Researcher Academy

The University of Nottingham retired its blog service in December 2025.

The following is a list of preserved posts from the Researcher Academy blog.

• 10 reasons to do a postgraduate placement
• 3 reasons not to go on an overseas institutional visit
• A breath of fresh air
• A Different Type of Culture Shock: reflections from the Research Culture Conference
• A dream come true
• A fulfilling lifetime opportunity full of unimaginable experiences
• A journey of innovation and learning: welcoming Chandhini to Vesiculab
• A passion for cybersecurity
• A Perfect Match: my PPN placement experience
• A Thousand Year Old Market Goes Online
• A unique opportunity to access knowledge and university talent
• A wealth of talented and confident individuals
• Ale as old as time: barley and the yeast
• An ‘Agile’ Placement
• An incredible pool of talent
• An insight into life as a civil servant (on an UKRI Policy Internship)
• An introvert’s reflections on conference attendance
• Attending a conference boosted the confidence I have in my research
• Attending an online conference
• Behind the scenes at the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
• Beyond the lab: getting a holistic experience of a science business
• Black PhD Collective: the first nationwide network for Black PhD students of any discipline
• Brewing up new sources of energy
• Bucket list item – check!
• Building a sustainable future
• Building my reputation with Rob Brown
• Building platforms, skills and confidence
• Building skills at the Institute of Quarrying
• Carbon transparency and cost accuracy
• Challenging one’s comfort zones
• Change
• Chemistry’s data black hole: how much knowledge are we losing?
• Cherishing opportunities for reflection
• Coffee, Cake and Crystal Maze
• Cold Calls, Hot Topics: My Summer of Social Change
• Communicating the power of makeup
• Community building to champion Open Research
• Considering virtual conferences as an aid, not a hindrance
• Create. Connect. Collaborate.
• Curiosity and nostalgia: My placement in the restaurant business
• Delivering a fresh, unbiased business project review
• Developing research and professional skills in Transylvania
• Digital innovation at an online conference
• Discovering the value of good company culture
• Discovering yourself through doing a placement
• Embracing alternative academia
• Embracing opportunities
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Actively seek out changes rather than waiting to adapt
• Evaluation of business support programmes? No problem!
• Exploring Citizen Science with the National Biodiversity Network (Part 1)
• Exploring Citizen Science with the National Biodiversity Network (Part 2)
• Exploring Citizen Science with the National Biodiversity Network (Part 3)
• Exploring the epic legacy: a journey into the Ancient Greek world
• Far more talent than we counted on
• Five simple tips for joint health
• Free Beer! (OK, not really…)
• From failure to triumph: revitalizing a placement through innovative planning and collaborative efforts
• From Museums to Theme Parks – Architecture in practice
• From Visionary Words to a World Envisioned
• Gaining confidence through two placement experiences
• Gaining new experiences through a placement in health and wellbeing
• Getting a solid start to my career
• Getting engaged with policy
• Getting involved in the learning community
• Getting the competitive edge: how a postgraduate placement could enhance your business
• Getting well-placed for career progression
• Giving Back to Society
• Growing in the midst of life’s challenges
• Hitting the right notes
• Hosting a placement: “grab the chance with both hands”!
• Hosting a postgraduate placement added creative value to our team
• How 1623 changed everything
• How a Postgraduate Placement added value to our business – insights from Vigence
• How a postgraduate researcher helped us focus on the next step for our business
• How I combined my interest in social media with a placement!
• How I found new clarity in my studies
• How postgraduate placements helped us to manage increased interest in our business
• How PPN helped grow my eCommerce consultancy
• How to turn experience into insight
• If you don’t know what a metamaterial is…
• If you get the chance, get involved!
• “If you want to do this job right…”
• Improving my employability with a postgraduate placement
• In the lab: putting a potential career to the test
• Interning at the Buxton International Festival
• “It was like it was meant to be” – My marketing placement
