Highlights
Student profile videos
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Deborah Ayodele
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Mazen Salama
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Gemma Walsh
Overseas Fieldwork
Overseas Fieldwork (OFW) funding is available to doctoral researchers for whom conducting fieldwork outside the UK is essential to the successful delivery of their PhD project. A number of our doctoral researchers are currently conducting fieldwork in countries across the world.
Here is a picture of SeNSS-funded researcher Grania Power, who is currently undertaking fieldwork in Brazil.
Overseas Institutional Visit
An OIV is a working visit, for up to three months, to a “host organisation”, that is, a Higher Education institution, or an organisation with a substantive research office, based outside the UK.
The primary purpose of an OIV is to support and encourage the international engagement of ESRC funded researchers. SENSS is keen to encourage researchers to spend a period of time abroad to undertake activities and take advantage of opportunities that would not be available in their home institutions. The aim of the visit is to support timely completion of a researcher’s PhD; to enhance employability post-PhD and to reflect on impact potential of the project.
“I would highly recommend other students to apply for an OIV. I have found working in a new inter-disciplinary environment to be a highly stimulating experience. The placement has invigorated my sense of purpose in my research, and interest in the wider field.”
- Jemima Scrase on her OIV at the University of Zurich, Switzerland
“I would really recommend applying for an OIV. It’s a great opportunity to immerse yourself in a different university’s culture, gain new perspectives and get to know leading experts in your field. It’s given me renewed confidence in my project and a clearer idea of my priorities in the final year of my PhD.”
- Sonali Campion on her OIV at Australian National University, Canberra and Griffith University, Brisbane
“I would also say that if you’re worried about going abroad on your own, that’s more of a reason to go for it! I have returned from my OIV much more confident about my PhD and myself as a researcher, and I have much clearer plans for my future career. It is also a great opportunity to travel and see the world!”
- Rea Gill on her OIV at York University, Toronto
“…my time in Alberta was excellent from start to finish and a great way to end the first year of my PhD studies. The research team I worked with were incredibly welcoming and we have some publications in the works that I’m excited to get stuck into. I was also very lucky to add a couple of conference presentations to my visit. Thanks to SeNSS, the University of Reading, and Professor Jared Wesley for making my OIV possible!”
- Sam Clark on his OIV at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada
Placements
“I would definitely encourage SeNSS-funded students to apply for a placement. Aside from being a very enjoyable break from the grind of PhD writing and an experience of more collaborative work, I gained invaluable skills, experience and insights which I hope will set me up well as I launch into life post-PhD. Reaching out to potential organisations took some time, and was much more successful when I drew on the contacts of my supervisor and those of others working at my department.”
- Rachel Claydon on her 3-month placement at the Food Foundation
“The internship enabled me to establish valuable research and professional networks in both the UK and Sweden. Expanding my network in each location has not only strengthened my research but has also helped raise my profile as a researcher working on food sustainability and insecurity. This experience will be invaluable in informing my post-PhD career decisions, particularly when considering whether to pursue academic or non-academic roles.”
- Adele Wylie on her placement with Ätbart, an NGO in Sweden
“The placement directly complements my doctoral research, which critically evaluates the implementation of regulatory cooperation provisions in trade agreements and their influence on domestic governance and international coordination. Working within DEFRA allowed me to observe these dynamics in practice, particularly how government departments navigate the intersection of trade policy, environmental objectives, and innovation.”
- Jiyeong Go on her placement at the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
“I’m incredibly grateful for my time at Parliament – it’s odd to have experienced something so recently and yet already know that it will be one of the defining experiences of my entire PhD. Whether you are hoping to develop policy skills, gain work experience, or just get a ‘break’ from writing your thesis, I cannot recommend the POST Fellowship scheme enough!”
- Lily Gibbs on her POST-placement in Parliament