BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership
Professional Internships for PhDs (PIPs)
and Research Student Internships
Dr Richy Hetherington
Why Internships?
 Research Students Develop Many Skills
Internships offer potential benefits
The Interns
Gain experience
Broaden skills context
Inform their research
The Organisation
The University
Get fresh Ideas
Help with a project
View potential recruits
Build links
Display products’ quality
Improve student experience
BBSRC PIPs
 Aim to provide ALL DTP PhD students with the
opportunity to carry out a non-academic work
experience
 Experience of working in a professional
environment that does not directly relate to
their PhD project
 Broad Guidelines
 3 months anytime within 4 years of study
 Work unrelated to their research
PIPS what is allowed
 Contribution to their host organisation e.g.
managing a non-research project
 A discrete research project in industry
 Teaching
 Desk-based research
 Analysis of production or processing
 Marketing, sales, legal, policy, media
 NOT academic research
Pilot Internship Schemes
Intern Scholarship Scheme
 Up to three months following thesis submission
 Available for all PhD students to apply
 Students must source and arrange their own
internship
 Applications made to the Graduate School and
awarded competitively
Intern Scholarship Funding
 Scholarships were supported through HEIF
funding
 Scholarships provide up to 3 months
stipend
 Stipends awarded up to £1000 per month
with no additional costs
 Applications with partial funding from the
organisation or the intern were viewed
favourably
MRes/PhD Internship Pilot Scheme
 A five week internship in August and
September
 Available for all MRes/PhD students
 Organised by the Graduate School
 MRes students express interest in working with
a type of organisation
 Relocation expenses paid
 Supervisors were encouraged to be supportive
Who with?
Interns were offered work in any area
other than a continuation of their
research e.g.
 Companies e.g. Demuris, Cancer Research
Technologies, Leica Microsystems
 Policy makers e.g. Newcastle Council or Newcastle
upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
 Educators e.g. Local Schools, FE Colleges, Centre for
Life, Libraries or Museums
 Charities or Not for Profit organisations e.g. Arthritis UK
or Cancer Research UK, International Diabetes
Federation (IDF) in Brussels
Arrangements
 Intern Scholarships:
 All arrangements: timing, visas, contracts,
intellectual property etc. must be arranged
by the student and the organisation.
 MRes/PhD internships
 The Graduate School or supervisory team
made the arrangements
Pilot Scheme Results
 MRes/PhD Internship Scheme
 36 of 46 attended briefing
 17 completed feedback
 6 not interested, 5 places taken
 Intern Scholarship Scheme




40 attended briefing
5 application received – all awarded
1 complete, 1 in progress, 1 planned
2 found alternative employment
Participant’s comments
 Intern Scholarship
 Graciela Rocha – SOHO Flordis, Australia
“To be honest this is one the best thing
that I ever done!”
 MRes/PhD Internship
 Jodie Birch – NHS Newcastle Trust
 “Seeing the clinical side of science was a
good experience”
Working toward PIPs
 Schemes show positive outcomes are
achievable
 Liverpool & Durham views to consider
 Evidence may influence BBSRC policy
 Flexibility can help with satisfaction
 Build planning into the internship may
help with engagement
 Your ideas are welcome and your
support is vital