After you apply to UNIQplus
What happens next?
After you submit your application, we'll check that you meet our eligibility criteria and that your application is complete. Applications that are complete and eligible will be shared with our academic assessors for consideration.
Checking that your application is eligible and complete
When you submit your application, we will check that your documents meet our requirements and are eligible for UNIQplus Research Internships and/or UNIQplus PASS. You will not be able to make further changes to your application, however you will still be able login to read your submitted application while it is being checked or assessed.
If we consider that you are ineligible or if your application is missing required documents or documents have been received after the deadline, your application will not be considered and you will be informed accordingly.
If your application is eligible, it will then be shared with academic assessors for consideration. We’ll let you know by email that your application has been sent to our assessors.
You are responsible for making sure that all required documents, including your reference, are submitted by the deadline and meet the University’s requirements. If your application is incomplete or late, it may not be put forward for assessment. If your application is ineligible, it will not be put forward for assessment.
We anticipate that most applicants will be notified by mid-March whether or not their application has been shared with our academic assessors.
Assessment of your application
Eligible applications for UNIQplus are reviewed at a number of stages.
This includes a first review by a panel of academic lead assessors from each of the four divisions: Humanities, Medical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS). Following this, around half of applications for a Research Internship place go the second stage, where they are reviewed by the project supervisor. Final decisions on both internship places and PASS are made by the panel of academic lead assessors in each division.
At all stages, assessors will consider your previous academic performance and future potential, on your own merit and in comparison with the applications received from other candidates, alongside your contextual information.
If you have any queries about the status of your application, please direct them to [email protected]. Do not send direct enquiries to project supervisors.
UNIQplus is highly competitive, and we receive many more applications than we can offer places. Meeting the minimum entry requirements and eligibility criteria does not guarantee that your application will be successful.
In addition to academic merit and your potential to do research in the relevant field, selection for UNIQplus will take account of the following information which is collected via your application form and personal statement:
- socio-economic information including financial circumstances;
- any relevant contextual information;
- when choosing between candidates of equal merit, preference may be given to:
- candidates who fulfil more than one of the eligibility criteria;
- candidates who studied for their undergraduate degrees at UK institutions outside of the Russell Group; and
- those in the middle years of their course who have not yet experienced a substantial period of research.
We do not conduct any interviews for UNIQplus.
Contextual data
We know that factors such as socio-economic disadvantage and school performance can make it difficult for students to demonstrate their full potential. Therefore, we use a range of contextual data to help us to better understand students’ achievements in the context of their individual background. This includes:
- your financial information;
- whether you are the first generation in your family to go to university;
- information about your school;
- information about your neighbourhood; and
- your experience of the care system, or being a carer; of homelessness; of being a refugee; or of being estranged.
This information helps us to understand more about your particular circumstances. Applicants from the most disadvantaged backgrounds will be more likely to be considered for UNIQplus provided that they also meet our academic criteria.
Notifying you of the outcome
We expect to make final decisions for both the Research Internships and UNIQplus PASS during April 2026, and notify candidates of the outcome of their application by email by the end of April. Please ensure that your email address is kept up to date and if you are concerned that you have not heard from us, please check your junk/spam email folder before contacting us.
Successful applications - UNIQplus Research Internship
If you are successful, we will try to match your interests to available projects and supervisors. We will also match you to funding on the basis of your interests, project/supervisor availability, and closest match with the eligibility criteria, in order to maximise the number of places we can offer.
Please note that we will not always be able to meet your preferences for a project/supervisor, but we will try our best to do this wherever possible.
You will receive an email and offer letter that will confirm your source of funding. It will also include what you will need to do next and information on how to prepare for your research placement.
If your application is successful, you will be required to arrange for a final and/or official transcript to be sent directly from the institution or accredited e-transcript provider or to post a hard copy of your original transcript. Your institution may need several weeks to produce your transcript, so you should look into your institution's arrangements as soon as possible.
If you are offered a place on the UNIQplus Research Internship programme after being informed by your university that you will have resit examinations during or shortly after the programme, we advise that you do not accept your place on the internship programme. It is an academically demanding programme, requiring full-time work throughout the seven weeks, so we would strongly encourage you to prioritise getting the best grades necessary to proceed with your undergraduate degree. You would be welcome to re-apply for UNIQplus in a future year.
Successful applications - UNIQplus PASS
If you are offered a place on UNIQplus PASS the offer will confirm the start date and any other details.
If your application is successful, you will be required to arrange for a final and/or official transcript to be sent directly from the institution or accredited e-transcript provider or to post a hard copy of your original transcript. Your institution may need several weeks to produce your transcript, so you should look into your institution's arrangements as soon as possible.
Unsuccessful applications
If your application is unsuccessful, you will receive an email notifying you of the decision.
If you are not successful, you might be placed on a waiting list - if so, we will let you know when you can expect to hear whether you have been offered a place.