• It’s not where I work, but who I work with that matters
• Keeping postgraduate talent within the county
• Leaving the lab: reflecting on how science is important in politics
• Life and learning: Navigating the PhD journey as a mature student
• Life Beyond the PhD
• Lights, Camera, Halo: A Blockbuster Experience at Halo Solutions
• Lurk, listen, click: making connections at the Research Culture Conference
• Making ideas work
• Making space for more than one passion
• Making the most of attending a conference
• Making time out of no-time
• Managing my time my way
• Managing Risk and Reaping the Rewards
• My experience as a Brilliant Club tutor
• My experience of the Researcher Academy’s Innovation and KE training programme
• My first in-person conference in four years
• My first project endeavour at Ecophon UK
• My Journey with Vortex Systems Ltd: gaining real-world experience in the UK
• My light bulb moment
• My motivation and ambition was set on fire
• My Packaging Placement Unwrapped
• My placement for a cutting-edge research project with Biodiversify and ClimateHorizon
• My placement was instrumental to the success of my PhD and my career
• My placement with the Digital Nottingham project
• My postgraduate placement: an international student’s perspective
• My postgraduate placement: another challenge but a great opportunity
• My postgraduate placement experience
• My research visit to Sweden exceeded all my expectations
• My trip to Ven, Sweden
• My UKRI Policy Internship with the Royal Society
• Navigating start-up waters: my journey with Persomic
• New Chair of Research Staff Group: Leading a Positive Culture of Change
• New development opportunities for health professionals thanks to remote working
• New ‘Productivity through Innovation’ programme promises dividends for postgraduates and businesses in the East Midlands
• No average days: the appeal of being a commercial copywriter
• One of the best things that has happened to me!
• One of the highlights of my PhD studies this far
• Over-prepare and then go with the flow!
• Patience is a Virtue
• ‘Petunia’s friends’ – a wonderful renunion for plant researchers
• Placement student helps craft brewery to launch new pub
• Placement students enhance confidence & collegiality among peers
• Placements changing perspectives for hose and fittings business
• Placements: “not a rite of passage but an opportunity for personal growth and enjoyment”
• Postgraduate Placements: a win-win proposition
• Postgraduate Placements and SMEs
• Postgraduate Placements (PPN) – Nottingham’s best kept secret
• Punishment starts when prison ends
• Rakey’s placement blog: a journey of growth and discovery
• Realising that I am an expert
• Recognising the breadth of opportunities open to me post-PhD
• Recognition and Responsibility
• Reflecting on responsible research and innovation: placing people, practice and projects in the picture
• Saving the World, One House at a Time
• Scoping a Digital Growth Strategy for Nottingham City
• Shifting Perspectives
• Sitting is the new smoking: a researcher’s guide to a less sedentary lifestyle
• Small companies, big challenges, unlimited opportunities
• Smoothing our ride to success
• Starting out with a start-up
• Strategies to get the most out of an online conference
• Supporting my peers and gaining career experience at the same time
• The case against a career plan
• The first time I presented at an international conference
• The Graduate School’s 1000th postgraduate placement: a landmark for students and business
• The importance of taking the initiative
• The right placement is just around the corner
• The Three Minute Gamble
• The UoN DTP PhD – the lives behind the acronyms 10 years later!
• The Wonderful World of Placements
• “Too many cooks? Never.” Reflections on engaging with diverse stakeholders
• Top tips if you are thinking of attending a virtual conference
• Transitioning to the realities of the world after university
• Understanding a circular economy from a global perspective
• Unleashing the Power of Digital Marketing: My Journey with Loopwheels
• Vision, value and buy-in: the benefits of hosting a PPN placement student
• Visit to University of Guadalajara
• What I learnt from presenting collaborative research at an international conference
• What if you caught Covid during an international conference?
• Work-place experience: Why you need it and how to get it
• Working in the Health and Fitness Industry during Lockdown
• Working out what my future might look like
• Working with future innovators
• Your next opportunity might be next door