The MRC DTP Annual Away Day gives students from the University of Southampton and Queen Mary the opportunity to meet up and enjoy sharing their collective research experiences and challenges.
Students are empowered to help organise the day. The focus is on communication and interactions, where students present their research to their peers and supervisors, in a variety of formats. Students in their first year present one of their rotation projects, while students in their fourth or fifth year present data from their main PhD project. Moreover, students in the second year of the programme are tasked to present their entire PhD project to a non-specialist audience, in just three minutes with a single slide, which is very much enjoyed by everyone. Third-year students present their main project in a poster session.
The Away Day is also an opportunity to gather some feedback on the programme. A lively forum is held that is attended by all participants. Here we discuss the programme openly together, with the aim of making positive changes to enhance the students’ research experiences and well-being and to talk about potential new opportunities with students.
