new. I have benefited from a “foot in the door” in an organisation I would not have thought to apply to and I encourage BAS to continue these diverse recruitment streams in the years to follow.

My plan after my internships end will be using my experience to apply to other civil service roles. My experience of being an archivist with a mathematics background has taught me that I can flourish favourably in anything I set my mind towards.

If you’re interested in applying for work experience roles at BAS, please contact HR on workexperience@bas.ac.uk