Placement

Proposing your Placement Project

You will need to discuss with your supervisor and industrial sponsor ideas for a ‘discrete’ research project. You will develop and submit a research proposal, effectively “bidding” for funds. The proposal will outline your project’s objectives, methodology, expected outcomes and budget. The CDT Management Group will assess your proposal on 4 areas; scientific merit, feasibility, and likely impact.

• Placement activities have a maximum budget of £5,000 for each student. This budget needs to cover off all costs associated with the placement activity - this could be for your accommodation, travel costs, facilities access, resources or consumables.

• You will need to allow plenty of notice for the project start date both for the host and to complete the preparation and administration - this might include risk assessments, non discloure agreements, and long lead-time procurement.

• The placement timing and its duration should be proposed in a format that suits you, the placement host and the project’s needs - it can be short (1-month), long (up to 6-months), singular (one event) or involve multiple visits. These decisions will depend on the location of the host relative to the student, the need for or cost of accommodation, and the cost of any resources for the project.

• You will be asked to write up your placement experience as a short (2-page maximum) Impact Case Study. We will publish the case study on the CDT website.

• Proposals for placement projects must meet specific criteria:

  • Collaborative Element: Your project must involve a collaboration of some sort. This can be with other CDT students, partnerships with external labs, industrial organizations, or other academic institutions.

  • Training and Development Focus: The project must have a ‘strong’ training and development aspect/opportunity. The aim is to give you an opportunity to broaden your experience and facilitate the acquisition of new skills, techniques, or knowledge.

It is strongly recommended that students begin discussions with their supervisors at the end of their first year. This early engagement will allow ample time for brainstorming ideas, identifying potential collaborators, and preparing the proposal.

If you opt to not undertake a placement, your placement budget cannot ordinarily be used for another purpose e.g. to top up your consumables budget.

Submit your placement proposal here

N.B. ‘Placement’ is generally a well understood phrase, however its definition in PhD regulations at a university is slightly unusual. It is defined as ‘an activity that is not funded by the PhD/EngD programme and requires an extension to the programme’. As the CDT has placement funding for each student, and the placement is completed within the 4-year CDT programme, we may instead use the term ‘off-site research’ to avoid confusion for a university host.

Insurance and Liability (for your off-site visits, conferences or research)

You must ensure that you are properly insured before undertaking any off-site activity. Each university has its own insurance team, and there will be a simple way to arrange insurance for your visit. Usually an additional insurance certificate is not required for UK based activities but will be required for all non-UK activities.

You must ensure that you follow any requirement to formally notify your university PGR team that you are undertaking travel. Some universities require students and staff to complete a Travel Form to notify them about all UK and international travel. Expense claims may not be allowed without adherance to the requirement.

The Student has a responsibility to cooperate with the University procedures when organising a trip. Whilst on the trip the student will effectively be an employee, so will have the same responsibilities under health and safety law as any other employee of the University, namely:

• Have a duty to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions at work

• Cooperate with others on health and safety, and not interfere with, or misuse, anything provided for your health, safety or welfare

• Follow the training you have received when using any work items your employer or host organisation has given you

• Report Health & Safety issues to the employer and host organisation

• Report any concerns to your host organisation contact and supervisor

Please ensure that you communicate with your host and ensure all insurances and risk assessments are in place before the trip.

Some general guidace for liability follow - you must check whether your university and host agrees with them and take appropriate action as required;

• University insurance does not cover anything that is the responsibility or legal liability of someone else.

• The host has responsibility for the student during a placement.

  • Any injury, loss or damage that the student may cause whilst under the supervision of the host is the host organisation’s responsibility.

  • Likewise any injury, loss or damage suffered by the student while they are under the supervision of the host organisation is also the responsibility of the host organisation.

• University travel insurance will provide personal cover for the student (ie for the liabilities that the student may incur) but not while the student is acting under the supervision of the host organisation.

• The University travel insurance provides medical emergency and personal accident cover but does not replace the host’s liability insurance.

• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all the relevant forms are completed.

• It is the supervisor’s responsibility to approve the arrangements and documents and to follow up any concerns that may arise from their completion.