iCASE projects within LIDo offer an excellent opportunity for collaborative research between academic and industrial research scientist partners via an enthusiastic and talented student from our rigorous selection pool. Students of such high calibre represent for our industrial partners, a very cost-effective way to explore the interface of exploratory and applied research relevant to commercial aims.
Our students benefit from LIDo’s industry-standard taught courses and student-led cohort-building and outreach activities. iCASE students can spend from 3 months to 18 months in the industrial partner’s labs and other facilities to add exploratory research value whilst they get a rounded view of employment and operations at the forefront of commercial R&D.
With multiple options available to flexibly define and underwrite your relationship with academia through interfacing with LIDo, we would be pleased to hear from you and discuss the best option for your needs. Please do contact us: whether you have identified a LIDo lab or have a pre-existing research relationship with one of our world-leading academic labs, or whether you would like us to assist you in a search to make the most of your research needs.
The LIDo Professional Internship for PhD Students (PIPS) programme provides an opportunity for the students to: develop new skill-sets; gain work experience in the non-academic sector; evaluate a wider range of career options; and, to understand how the skills gained during the PhD can be used in other sectors.
PIPS is administered by a dedicated LIDo Employability and Internships Officer and potential hosts cover a range of sectors, including blue-chip companies, SMEs, not for- profit organisations and the voluntary sector including arts and recreation, charity, communications, consultancy, education, finance and commerce, national and local governments, health, bio and other industry, legal, publishing, and research.
LIDo has now grown its network of PIPS hosts ranging from large industry to small industry/SMEs, commerce, charity, publishing and government sectors some of whom have made repeat placements. For example, ABPI, Allen & Overy, Arachne Greek Cypriot Women's Group, Autolus, BBSRC, China Britain Business Resources, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Dundee Drug Discovery Unit, Genomics England, Google, GSK, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JP Morgan Chase, L’Oriel, Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC, part of MHRA), Royal Institution of Great Britain, Science Magazine/AAAS, Singer Instruments, The Cabinet Office, The National Center for Biotechnology Information, The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, The Royal Society, The Turing Institute, WeFarm, and the World Health Organisation.
LIDo is keen to work with any organisations who would like to provide excellent internship opportunities across a range of areas and who are interested in taking a number of UKRI-BBSRC students each year.
Our compulsory LIDo Careers Panel events are held three times a year to familiarise students with the breadth of careers available to them. These half-day symposia feature industry, business and academic researchers and other professionals including our own LIDo alumni and are often focused on a particular theme e.g. ageing. Presentations are followed by panel Q&As and networking receptions for our guests and students. A fourth event of this sort is also integrated into the Annual Retreat.
We also provide training workshops in professional network building through LinkedIn and other social media.
Our Industry Outreach events then create real-world opportunities for LIDo students to put their growing skills to use. Our most recent development is in advocacy and communication strategies through the development of debating skills. Working with an external company with links to the Royal Society of Biology and soon with a leading UCL professor of IP law (former barrister and Court of Appeal Court judge) we continue to provide opportunities for LIDo students to develop the skills of persuasive communication.
Each Summer the London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Consortium offers a number of 8-week research experience placements across the institutions involved in our partnership to undergraduate students in the following academic institutions.
- Kingston University
- London South Bank University
- London Metropolitan University
- Middlesex University
- University of Roehampton
- University of East London
- University of West London
- University of Westminster
- University of Hertfordshire
- University of Bedfordshire
The projects offered are designed to provide direct and relevant research experience to interested undergraduates in the 2nd year of their studies. Previous experience is not required, only enthusiasm and the intention to learn.
During the placement, successful students will also have the opportunity to attend training and networking opportunities within the LIDo Doctoral Training Programme. This will give direct access to our PhD students and provide the opportunity to experience a PhD programme environment first-hand.
Students will receive a stipend at at least London Living Wage level based on a full-time working week of 36 hours, on-going dedicated lab supervision as well as a LIDo PhD student ‘buddy’ to help you make the most of your experience. The placement will end with a presentation afternoon and reception, where students have the opportunity to win an all-expenses-paid place on the LIDo Annual Retreat.
We will be making a call for new projects in December. Students will be able to make applications to the awarded projects from February. Please check back for the application forms.
Each year LIDo hosts a free one-day event for potential research students who identify as from a BAME background.
The event, which is generously sponsored by Unilever, provides talks and panel discussions from relevant students, academics and eminent keynotes as well as the chance to participate in small group interactive workshops covering interview techniques, persuasive academic application writing and presenting yourself confidently.
The event aims to support students to make informed and well-prepared applications to high profile doctoral training programmes across the UK and overseas.
Please check back for our next event soon.
"This was very valuable. It really gave a detailed, first person insight into the PhD experience and PhD life. They also gave so much valuable advice about how to handle a PhD, their motivations, how to get accepted onto a PhD, etc."
"This was amazing. It made me look inwards and confront all the fears that have been holding me back in communication. It taught me how to focus on the positives and build on it. It taught me the inclusiveness of eye contact, and all skills not just in interview, but in communication as a whole."