Name: Matt Harwood

1. What is your home university, what department and lab are you in?

University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Corre Group

2. What type of studentship are you on? CASE, iCASE, NPIF etc.

Non-industry DTP

3. How did you organise your accommodation for the first year?

I remained in a privately-rented flat outside of the University

4. How did you organise your mini-projects?

After I received little-to-no correspondence from the individuals on the project sheets I chose to find someone independent and ended up with a fantastic supervisor at Leicester doing a dry project, completely out of my comfort zone but totally worth it. I also had the benefits of a co-supervisor as well.

5. How did you organise your PIPS?

My partner sat on the student curriculum committee for the biological education curriculum committee (of RSB) and got me in touch with someone from science policy at the Royal Society of Biology; they could not facilitate me but education policy were able to and I had a telephone interview and a fantastic placement ensued.

6. Is there anything you wished you'd known before you started?

How out of depth I would be with the programming element – serious practice above all other needed to go into that aspect of the training programme. Also to look even more in advance for miniprojects and definitely keep up a routine discourse with your supervisor/potential supervisor(s) throughout the training year.