Could you change someone’s life this summer?
03 Feb 2020
Offer a project for Nuffield Research Placements scheme – gain valuable experience and support while mentoring a talented, enthusiastic sixth form student
The Nuffield Research Placements (NRP) scheme is a national scheme which provides interested sixth formers with the opportunity to work alongside STEM professionals or quantitative social scientists.
Students carry out four-week research placements, gaining skills, experience and much-valued insight into research as a career. All our students come from Widening Participation backgrounds.
Benefits for you include:
- The Nuffield Research Placements scheme is a well-established, nationwide outreach and widening participation activity
- Nuffield students go through a competitive application process and are enthusiastic and academically able
- Nuffield students can do useful work and contribute positively to your research
- Hosting a Nuffield student gives Early Career Researchers experience of supervision, project management and mentoring
- Getting involved is an opportunity to forge links with local schools and colleges and raise awareness of your area of research
- Nuffield Research Placements are supported by the university and a dedicated Regional Coordinator
One project provider said: “This programme helped me to develop my supervisory skills and allowed me additional time to explore areas of my research which would have taken longer if not for the assistance from the students. It gave me a chance to discuss the career path of the students and how they might get involved in STEM in the future.”
Placements must take place in July or August. Students will need a project to carry out for the four weeks that they are with you, which can be lab, field or office-based. It should give the students a taste of genuine research, including the opportunity to collect or analyse data and write a report.
Each year we have more student applicants than we have placements available so we are really keen to hear from anyone who might be interested in getting involved.
Supporting the Nuffield placement scheme also supports the University’s Access and Participation Plan (APP) with the Office for Students which sets out how we aim to improve equality of opportunity in higher education across all areas of the student lifecycle. Our current plan was approved by the OfS in August 2019 and without an approved plan, the University would not be able to charge higher tuition fees to our home undergraduate students. Our current APP includes a specific target to reduce the gap in participation at the University between students from the most advantaged and disadvantaged postcodes (based on participation in higher education, using POLAR4 data). Offering students from WP backgrounds an opportunity to experience student life first-hand on our campus through a Nuffield placement could increase their confidence to apply to our University or allow them to evidence vital academic skills as part of their application.
If you are potentially interested in offering a project for summer 2020, contact Roz Webster by Friday, 28 February on:
For further information,