Finn’s placement experience with the Academy of Medical Sciences

Finn Wostear, a student based at UEA, wanted to use his placement to explore opportunities in the science support sector. He also wanted to gain experience working at an organisation fully removed from the laboratory setting. He discovered the ‘Grants and Programmes Internship Scheme’ at the Academy of Medical Sciences through the DTP monthly placement newsletter, applied and successfully gained a place. The Academy acts as the independent, expert voice of biomedical and health research in the UK, with the core aims of supporting researchers, developing a sustainable research environment and helping academia, the public, policy makers and industry to make the greatest difference to health.

During the placement, Finn’s main role was to support the grants and programmes teams with their day-to-day activities. The first few days were mostly taken up by inductions, where Finn got to meet the team and get to grips with the various funding schemes and programmes that the Academy runs. Following this, he was able to get involved in a range of tasks such as checking the eligibility of grant applications, preparing application feedback, identifying organisations for potential collaboration and assisting in organising online training sessions. He was also given the task of compiling a report on the future of the life sciences sector. This extended project allowed Finn to utilise his data synthesis and writing skills developed during his PhD in a completely new setting.

Finn wanted to develop transferable skills that would enable him to easily pivot from his academic background to a career in the science support field. The range of work Finn was able to undertake allowed him to develop his communication, organisation and research skills. He also found writing for a broader, non-expert, audience to be a very valuable exercise and something that he hopes will be beneficial in his transition away from academia post-PhD.

The highlight of the placement was the opportunity to attend a panel meeting where funding decisions were made for the Academy’s Springboard grant scheme. During the day, Finn was able to experience the decision-making process behind funding decisions, hear about cutting edge science and meet some of the Academy’s Fellows.

Finn enjoyed the collaborative and friendly atmosphere at the Academy and appreciated the opportunity to work across teams on a range of projects. He found Academy staff to be friendly, passionate about their work and eager to share their knowledge. This contributed to a supportive atmosphere where Finn felt able to undertake work outside of his comfort zone.

Finn completed his placement at the end of his third year, which worked well as it coincided with a natural lull in his lab work. However, he advises future students to plan their PIPs as early as possible to prevent any overlap with the critical phases of their PhD work. Finn advises other students to use their PIPs opportunity to explore roles outside of academia and to broaden their horizons on what career opportunities are available post-PhD.

The Academy regularly advertises their internships with us in the placement newsletter.