Student Perspectives: The Impact of Research

In this blog series, we hear from some of the students on the 2020 Diversity Access Programme (the precursor to the 2021 Research Access Programme).  We asked students at the end of their placement to share their thoughts and experiences.

My time at the Babraham Institute as part of the Diversity Access Programme has come to an end.  The month-long placement has taught me numerous new skills, like how to research using different databases that I had not used before.  It has also helped me improve in areas like good presentation skills and effective communication of ideas through presenting my research.  

My project with Babraham focused on the impact of research, which was something I had not previously considered.  It made me ask the question "why do we do research?"  The obvious answer is to gain knowledge or to find out new information, such as processes not previously discovered.  But I also think a fundamental point is for this knowledge to have a benefit outside of the scientific/academic field itself.  This is what I looked at in my project: how research can become translated to something impactful that can benefit society.

My placement made me ask the question "why do we do research?"

If I had to highlight one great experience outside of my project itself, it would be the wide range of talks put on throughout the month.  These ranged from talks on future careers in science to statistics to inequalities within the field itself.  I found these super useful for many reasons.  They gave me an insight into potential careers within science beyond research itself, and helped me to gain an understanding of how to become a researcher and routes to take to do so.

I honestly could not recommend applying for a summer placement here enough. It’s very helpful if you’re uncertain about future careers post-university, or if research is the right choice for you.  It’s also a great opportunity to learn new skills.

Applications for our 2021 Research Access Programme are now open and close on Monday 29th March 2021.  For more information, click here.