Supervisor-Proposed Projects

Supervisor-Proposed Projects#

For supervisors only

This page is for potential supervisors. Students wishing to propose their own projects should see Student-Proposed Projects.

We invite all academics and professionals to offer summer projects for MSc students in the Ada Lovelace Academy at Imperial College London.

The Independent Research Project (IRP) is a full-time, three-month computational research or industrial project that forms a core component of our MSc programmes. This academic year, the IRP runs from 25 May to 28 August 2026. For complete information about the IRP, see Independent Research Project.

Project requirements#

For complete project requirements, see Project requirements.

All projects must be computational and include a substantial coding component to address a research question or commercial challenge. Students must either:

  • Develop from scratch a simulation code, data processing/analysis pipeline, or machine learning model; OR

  • Substantially extend or enhance existing code and apply it to a substantial dataset or computational problem.

Projects that primarily involve running existing codes without significant code development by the student are not permitted.

Field restrictions:

  • ACSE and EDSML students may work on projects from any field. In previous years, students have worked on computational projects in environmental science, geoscience and engineering, fundamental and applied physics, mathematics, chemistry, healthcare, finance, computer science, climate modelling, and many others.

  • Projects offered to GEMS students must be related to geoscience or geoengineering. Similarly, READY students are expected to work on computational projects in renewable energy, geoscience, or geoengineering.

Supervision#

Each student has a main supervisor and second supervisor. At least one must be a staff member in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering. See Supervision for complete supervision guidelines.

Tip

You do not need to a second supervisor to propose a project. If your project is matched to a student, we will help assign the second supervisor.

How to submit#

You may submit multiple projects by completing the form multiple times. If you need an extension, contact us before the deadline to discuss if and how we can advertise your project later.

Your project description (maximum 300 words) should include:

  1. Problem description: State the problem, its importance, and relevance to the research community or industry.

  2. Computational methodology: Outline the computational approach and datasets (if applicable). Demonstrate that the project includes substantial coding work by the student.

  3. Expected outcomes: Define the anticipated outcomes.

Tip

Projects evolve - we recognise that not all details can be defined upfront. Descriptions should provide sufficient information for students to make informed decisions while allowing flexibility for the project to adapt within the stated requirements.

Allocation process#

After the deadline, we approve and advertise projects to students.

External projects (main supervisor not affiliated with Imperial): We shortlist interested candidates based on academic performance and ask them to apply directly to the main supervisor with CVs and motivation letters. The main supervisor selects the student(s), and the IRP Team completes the allocation. For more details, see External Project Selection.

Internal projects (main supervisor affiliated with Imperial): We match students to projects based on their preferences and academic performance using a matching algorithm. Imperial supervisors are not consulted during this process. For more details, see Internal Project Selection.

Contact#

Know a potential supervisor? Please forward this page or share their contact details with us.

For questions or assistance, contact the IRP Team at adalovelace-irp@imperial.ac.uk.

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