My placement was instrumental to the success of my PhD and my career

I was really proud to join the Researcher Academy Team as Programme Manager on the Productivity Through Innovation ERDF programme back in 2019. Having personally experienced the huge benefits of undertaking a placement during my own PhD and the positive impact on my career, I was excited to be directly involved in creating these opportunities …

Your next opportunity might be next door

Emma shares her experience of a Researcher Academy placement. This blog will especially interest PhD students considering non-academic careers in Higher Education, as well as anyone who wants to know more about the peer mentoring scheme Adapt Together, which is for all researchers at the University of Nottingham. When I say that your next opportunity …

Free Beer! (OK, not really…)

Amy Flinn reflects on her Researcher Academy placement. You could easily argue that before I undertook a postgraduate placement with Murphy & Son, my interest in beer was largely superficial. I had a vague idea of the different types of beer, but my choices would always be heavily influenced by can art or funny names (best to …

The right placement is just around the corner

Simran Harichand reflects on her Researcher Academy placement. As a proactive, energetic and positively opportunistic person, I felt cheated out of opportunities when I arrived in the UK in the middle of a national lockdown. And then I met an alumnus who introduced me to Researcher Academy Placements. She highlighted how experience with a UK-based company …

Making the most of attending a conference

Tien Thuy Quach reflects on attending the 41st Assembly of European Advanced Materials Congress (EMAC2021), with help from the Researcher Academy’s Online Conference Fund. Recently it was my pleasure to attend the 41st Assembly of European Advanced Materials Congress (EMAC2021), which is one of the biggest conferences that I have ever joined (due to its hybrid participation setup …

A dream come true

Rebecca Wheddon, PhD Student in Late Medieval History, reflects on attending the Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC), with help from the Researcher Academy’s Online Conference Fund. The Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC) is the highlight of any medievalist’s calendar. 3,000 fellow historians gathered – albeit virtually – to share their latest research spanning all aspects of medieval …

10 reasons to do a postgraduate placement

Words supplied by Researcher Academy placements alumni. #1 – Learn new skills “I learnt how to use new tech, and have now devised a great career path.” #2 – Develop your creative thinking “The placement helped me build independent and out of the box thinking. The best part about the whole experience was recognition and …

Attending a conference boosted the confidence I have in my research

Alastair Stuart reflects on attending the IMechE’s online conference, ‘Emerging Technology for Heavy-Duty and Off-Highway Vehicle Development’, with help from the Researcher Academy’s Online Conference Fund. Did you know that there is an estimated 84,000 refrigerated vehicles driving up and down UK roads supplying all our chilled and frozen food? Until a year ago I …

Getting involved in the learning community

Jamie Green, a doctoral researcher in the School of Psychology, on working with the Researcher Academy. As a part-time distance student, it can sometimes be challenging to feel fully involved in the learning community. Despite the global negatives in recent times, my journey and connection with the Researcher Academy flourished in 2020. Prior to the …

A fulfilling lifetime opportunity full of unimaginable experiences

Protus, a Masters in Public Health student, reflects on his Researcher Academy placement. When I came to the UK to pursue my Masters in Public Health, I had two primary goals in mind; to gain more practical Public Health skills and get an opportunity to apply the skills learnt. Having an opportunity to experience the …