SULSA Industrial Placements available - Information for Employers

As part of an on-going contribution to Scottish life sciences, MSD, a global healthcare leader, has given substantial monetary funding to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) for distribution via SULSA to develop and deliver a high quality drug discovery research and training programme. 

The fund, which is backed by additional investment from the SFC and the six SULSA Universities, includes opportunities for 36 undergraduate students to carry out a year-long work placement during 2013/14 or 2014/15. All aspects of the programme have been geared towards attaining the highest value in terms of training and impact. SULSA is an SFC funded strategic research pooling partnership among the top six Scottish Universities in the Life Sciences: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews and Strathclyde. 

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The industrial placement scheme

The main objective of the industrial placement scheme is to provide 4th year undergraduates with an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge acquired during years 1-3 of their degree to practical problems in ‘real-life’ situations and give the students a better idea about what the world of work has in store for them. Students are placed in an industrial, commercial or research environment for one year where they obtain a breadth of practical experience to complement their degree programme. During their year in industry it is hoped that the students will gain useful skills which will improve their employment prospects when they graduate. These undergraduate placements have been funded by the MSD Scottish Life Sciences Fund.

The General Aims of the Industrial Placement are

• In the case of a laboratory-based placement, to develop students’ basic laboratory skills, including experimental planning, note keeping and data analysis and interpretation and to increase their expertise in specialised laboratory techniques within the context of their project.
• To improve students’ skills in the presentation of their work, both verbally and in written reports.
• To provide an opportunity to increase students’ interpersonal and teamwork skills through collaboration with their supervisor and work colleagues.
• To provide insights into the skills required for effective and innovative project management and professionalism.
• To enable students to gain a maturity that comes from already having experienced the world of work. 

What is the timescale for the placement?

Students must work for one full calendar year (inclusive of holidays). In order to fit in with the academic year students generally work from July, August or September of one year until the following July, August or September. 

Why choose students from the SULSA Universities?

• They have wide ranging research interests, offering undergraduate and postgraduate training across many basic and applied biological and biomedical disciplines.
• They strive to enhance the student learning experience so that all students can reach their full potential.
• They aim to have all our students graduate with a solid background of discipline-specific knowledge as well as the generic skills and life skills that will enable them to pursue a lifelong engagement with education. 

Benefits to your company 

• You will meet and work with some of Scotland’s most enthusiastic and enterprising life science students.
• A specific project can be completed within a specifies time scale
• You have an opportunity to build strong links with the SULSA Universities.Increasingly placements are used as a tool by employers for pre-selecting the best students for graduate roles.

How do you apply for a placement student?

• Register an interest by contacting: Dr. Allison Carrington, Industrial Placement Co- ordinator (contact details below).
• Provide Allison with a clear, defined project outline in industrially relevant research or research and development (this can be finalised between the employer when the student begins their placement).
• Confirm a supervisor has been identified within your company to support the student.

Copyright, IPR and Confidentiality

The copyright and Intellectual Property Rights remain with your company. Confidentiality agreements can be drawn up by the company and signed by the student.

How much will it cost?

MSD are kindly providing £14,000 to the host company to help towards the student’s salary. The only cost to your company would be the amount required to pay employment  costs (NI and tax) sufficient to ensure the student receives at least £14,000 net and any laboratory consumables used during the project. A salary is agreed between the company and the student (this must be at least equivalent to the student receiving £14,000 net p.a.) and the company arranges payment directly to the student. Your company also organises any necessary employer insurances and appropriate health and safety arrangements as per your existing employees.

What support is provided by SULSA?

• Advertisement of your vacancy to all eligible 3rd year students within the six SULSA Universities.
• Review of students’ applications and C.V.s prior to these being passed to you for consideration.
• Liaison with your company to ensure prerequisites are met where required.
• Induction programme for placement students prior to their commencing any placement.
• Site visits can be undertaken when required.
• The Industrial Placement Co-ordinator is SULSA's first point of contact for both placement students and the industrial placement company. You are invited to contact the Industrial Placement Co-ordinator at any time and for any reason at the address below.

Further Information