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Nuffield Research Placement 2014

Have you guys heard of this programme?
I think I'll apply on January 2014

For those who has done this before:
What did you do in the programme? How was it? Who did you work with?
Most importantly, how selective are they?
Many Thanks :biggrin:
(edited 10 years ago)

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A couple of my friends are doing this at the moment! Although I can't answer any of your questions sorry :s-smilie: I'll ask them when I see them though :tongue:

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Reply 2
Original post by Sunshine Jess
A couple of my friends are doing this at the moment! Although I can't answer any of your questions sorry :s-smilie: I'll ask them when I see them though :tongue:

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Thanks a lot :biggrin:
Reply 3
Original post by MickeyL0912
Have you guys heard of this programme?
I think I'll apply on January 2014

For those who has done this before:
What did you do in the programme? How was it? Who did you work with?
Most importantly, how selective are they?
Many Thanks :biggrin:


I am doing it right now at the University of Birmingham's Department of Physics. My project is on Ultracold atom research.
For the programme, You have to do a 4 weeks long placement somewhere science/research/engineering related, and as soon as you finish the placement, You have to write a 15 pages long report, an A1 poster, and you'll have to do a 5-7 minutes presentation. It's all really fun, though too much work at times:tongue:
And you can organise your placement yourself in which case, you will be deciding who you work with, or you can let your Nuffield Co-ordinator organise it for you.
And They call you for an interview after receiving your application. The interview was very informal and they really just want to see whether your interested in the subject area or not. No trick questions at all. Show enthusiasm for the field you want to apply for, and you'll be fine.

Goodluck if you're going to apply ^.^ It's really good and looks amazing on your UCAS application. Moreover, you can apply for the Gold Crest award as well with the same report so it's really good and totally worth it ^^
I spoke to my friends! I'm glad someone else has posted all the details. One of my friends is working with EDF energy designing a program to estimate the risk of flooding at nuclear power stations (geography) and the other is at a hospital lab studying different types of proteins in cells (Biology) :yep:

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Reply 5
Original post by Geassuser
I am doing it right now at the University of Birmingham's Department of Physics. My project is on Ultracold atom research.
For the programme, You have to do a 4 weeks long placement somewhere science/research/engineering related, and as soon as you finish the placement, You have to write a 15 pages long report, an A1 poster, and you'll have to do a 5-7 minutes presentation. It's all really fun, though too much work at times:tongue:
And you can organise your placement yourself in which case, you will be deciding who you work with, or you can let your Nuffield Co-ordinator organise it for you.
And They call you for an interview after receiving your application. The interview was very informal and they really just want to see whether your interested in the subject area or not. No trick questions at all. Show enthusiasm for the field you want to apply for, and you'll be fine.

Goodluck if you're going to apply ^.^ It's really good and looks amazing on your UCAS application. Moreover, you can apply for the Gold Crest award as well with the same report so it's really good and totally worth it ^^


Thanks :biggrin: that relived me.
Do you know if summer vacation's the only time when I can do this programme?
I'm doing mine right now, I'm gonna say it how it is and say I find it a little boring, BUT it will look amazing on your personal statement!! Btw to stand out, it's not such about grades but what you put in the box where like it asks to write a paragraph about why you want to do it. I know that cause people with 10A*'s in my school didn't get in but me and a friend did :smile: And it is only in the summer! Some people started there's when we were still in school :s-smilie:
P.S. Whether or not you get an interview depends on where abouts in the country you're from!! As in Im from the Cheshire and Merseyside one and they don't interview anyone at all! You just get accepted straight away.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 7
Original post by MickeyL0912
Thanks :biggrin: that relived me.
Do you know if summer vacation's the only time when I can do this programme?


Yep, it has to be done in the Summer. You can start a week earlier than the summer holidays though, because I know some people who did. ^^
Reply 8
Hello! I'm currently doing a placement on electrochemistry :smile: I've found it to be a really valuable experience so far- having the opportunity to use equipment and see how research actually works :h:
In terms of selection, I personally didn't have to go for an interview although I know some people do. It's been an amazing opportunity and it's definitely a great thing to have for university applications. Good luck if you do apply! :smile:
Reply 9
Original post by flyawayowl
Hello! I'm currently doing a placement on electrochemistry :smile: I've found it to be a really valuable experience so far- having the opportunity to use equipment and see how research actually works :h:
In terms of selection, I personally didn't have to go for an interview although I know some people do. It's been an amazing opportunity and it's definitely a great thing to have for university applications. Good luck if you do apply! :smile:


Cool... Do you choose your own topic? Or do you only choose a subject area?

