As part of your studentship, you can apply to undertake an employability skills focused placement. These placements allow you to spend up to 3 months with a host organisation (up to 6 months if the placement will have a direct impact on your PhD thesis). The organisation is of your choice providing the opportunity to try out a potential future career, expanding your network of contacts and developing new skills.

This can be with one of M4C partners or you can create your own placement in collaboration with any organisation where you will help them respond to a genuine business need.

Things to consider before you get started

• International students, studying on a visa, are subject to visa rules which impact on placements. All students who require immigration sponsorship from their university [a visa] to study in the UK are limited to only undertake placements which are assessed and integral to the course/research. Placements which do not contribute directly to the PhD research as an integral part of the PhD study (i.e. those that are supplementary) cannot be supported under the UK immigration rules. Please contact placements@midlands4cities.ac.uk to discuss before applying.
• You cannot undertake a placement until you have passed your first mid-year review (beginning of April). You cannot start a placement in the final six-months of your funded period.
• Your placement must be fully set up 12 months in advance of the end of your funded period. Placements must be completed before the final six months of your funding.
• Placements can be done in a single block of time (full-time) or spread over a longer period for a few days a week (part-time) - whatever works best for you and your host.
• PLAN AHEAD! On average, it takes 3 months from when you submit your Part I Placement Application and Project Brief form to final approval. Please plan accordingly and get in touch as early as possible to discuss your plans.

Application process

Contacting a potential host

Completing Part 1 Placement Application and Project Brief form

Completing Part 2 Placement Funding Application form to extend your funded period for the duration of the placement

After your placement: Completing placement feedback forms

Make contact with a potential host

The first step is to make contact with a potential host this can be one of the partner organisations listed on the VPP, but you are also free to explore your own ideas and find the most suitable host for you, your research or your future career aspirations.

You and your supervisors will likely be the experts on who you should work with. Do your research and get in contact with them, explaining who you are, what you are interested in doing and clarify that you are a funded Midlands4Cities AHRC DTP student (direct them to your profile on the VPP) to see if they are interested in hosting you.

If you would like to work with one of our partner organisations, email placements@midlands4cities.ac.uk for the appropriate contacts, which we will happily pass on to you. Once you have made contact, hopefully, they will want to meet with you and discuss designing a project that would be mutually beneficial.