This policy defines the University requirements for placements for PGR students. It sets the standards and framework for the development and management of those arrangements. All University of Bristol PGR students who undertake placements are covered by this policy
1. Placements (which are sometimes referred to as internships) involve PGR students spending a defined period of time at another organisation to gain work-based practical experience or to undertake activities or research that contributes directly to their training. The host organisation will normally expect that the PGR student engages with the organisation’s objectives during the placement, with a work plan agreed before the placement starts.
2. The policy applies to the following:
a. Where a PGR student remains subject to the University’s regulations but where there is a transfer of direct day-to-day supervision/management to the host organisation; and
b. Where the duration is for two weeks or more.
3. PGR students who are sponsored by an external funder (including those funded by UK Research Councils) are covered by this policy and may also be subject to specific terms and conditions from their funder in relation to placements. In cases where PGR students are based at the premises of their external funder for a period of time (for example where the funder is a professional or industrial organisation), a separate placement agreement is not required if this has been covered in the overall student agreement.
4. Illustrative examples of what types of activity require or do not require placement agreements are included at the end of the policy.
5. PGR students who are registered at other institutions and who undertake a placement at the University are not covered by this policy.
6. Placements will vary depending on PGR student and supervisor choices, on the funder and on the circumstances. Placements may be an optional opportunity for PGR students, or a requirement of their programme of study, funded by an external funder. A suspension of study may be required, or a placement may be integral to the programme of study. Placements may be connected to students’ research projects, or they may provide opportunities to gain new skills and experience away from the research. This policy sets out the general principles that relate to all types of placements for PGR students.
7. The University recognises the value of placements in the professional development and in expanding career options for PGR students. Potential benefits include opportunities to learn new skills, to enhance employability prospects, to experience other workplaces, and to gain new insights for research projects. PGR students are therefore encouraged to take up opportunities offered to them.
8. The University values the opportunities provided by a wide range of organisations that host its PGR students for placements and aims to have constructive relationships with them.
9. The University has a duty of care for its students, and a member of University staff must be assigned as a point of contact for PGR students when they are on placements. This would normally be the main supervisor or a nominee. The University-assigned contact has a responsibility to maintain contact with the PGR student and with the hosting organisation.
10. Organisations that host placements have a responsibility to ensure that PGR students receive appropriate support and have access to facilities and resources, and that there is a named local supervisor/manager to provide direct guidance for the PGR student.
11. PGR students undertaking placements should be diligent and professional and remain subject to the University’s regulations. They should keep their University-assigned contact informed of their progress and of any problems that occur.
12. The decision on whether the PGR student needs to suspend may be determined by a range of factors, such as requirements of the funding body and the duration of the placement.
13. There is a University process, based on the principles set out in this policy, to assist faculties and schools in developing and approving placements for PGR students.
14. Placement opportunities will originate from multiple sources. For example, there may be existing links between the University and potential hosting organisations, or PGR students and their supervisors may locate opportunities themselves.
15. All placements must have a written, legally binding, agreement in place prior to their start. The process to develop a placement agreement will cover a due diligence check on the proposed hosting organisation, a consideration of the support that will be available to the student during the placement, and any necessary visa requirements. The supervisor or nominee must notify the School PGR Director and, with guidance from the Secretary’s Office, will work with the proposed hosting organisation to develop the basis for the agreement, which will normally include establishing a work plan for the PGR student during the placement.
16. The placement agreement will include:
a. The responsibilities of all relevant parties, including reference to any agreed work plans;
b. Confirmation that suitable insurance is in place, such as employers’ liability cover;
c. Confirmation that health, safety and welfare requirements are covered;
d. A consideration of confidentiality and intellectual property; and
e. Provisions for the withdrawal or termination of the agreement if a students’ wellbeing is compromised, if there are instances of serious misconduct, or for other reasons.
17. The placement agreement will be signed by the PGR student, by a representative of the hosting organisation and by the Faculty PGR Director for the relevant faculty.
18. A PGR student’s placement should be considered in the annual progress monitoring process as part of their reflections on, and plans for, their personal and professional development.
Student A is undertaking a PhD on the impact of hypertension drugs on patients with Alzheimer’s. The student will be based at a private laboratory for three months testing patient samples to gain expertise in testing techniques and to gather data. During their time at the laboratory, the student will engage with its work and will be managed by a member of its staff. The results of the testing will form part of the student’s PhD project. A placement agreement will be required, which will include Intellectual Property considerations.
Student B’s PhD relates to carbon dating techniques and the student wishes to gain a wider knowledge of relevant sectors to enhance their career options. The student will spend one month at the Plant Museum to work on applications of carbon dating for cataloguing plant specimens. The work will not contribute to Student B’s PhD project, but it will provide work-based practical experience. The student will engage fully with the objectives of, and will be managed by, the Plant Museum. There is no existing Student Agreement in place as the Plant Museum is not involved in the funding of the student’s PhD, and a placement agreement must therefore be put in place. As the data or information arising from the placement will not relate to the student’s PhD, this does not have to be owned by the student or the University.
Student C is undertaking a PhD in aeronautical engineering funded by Aerospace plc. As part of their studies, the student will be based at Aerospace plc’s research establishment for six months to carry out work that will contribute to their PhD project. Day-to-day management of the student will be undertaken by a member of staff from Aerospace plc. A placement agreement is not required as the arrangements for Student C’s placement will be addressed in the overall Studentship Agreement with Aerospace plc.
Student D’s supervisor recommends that the student spends a month as part of their PhD training at a research group in another university to learn a new experimental technique. There is no partnership in place and day-to-day supervision of the student transfers to the other university for the duration. A placement agreement will be required. As the focus of the placement is on learning a new technique rather than in producing results, a provision for the student/University to own the data is not required.
Student E wishes to learn how to use a particular technique as part of their PhD project. A research establishment is willing to host the student for a few days to demonstrate how the technique is used. The supervisory team at the University remains responsible for the student and a placement agreement is not required in this case.
