Studentships
Students are hosted at PML in a variety of different ways,
ranging from voluntary work
experience to formal placement
opportunities (Undergraduate level to Postgraduate level).
They vary in duration and level of application, and
can help individuals in a number of ways, including:
- expand their knowledge in their preferred
area of science
- develop their skills and
techniques
- progress their research projects in
connection with their formal studies/qualifications and enhance a
student's CV.
PML offers PhD projects that relate to principal research areas:
plankton ecology, modelling, trace gases and remote
sensing.
We are currently advertising vacancies for
studentships:
One of PML's past PhD students, Dr Bonnie
Laverock, successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled
"Changes in microbial communities of marine sediments exposed
to ocean acidification".
Bonnie is a molecular ecologist researching microbial life
in marine sediments. For Dr Laverock's PhD she studied
how sediment microorganisms affect nitrogen cycling, and how they
in turn are affected by environmental controls, interactions with
larger organisms, and environmental changes such as ocean
acidification. Bonnie used molecular techniques to look at the
specific genes which are responsible for certain functions in the
microbial community (such as nitrogen cycling). Then these
data was related to environmental data such as nitrification
and denitrification rates, to gain an idea of how the structure,
composition and diversity of microbial communities is related to
their ecological function. Of her time at PML, she says:
"I have really enjoyed the time I've spent working on my PhD
research, and feel lucky to have had the opportunity to work at the
Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Because PML is a small building where
the researchers are constantly able to integrate, I have had the
opportunity to not only learn about other areas of marine research,
but to collaborate with colleagues at PML, and gain a much fuller
data set as a result. One of the key aims of PML is to carry out
interdisciplinary work, and this emphasis has really widened my
perspective of my own science and how it fits into the global
advancement of marine science. It has also allowed me to work with
some great people outside of my own lab, from undergraduate
students whom I've helped supervise, to post-doctoral researchers,
to project PIs.
Being at PML has also given me some fantastic opportunities to
get involved in larger projects and work outside of my PhD. For
example, I took part in the 2009 benthic survey in Ny-Alesund,
Svalbard, as part of the European Project on Ocean Acidification
(EPOCA), which, as well as the exciting field work, meant I got to
work with researchers from around the EU. Since then, I've been
involved in several activities related to ocean acidification (OA);
from helping to organise the OA-themed national science week
activities in March 2010, to co-authoring a book chapter on the
economic impacts of OA. As well as looking great on my CV, this has
proved a welcome addition to the experience I have gained from
working in the lab.
PML is a really friendly place to work, and you often find
students and staff socialising together. We have an active sports
and social club which everyone is encouraged to join, and several
key events throughout the year which allow for some informal
discussion of each other's work, as well as a chance to relax
together and mingle. Through my PhD studentship I have benefited
both professionally and personally from being a member of the PML
team, and I am proud to represent PML as one of its senior
students!
Independent studentships
PML welcomes the opportunity to host students who have attracted
independent funding from programmes such as the Leonardo da Vinci
training prgramme and Nuffield Foundation busary in support of
their research activities, below you can learn a little more about
them:
Leonardo da Vinci training programme
Leonardo da
Vinci is a European Community programme which aims to support
national training strategies through funding a range of
transnational partnership projects aimed at improving quality,
fostering innovation and promoting the European dimension in
vocational training.
PML has hosted students who have been awarded Leonardo da
Vinci traineeship. Comments from the most recent students stated
that it provided a very good opportunity for learning about other
cultures, languages and meeting people: ‘It is a great chance for
us to get to know the research field and the English language’.
Students have also used the training programme to help them
decide whether to apply for a PhD.
To learn more about this programme and how to participate please
see the
European Commission website.
Nuffield Foundation
Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries offer up to 1000 bursaries
a year, for students to work alongside practising scientists,
technologists, engineers and mathematicians. If you’re a student in
the first year of an advanced or higher-level Science, Technology,
Engineering or Maths (STEM) course, you could join a project for
four to six weeks in an area of STEM that interests you.
In a recent example, a Nuffield science student worked alongside
PML scientists on a project entitled "The discovery of novel
chlorophyll catabolites in marine algae." The project was very
successful, with a poster presentation at the University of Bath
and resulted in the student being presented with the Nuffield
Science Bursary certificate and Gold CREST Award by the Vice
Chancellor of the University.
To learn more about this programme and how to obtain a bursary
please see the
Nuffield Foundation website.
For further information about studentships available at PML
please email vacancies@pml.ac.uk.