The Sentinus Research Academy gives students in Years 13 & 14 the opportunity to experience real online research projects provided by local companies and organisations.  Taking place from late June to the end of July, projects are carried out virtually (with the exception of environmental biology projects which involve field research) and last four weeks.  The online nature of the programme provides flexibility for students to carry out the research.  Projects will be validated by local universities and professional organisations.  Subject areas covered by placements include:

  • biomedical science;
  • biochemistry;
  • neuroscience (now closed for 2024);
  • environmental biology;
  • chemistry;
  • psychology;
  • engineering;
  • astrophysics;
  • maths;
  • computer science/IT.

As part of the programme your project provider will provide you with data and information about the research project you will be carrying out.  With support from Sentinus, you will be required to analyse the data and present your findings at the end of the programme, in the form of a project report and poster.  Students will receive weekly online tutorials on data analysis, report writing, project presentation and tutorials with their project supervisor.

On successful completion of your project you will receive a certificate of achievement, validated by your host organisation (eg Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University, Trinity College Dublin) to recognise the effort you have invested during the process.  This will be an excellent addition to your UCAS application, available to only a small percentage of students applying to UCAS, thereby giving you a great competitive advantage.

Administration Cost

For students successful in securing a place on the Sentinus Research Academy there will be an administration fee of £225, please see the Terms & Conditions for the Admin Fee here.  A small number of scholarships will be available for students unable to pay the administration fee, if you feel you may be eligible for a scholarship please contact Sentinus to discuss how to access this support.

Employers or research institutions interested in providing a Research Project should contact Sentinus directly.

To apply for a place on the Sentinus Research Academy complete the application form below.  Please be aware that places are allocated on a first come, first served basis and each subject area will close when capacity is reached.

Section 1 - Student Details

This section is for monitoring purposes and will only be seen by project hosts and Sentinus. It is not used for selection. Please make sure you supply accurate contact information as we will need to contact you throughout the process. Sentinus is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under the Data Protection Act 1998 and complies with its principles and provisions. Applicants should understand it is necessary for us to store and process information sent by applicants and referees, so that we may assess applications. Data will be held securely and lawfully processed, and all those handling applications are aware of the confidential nature of the data. Records are retained for no longer than necessary. Data may be used to compile lists of award holders which are publicly available. By submitting an application form applicants and their institutions are deemed to have given consent for Sentinus to process data related to applications.
Please ensure you enter a valid email address which you check regularly.
Please supply a mobile phone number on which we can contact you, if necessary.

Section 2 - Educational Information

This section may be passed to a potential project host (university or company).
Please provide the name of the teacher who will support your application and provide a reference.
Please ensure the teacher email address is correct as we will need to contact them to allow them to support your application.

Section 3 - Project Choice

Please tell us about your preferred project choices, referring to the list of subject areas shown in the webpage above. While Sentinus will make every effort to give you your first choice, it may be necessary to offer another option. Therefore, it is important to list all three choices. Projects in computer science/IT are open to students in Years 13. Places are allocated on a first come first, served basis and each subject area will close when capacity is reached.

Why do you want to undertake a project on the Sentinus Research Academy?

Explain below why you think you would benefit from a placement (150-250 words).

Section 4 - Administration Fee

There is an administration fee of £225 for students who are successful in securing a place on the Sentinus Research Academy. However, a small number of scholarships may be available to assist students unable to pay this fee. Criteria will apply.

Section 5 - Student Declaration

Please complete the below questions.

Section 6 - Parental/Guardian Consent & Declaration

Please confirm that you have parent/guardian consent to apply for this programme. Sentinus will contact them directly to confirm that this is the case.