Information for Current Students

An opportunity to gain professional experience, a variety of professional skills, insights into a different operational context and a new set of contacts in a non-academic setting before your graduation.

A student in an EASTBIO hoodie stands on the side of a boat looking at a mountainous shoreline

The UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council offers an exciting opportunity for any non-academic organisation to take advantage of the fully funded scheme "Professional Internships for PhD Students" (PIPS).

Internships can be in any field or sector, including industry; publishing; policy; clinical development; teaching; communications; business; management; marketing; law and finance.

As part of the EastBio training programme, each BBSRC-funded student must complete a 12-week internship in a non-academic environment before the end of their third year.

EASTBIO Student PIPS Guide

For more on the PIPS scheme, see the EastBio Student PIPS Guide (reviewed annually).

PIPS Guide 2024 (276.07 KB / DOCX)

Q&A Sessions

EastBio Placements Q&A session 2025

Online, 3 February 2024, 10:00-11:30 and 12:20-15:30

The QA sessions are mandatory for all students who started their PhD in the autumn of 2024; supervisors welcome to attend.

We strongly encourage students and supervisors to consult the PIPS Guide in advance of the session so that they come prepared with anything they want clarifications on.

Before Your PIPS

Attend the Placements Q&A Session
Complete your online PIPS Planning Form by the end of your first year of study for approval.
Reach out to potential PIPS hosts. EastBio will also share internship opportunities on the website and the monthly newsletter.
Use the Active Planning Section B of the PIPS planning form to guide discussion with potential hosts.
Once your internship project is agreed by the host, all partys must complete the PIPS Agreement (MOU) and send to placements@eastscotbiodtp.ac.uk for final approval.
Request an Absence of Leave from your host academic institution so that you can carry out the placement full-time (as relevant in your case depending on the details of your PIPS).

During Your PIPS

We ask students who are on PIPS not to attend any training or events associated with their PhD (EastBio included) so as to allow them to focus on the PIPS project fully and make the best of their 3 months on their internship.
Recognise if something is wrong, discuss early with your PIPS Supervisor, your PhD supervisor(s) and/or the EastBio DTP team to seek advice, identify ways to manage any difficulties and ensure that the outcome will be overall positive and to your best interests. EastBio is committed to supporting on-the-programme students and make every effort possible to ensure continuity of such support during the PIPS duration.

After Your PIPS

Complete the student feedback report for EastBio, including feedback to be uploaded on the EastBio website.
Ask your Supervisor at the PIPS host organisation to complete the PIPS Host Organisation Feedback form. You may include the PIPS Advert template, and ask if they would be interested in hosting another PIPS internship.
Prepare a short presentation on your PIPS experience for the next PIPS Q+A event and/or EASTBIO symposium.