Nuffield science bursary
Discussion for A-Level students and for those choosing their A-Level subjects.
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Re: Nuffield science bursary
Depends on what the placement is and where you want to go with it -- it can be really good experience if you're going for a science degree, introduction to proper research technique and presentation etc, looks really good on your PS and so on. At interviews they always want to talk about what you did and what you learned.
If you're looking to into medicine or dentistry, shadowing or patient/caring experience is probably more useful, and if the placements vary in how interesting/useful they are. -
Re: Nuffield science bursary
One tip - get it in early! They start giving out placements to applicants before the official deadline so be quick if you want to guarantee yourself one

I managed to get a placement by late January as I had sent it off early December, whereas my friend who applied for a similar placement didn't get one because they'd all gone by March!Last edited by chemkid; 03-01-2012 at 20:59. -
Re: Nuffield science bursaryHey , I want to do a placement for chemistry but how do i go about finding areas of palcement(Original post by chemkid)
One tip - get it in early! They start giving out placements to applicants before the official deadline so be quick if you want to guarantee yourself one
I managed to get a placement by late January as I had sent it off early December, whereas my friend who applied for a similar placement didn't get one because they'd all gone by March! -
Re: Nuffield science bursaryHey I was thinking about applying, and I want to do medicine, do they assign you placements and stuff or do you select them?(Original post by Darwinian)
Depends on what the placement is and where you want to go with it -- it can be really good experience if you're going for a science degree, introduction to proper research technique and presentation etc, looks really good on your PS and so on. At interviews they always want to talk about what you did and what you learned.
If you're looking to into medicine or dentistry, shadowing or patient/caring experience is probably more useful, and if the placements vary in how interesting/useful they are.
Also, do you apply independantly or do the school get involved? -
Re: Nuffield science bursaryI think they said u have to find ur own placement but if u cant worst case scenario, they will find one but they cant guarantee it(Original post by Boom533)
Hey I was thinking about applying, and I want to do medicine, do they assign you placements and stuff or do you select them?
Also, do you apply independantly or do the school get involved? -
Re: Nuffield science bursaryYou register your interest with your local co-ordinator and they will then send you a list of placements available in your area. These placements are usually within a company/hospital which has a job they need doing, and you apply to the hospital or company to fill that slot -- e.g. if a placement ding a patient satisfaction audit takes your fancy, you apply for that place and that place only.(Original post by Boom533)
Hey I was thinking about applying, and I want to do medicine, do they assign you placements and stuff or do you select them?
Also, do you apply independantly or do the school get involved?
If you don't like the idea of any of the placements they have to offer, you can set one up yourself, but few people choose to do this as it is quite difficult. The only people I met who'd done this were the sons of consultants and so on.
You need to ask a teacher to write a reference for you, and they might later get involved in you presenting your findings, but it is mostly independent -- you get yourself to the interview and your school isn't involved in your actual work.Last edited by Darwinian; 04-01-2012 at 13:39. -
Re: Nuffield science bursaryooh sounds good(Original post by Darwinian)
You register your interest with your local co-ordinator and they will then send you a list of placements available in your area. These placements are usually within a company/hospital which has a job they need doing, and you apply to the hospital or company to fill that slot -- e.g. if a placement ding a patient satisfaction audit takes your fancy, you apply for that place and that place only.
If you don't like the idea of any of the placements they have to offer, you can set one up yourself, but few people choose to do this as it is quite difficult. The only people I met who'd done this were the sons of consultants and so on.
You need to ask a teacher to write a reference for you, and they might later get involved in you presenting your findings, but it is mostly independent -- you get yourself to the interview and your school isn't involved in your actual work.
So what exactly does the project itself inviolve? Do you have to write a report/present something at the end?
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Re: Nuffield science bursaryIt varies a little, but for the most part you do the research/data analysis during your work hours and start writing a report in your last week. The report is around 15 to 20 pages (roughly 15000 ish words), but it fills up quickly and it's not as dauntig as you might think(Original post by Boom533)
ooh sounds good
So what exactly does the project itself inviolve? Do you have to write a report/present something at the end?

Then you need to present your findings, firstly to your employers. Later, they hold an event where everyone in the country who did a Nuffield bursary presents a poster to each other, some ambassadors and so on. Sort of like a mixer. -
Re: Nuffield science bursaryThe majority of the time they assign you your placement unless you specifically state that you're going to find your own. In the application form you have to state what you're interested in so try and keep it broad so they're more likely to find a suitable placement for you. most people say that you shouldn't say you want to do medicine on the application because you won't get a placement but i wrote that i was interested to see how the other side of medicine works because as a doctor you'll be involved in research as well and it will help decide if i want to go more into academic medicine or not.(Original post by Boom533)
Hey I was thinking about applying, and I want to do medicine, do they assign you placements and stuff or do you select them?
Also, do you apply independantly or do the school get involved?
fundamentally the application is independent but you just need your school's approval due to the insurance stuff and a reference
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Re: Nuffield science bursaryIs applying to the NIMR suitable?(Original post by chemkid)
The majority of the time they assign you your placement unless you specifically state that you're going to find your own. In the application form you have to state what you're interested in so try and keep it broad so they're more likely to find a suitable placement for you. most people say that you shouldn't say you want to do medicine on the application because you won't get a placement but i wrote that i was interested to see how the other side of medicine works because as a doctor you'll be involved in research as well and it will help decide if i want to go more into academic medicine or not.
fundamentally the application is independent but you just need your school's approval due to the insurance stuff and a reference
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Re: Nuffield science bursaryThe NIMR have a separate application process where you either write an essay for their essay competition and win first prize or you fill in their version of the nuffield application, send it off then get called for interviews. you should definitely check that out, they do some incredible research there(Original post by chignesh10)
Is applying to the NIMR suitable?
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Re: Nuffield science bursaryI am guessing ur doing chemistry at uni?(Original post by chemkid)
The NIMR have a separate application process where you either write an essay for their essay competition and win first prize or you fill in their version of the nuffield application, send it off then get called for interviews. you should definitely check that out, they do some incredible research there
Also, which one if u r?
do u have to write an essay or can you just send an application off? How hard is it to become succesfull? -
Re: Nuffield science bursaryNope. applying for medicine at uni this year(Original post by chignesh10)
I am guessing ur doing chemistry at uni?
Also, which one if u r?
do u have to write an essay or can you just send an application off? How hard is it to become succesfull?
i was considering chemistry because it's amazing but i wouldn't really enjoy any jobs relating to that at the end of it.
you can do either of them but if you do the application make sure you get the NIMR specific one off their site. it's basically the same as the official nuffield one but just filled out with NIMR details. I think it's harder to get a placement at the NIMR because there are only a few places available and because of the interviews etc... if you're not fussy about where the placement is then you should just apply to the main nuffield one, specify your area of interest and let them find you one. you're more likely to get a placement if you do it that way.
if you need any help just let me know