Overview

Professional Internships for PhD Students (PIPS) aim to provide BBSRC funded PhD students with the opportunity to carry out a work placement during their PhD which is unrelated to their doctoral research. Such experience is important both to help early career researchers understand the context of their research and to expose them to the range of opportunities available to them after they graduate.

 The key aims of the PIPS scheme are:  

•  gaining direct experience of working in a professional environment that does not directly relate to your PhD project

• making a positive contribution to the work of the host organisation(s) by, for example, managing a non-research project, developing policy, undertaking a discrete research project in industry, enthusing the next generation of researchers, and communicating science to a broader audience

• providing the opportunity to consider the direction that your career might take after completing your PhD, and broadening your horizons of the areas where your training can make a distinctive contribution

• further developing your skills gained during your PhD training and developing new skills

• gaining a better understanding of the wider context of your research by giving you a chance to see the ‘big picture’ of your research and making you a better researcher as a consequence

These pages contain some information to help you to get an idea of the kind of internships you can undertake as part of PIPS, what internships are offered by the University, how to go about finding your own placement, tips for being successfully accepted as an intern, and advice for making the most of the PIPS scheme. If you need any help in this regard, please contact Lorna Warnock or Amanda Barnes.

Further information and current PIPs opportunities are detailed on the VLE site.

Information for students

• PIPs are compulsory for all PhD students funded through BBSRC Doctoral Training Programmes (DTPs)

• PIPS are defined as “a 3-month integrated placement to provide Doctoral Training Programme PhD students with the opportunity to carry out a work placement unrelated to their doctoral research during their PhD”

• Students  are paid their PhD stipend during the whole 3 months of the internship

• Students can also access up to £2,050 towards travel and accommodation expenses incurred during the internship

• Students  will ideally undertake their PIPS shortly after upgrade / 2nd progression - in Biology at York, this is about 18 months into the PhD

• PIPS are student-led, in-line with student interests, career aspirations and previous experience

• We prefer to create 3 month block internships but recognise the need to be flexible

• One-to-one interview with Lorna and Amanda to discuss PIPS

Timeline