Placements

To enhance project development, we will support students and supervisors to utilise short research focussed placements in either year 2 or 3. Additional supervisor engagement from the partner organisation will ensure placement success, with documentary evidence summarising progress.

Importantly, we will also offer post-thesis-submission placements to provide flexible professional opportunities and raise employment prospects.

These will include government, industry or other academic labs and will tailor experience for alternative career and exit opportunities of students. We have established links to partner institutes (A-Star, Crick Institute, QMUL, NHS, Public Health England, DSTL), government (MRC UKRI and Cabinet Office) and industrial partners (eg GSK, Roche, Astra Zeneca, Medimmune, UCB, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Bioinvent, ImmunoCore). We will invite interested parties from the above to committee meetings (2/year) to oversee our strategies and inform of new initiatives.

The post-submission placements, alongside other career-enhancing activities, such as writing research publications or fellowship applications will be supported by the Wellcome Transition Fund on a competitive basis, allocated by the Management committee, to students who make a strong case for benefit to skills/career outcomes.