Gabriel- studies Chemistry at the University of Warwick and has been working as a Deuteration Support Chemist for his placement.
Annabelle- studies Physics at the University of York and has worked in the Detector Systems Group for her placement.
Robbie- studies Chemistry at the University of St Andrews and has completed his placement in the ISIS Crystallography Group.
Orla- studies Biology at the University of York and has been working as the Science Communication Placement Student.
What was the highlight of your placement?
Gabriel: The highlight of my placement has been the friends I've made and colleagues I met along the way. There were over seventy RAL industrial placement students this year and loads of summer placement students, so there's been a lot of people to meet! World-leading scientists come to ISIS from across the globe and it’s been fascinating to learn about what they do and their experiences as well.
Annabelle: The highlight of my placement was at PSND 2024, an international conference for neutron detectors held in Oxford, where I gave a presentation on my work on the rate capability of the µRWELL. It was an incredible experience, although nerve-racking, allowing me to showcase the research I’d performed throughout my placement to an audience of specialists. As a placement student, I never would have imagined presenting at such an event would form part of my year, so this is certainly the highlight of my time at STFC.
Robbie: I think so far, the highlight of my placement would be when I had finally synthesised what I had been looking for. After trying to do something for six months, when you do it successfully it is made all the more sweeter.
Orla: My favourite part of my role is has been talking to the researchers who visit to use our facilities. I love chatting to new people and the users that come here are always so happy to be here and their enthusiasm for their work is inspiring. There aren’t many places that you can just pop down and see dinosaur bones, or meteorites up close!
How do you think your placement year has helped you prepare for your further studies or future jobs?
Gabriel: I've learned so many skills in the lab and gained experience with analytical techniques you usually don't come across in chemistry undergraduate teaching labs. Doing real research has forced me to think critically about what I've been doing and has given me plenty of opportunity to problem solve over the year. I'd say putting yourself out there, talking to people and networking in a professional environment is probably the most valuable skill I've gained this year.
Annabelle: The placement year has certainly prepared me for both my final year at university and future jobs. Throughout the year, working in a research environment has pushed me to improve my problem-solving, coding, and communication skills, to name a few. For example, each placement student was tasked with presenting their work in the bimonthly Section meetings to discuss improvement areas or to highlight successes, which has greatly improved my communication and presentation skills. Additionally, the high volume of work undertaken in the lab, or beamlines, has equipped me well for future research-based roles.
Robbie: The placement has definitely helped me prepare for the future. It has given me a much clearer idea of what working full time in science is like and what challenges I should expect along the way. That's not even mentioning the knowledge, lab skills and techniques that the placement has given that I will likely continue to utilise long into my scientific career.
Orla: I’ve been able to experience lots of things and learn a lot of skills, really teaching me what I do and don’t enjoy, which has helped me plan my next steps. Working alongside such encouraging and friendly colleagues has also really taught me what sort of environment I would like to work in in the future. This placement has taught me that there is a space for me in research, doing something I actually enjoy.
Has the year been what you expected?
Gabriel: Definitely not. My placement was my first taste of working life, so I didn't really know what to expect. From my project, I've learned that research doesn't always go to plan but there has been something to learn from every experience I've had in the lab, no matter how trivial it seemed at the time.
Annabelle: The placement year has exceeded my expectations and has overall been a great experience. The opportunities I’ve had throughout the year have been a real taste of what working in a world-leading facility such as ISIS is like. Some of these tasks have included performing measurements on both the EMMA and CRISP beamlines and investigating new ideas for eco-friendly gas usage with the detector through simulation.
Robbie: I think like many people I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I got here. Getting set up with everything in my placement took a little longer than I hoped, but once everything was sorted, I am really proud of what I managed to do while I was here. I have managed to meet a lot more people than I initially expected, whether at ISIS itself or the conferences that I have
attended, and that's one of the things that has made my year great. I think one of most unexpected benefits of working here will be the network of people that I have now been introduced to.
Orla: I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy myself as much as I have! It amazes me how lovely everyone who works here is, and I’ve felt far more comfortable working here than I expected to. I also didn’t expect to see such a wide range of research up-close. I’m not sure I would ever get used to speaking to paleontologists, archeologists, astrochemists, plant biologists and physicists in one day!
What advice would you give to future placement students?
Gabriel: My placement has taught me about the importance of resilience and stamina when it comes to undertaking a project and being in the workplace. Compared to university terms, the year can feel quite long so it was important for me to establish a routine around lab work and weekly/monthly tasks. Asking for help is not admitting defeat and it can be very useful to take a step back from time to time to get a better picture of what you're doing, where you're at and what progress you have made. Keep an open mind and remember you're here to learn.
Annabelle: To future placement students, I’d say to embrace all the opportunities you’re given. Over the year there may be moments you will feel out of your comfort zone, but it is important to remember this is the perfect chance to challenge yourself, where there isn’t the worry of grades like at university. Also don’t worry about not knowing things and having to ask questions- this year is designed so that you can learn along the way!
Robbie: I think my main advice is just work out what you want to achieve here and then stick at it. There will be many times in your placement where not much is going right and you're feeling a bit disheartened, but you will come through the other side of it with the results you want and having become a better scientist in the process. Also, try to attend and present at as many conferences as you can, it is really nice meeting people working in the same field as you.
Orla: My advice would be not to shy away from any tasks or opportunities, even if you feel they are beyond your abilities. The purpose of a placement is to learn, so try everything, ask for help and feedback and talk to as many people as possible.
