Undertaking a Research in Practice (RinP) placement is a mandatory component of a PhD if the studentship was funded by the ESRC from Autumn 2024. Postgraduate researchers will spend the equivalent of 3 months away from their PhD research, working with an external host partner on a discrete project, challenge or research question that is distinct from their PhD research topic. This gives them the opportunity to apply their research skills in different contexts, collaborate across sectoral and disciplinary boundaries, and build on the skills being acquired through their doctoral studies.
“The placement which our Postgraduate Researcher completed with a civil-society organisation was very beneficial in terms of boosting confidence, building relationships and networks, and situating the PhD thesis in the wider context beyond only an academic lens.”
Sara De Jong & Judith Krauss, PhD Supervisors
The placement scheme is flexible to cater for all postgraduate researchers’ needs and requirements, so there is something for everyone. They have the option to work part-time hours, with a flexible/ remote working pattern, and they do not need to complete all of their placement activity in one continuous block. The Research in Practice (RinP) Placement Framework provides further details of the standard parameters that all placement activity must follow. All placements will be checked and approved by the WRDTP to ensure that they provide a high quality learning experience for the researcher.
Researchers are responsible for organising their own placement in consultation with their Research Supervisor(s). Together you decide what they do, where they do it, and when they do it, to suit their development needs and career aspirations. Your support and guidance is important in ensuring that the researcher gets the most out of their experience.
Before the placement
Before the Researcher can start their placement, there are certain actions their Research Supervisor(s) should complete:
- 1. Attend a briefing
- 2. Discuss plans for the placement
- 3. Discuss the assessment
- 4. Provide a statement of support
The WRDTP’s Placements Manager will deliver an online briefing session about the scheme each academic year, and all eligible Research Supervisors will be invited to attend by email.
Come along to hear all about the scheme, and to have your questions answered.
The session will run on Thursday 22nd May 11:00 – 12:00. The session will be delivered online, via Zoom.
To indicate your availability to attend the session please complete the Placement Information Session for Supervisors Google form.
You will receive an email with the link to the session a few days in advance of the session taking place.
The session will be recorded, and a copy shared with all relevant staff.
All eligible PGR have also been invited to attend an information session.
You should chat with the researcher as early as possible, and encourage them to record their plans for their time on placement in their Development Needs Analysis (DNA) document.
When planning their placement, you should encourage the researcher to think about the skills that they want to gain or develop, and the type of career that they may want after they have completed their PhD.
Researchers should plan to take their placement at a time that causes the minimal amount of disruption to their research. This will most likely be between months 12 and 30 of their PhD funding period (or part-time studentship equivalent); usually after they have completed their progression review.
As part of their placement, the researcher is required to complete an assessment.
They will need to:
- deliver an oral presentation or briefing to their Placement Host
- submit an output to accompany the oral presentation
The output must be submitted to the WRDTP, and will be marked by their Research Supervisor. This will be assessed on a pass/fail basis, and they must pass this assessment to pass their placement. You can view further detailed guidance about the assessment in the Postgraduate Researcher Guidance document.
The researcher should plan their assessment in advance of their placement starting, in collaboration with their Placement Host and Research Supervisor(s). At the point of seeking approval for their placement project from the WRDTP, they will be asked to suggest what format their output will take, and their Research Supervisor will be asked to confirm that it is suitable for the placement activity being undertaken.
In the event that the researcher is undertaking multiple short placements with different host organisations, their assessment will relate to, and take place during, their final placement.
All placements must be checked and approved by the WRDTP team before the researcher can start. We check that the project meets the skill/experience level required to challenge them, and that it provides them with an opportunity to develop their transferable skills. We also consider health and wellbeing factors such as working hours, supervision, and any hazards or risks that the placement may involve.
It is the researcher’s responsibility to let the WRDTP know that they have secured a placement. However, as part of the approval process, you will need to provide them with a statement of support to confirm that they have discussed and agreed the placement with you.
To receive an editable copy of this document, please click on File>Download>Microsoft Word.
During the placement
You should continue to have your regular supervisory meetings with the researcher whilst they are on placement. You should discuss how their placement is going, check on their welfare, and keep them updated with any news relevant to their research project. You should continue to record your meetings on the relevant tutorial system in your university.
Whilst we hope that all researchers have a wonderful experience whilst they are on placement, there is always the possibility that issues may arise. In these situations, reach out to your university Placement Contact for support and guidance (contact details can be found on the Guidance for Postgraduate Researchers page). Alternatively, you can contact the WRDTP on placements@wrdtp.ac.uk.
As part of their placement, the researcher is required to complete an assessment.
They will need to:
- deliver an oral presentation or briefing to their Placement Host
- submit an output to accompany the oral presentation
The researcher will submit their output for marking by uploading it to the Placement Assessment Submission Form. The WRDTP team will then send the assessment by email to the researcher’s Supervisor for marking.
The deadline for submission of the assessment is within one week of the confirmed end date of the researcher’s placement (pro-rata for researchers on a part-time studentship).
The output will be assessed on a pass/fail basis, and the researcher must pass this assessment to pass their placement. It is the responsibility of the Research Supervisor to communicate the outcome of the assessment to the researcher, normally within 10 working days of their submission. If they have failed their assessment, the Research Supervisor should provide feedback, and request a further assessment submission.
The Research Supervisor should also let the WRDTP team know that the placement assessment has been successfully completed, so that we can ensure that the researcher’s university record is updated accordingly.
You can view further detailed guidance about the assessment in the Staff Guidance document. Please note that this document has restricted access. Only relevant staff members will be able to view the content.