What about finding a provider?
Original post by MickeyL0912
Cool... Do you choose your own topic? Or do you only choose a subject area?

What about finding a provider?


Things could potentially vary based on your region!
When you apply, there's a box for you to write about why you want to do a placement, which areas of science interest you most, and any career plans you have. The regional co-ordinators will look at this and hopefully try to match you up with a provider which suits your personal interests- for example, I wrote in my application that I was interested in chemistry and a bit of biochemistry and my placement is on morphine and electrochemistry, which fits quite well! I personally didn't get to choose my own topic, my supervisor chose it for me- I don't know if this is the same for everyone though.

In terms of finding a provider, my regional co-ordinators did all of that for me. I know that some people can try to find their own placement but it's not completely necessary.

Hope that helped! :h:
Reply 11
It's my last day tomorrow actually and I have to say, definitely apply, it's been a brilliant 5 weeks. I'm working in molecular biology and what we were supposed to be doing was clone a gene, clone it and transduct it into some urothelial cells to see what happens if they over express said gene but it's been a bit of a polava so we've spent the past 5 weeks trying to work out why the heck nothing works. >.<

I got in really easily, because I've had personal problems and I was the only applicant in the school (I went to the same lab as last year's lad). It really just depends on where you are and what not.

Also, you should bear in mind that most things in the first few days should make no sense to you. I literally had to read books designed for a microbiology degree and loads of papers to boot in order to get some zemblance of an understanding. By the time you leave however you should be taking in their language (I use acronyms for everything now a days).
Hi there!
Great to hear you are interested in this programme!
I am currently doing the STEM Nuffield Programme and it is brilliant, you can choose what you are interested in I guess and talk to the coordinator.
However I got involved in an unorthodox way - I asked a professor if i could have work experience in her lab, and she said yes, but she also recommended me to the co-ordinator to do the Nuffield placement as well, as it was past the deadline, but luckily I managed a place! In terms of space I am 1 of 32 doing it in 7 counties across the south west. Buit the best way to get is is to show your commitment and enthusiasm towards learning about something your passionate about! Ask me any more questions if you like to :smile:
Reply 13
Original post by hansjohnson
Hi there!
Great to hear you are interested in this programme!
I am currently doing the STEM Nuffield Programme and it is brilliant, you can choose what you are interested in I guess and talk to the coordinator.
However I got involved in an unorthodox way - I asked a professor if i could have work experience in her lab, and she said yes, but she also recommended me to the co-ordinator to do the Nuffield placement as well, as it was past the deadline, but luckily I managed a place! In terms of space I am 1 of 32 doing it in 7 counties across the south west. Buit the best way to get is is to show your commitment and enthusiasm towards learning about something your passionate about! Ask me any more questions if you like to :smile:


How did you find that professor?
Through some research etc., and went to my local university website and looked at her work, it seemed very interesting so I emailed her asking if I could have some work experience.
Does anyone know how competitive this programme is?
What do you think the people selecting the students are looking for in an application?
Reply 16
Original post by Saywhatyoumean
Does anyone know how competitive this programme is?
What do you think the people selecting the students are looking for in an application?


It depends on region to region tbh, because some region take on more students than others. But really, it's not overly competitive. Just make sure to show lots of enthusiasm for you subject and specify why doing research could help you out for your future. Moreover, make sure you know the commitment required for this project, and you will be fine ^_^

All the best. If you have any more questions, just PM me, as I did the project this year ^^
Reply 17
I did it last year, if anyone has any questions I'd be more than happy to answer :smile:

(I did a physics/astronomy placement btw).
Reply 18
Original post by ninuzu
I did it last year, if anyone has any questions I'd be more than happy to answer :smile:

(I did a physics/astronomy placement btw).


How Independently were you working? Did they leave you to do your own thing after, maybe a brief instruction, or was your supervisor constantly giving you advice?
Did you find it boring at all? And how much do you feel it has helped you afterwards in applications etc?

Thanks :wink:
Reply 19
Original post by Memetics
How Independently were you working? Did they leave you to do your own thing after, maybe a brief instruction, or was your supervisor constantly giving you advice?
Did you find it boring at all? And how much do you feel it has helped you afterwards in applications etc?

Thanks :wink:


Very independent. More so than we were expecting, at least. After the first few days, we'd come in and do whatever work we needed doing and the only time we'd see our supervisors was when we got stuck.
It was most definitely not boring, although it was hard it was still very fun (and you get paid!). Hard to say about stuff like uni applications, because obviously you don't get feedback, but I have been told it looks VERY good on any applications, CV's etc.

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