Help give an Industrial Biotechnology student a final year placement

IBioIC are seeking support for their MSc Industrial Biotechnology students. Usually these students have three month placements in Industry to conclude their course but clearly this is very difficult in the current circumstances. 

Do you have a project that you would like carried out but always ends up back on your 'to do list'?

Is there any piece of research that you would like to carry out but you do not have the necessary resources or the time to carry it out? Would you like to actively support the growth of the IB industry by providing opportunities for our talented emerging workforce?

If so, keep reading! IBioIC would like to offer you the opportunity to support our their collaborative MSc Industrial Biotechnology programme by providing a 10 week industrial placement to one of our students this summer. This year, they have 27 enthusiastic MSc students with undergraduate backgrounds varying across a wide range of disciplines including Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Marine Sciences, Bioengineering and Pharmacology and Forensic Investigation.

Through engagement with the programme you will have the chance to utilise this talented bunch to undertake project work on behalf of your company, providing you with additional resource and providing the student the necessary work experience to achieve success in the industry. 

As things stand, the industrial placement window is scheduled to run from Tuesday 1st of June 2021 for a total of 10 weeks. Please read on for additional information regarding the programme and if you are interested or need further information, please contact the Skills team at IBioIC who will be on hand to help you throughout the process.

Click here for inspiration.

Key aspects of the Placement Programme

1. The first step is for you to identify a project of interest and submit a basic Project Proposal to the IBioIC team. The project can be lab-based or desk-based (onsite or remote) and related to any area of the IB industry, all that we ask is that the students will be able to write up an academic thesis on completion of the placement.
2. Salary or payment is not essential although encouraged if you are able. Reimbursement of travel expenses would be recommended for any student to travel outwith the central belt region and a reimbursement of accommodation and travel expenses would be recommended for any student who requires to temporarily relocate for the purposes of undertaking a project. However, as with payment, this is not compulsory but will enable you to access a much wider pool of students.
3. The recruitment process will take place between Mid-March and Mid-April. We will allocate three students to your project taking into consideration your selection criteria and the students' interests, academic performance and CV. If you would like to go ahead with the interview after a review of CVs and cover letters, IBioIC will ask you to conduct an online interview with the candidates. Following interview, there is absolutely no obligation to accept a student if found to be unsuitable.
4. If you would like to offer a longer placement, the Skills Team would be happy to discuss how this could work. We would require all formal project commitments to be adhered to in relation to thesis submission; however, the potential for the student to work over the summer as a paid placement could be an option you wish to explore given that you will be providing comprehensive training during the placement.

What will I need to do?

(The following is the ideal situation – if you need IBioIC to support the student instead then please let them know)

1. You or a delegated staff member will be the primary technical lead for the project, referred to as the Industrial Supervisor. The student will also have a University-based Academic Supervisor who will support the student academic writing and formulating a thesis.
2. You will meet with the student/s to discuss the subject of the project and provide key references.
3. In general, help the student to identify specific aims of the project and provide support throughout the 10 weeks.
4. Monitor the performance of the student. This will include completion of an assessment form for the in-project performance of the student that will contribute a 30% of the total score of the student's final dissertation project.

What is new during 'COVID' times?

The University of Strathclyde has not yet made a formal decision in relation to allowing students to work off campus and onsite in 2021.

In 2020, all projects were required to be remote due to the decision at the time and the unknown nature of the situation. They are now at a different stage with more time to plan so very much hope that onsite projects can go ahead this year. However, if you submit a lab-based project proposal, the team are encouraging you to submit a 10 week desk-based project proposal, as well as a back-up as they would like to keep the student engagement with industry representatives under all possible scenarios. Based on positive feedback from last year, wIBioIC are certain that their students will perform well independently and remotely if so required.

If you would like to get involved in the programme for 2021, please reply to skills@ibioic.com at your earliest convenience, with an indication of what type of placement or project may be on offer and what essential or desirable knowledge, skills, experience and attributes you'd be interested in.