Placements

Research placements are a key part of developing as a social science researcher. They give you space to test your skills in real‑world settings, build confidence, and understand how your research connects to policy, practice, industry, communities, culture, and beyond. Whether you’re interested in public engagement, knowledge exchange, advisory work, strategic partnerships, or simply exploring what other career paths look like in practice, a placement offers structured time to experience this first‑hand

NINE DTP enables this by:

coordinating high‑quality placement opportunities through our partner network
supporting students to design and propose their own placement ideas
providing travel and expenses support during approved placements

DTP2 Students
(starting 2024 onwards)

A 3 month Research in Practice placement is built into the studentship. Your award already includes three months of dedicated funding exclusively for completing a placement, and this time cannot be repurposed.

DTP1 Students

Placements are optional, available on application basis as part of the wider training offer. Students may apply for up to 3 months funded extension and additional funds to complete a placement.

What does a placement look like?

Placements are short, focused projects that allow you to make a meaningful contribution. Recent examples include:

drafting briefing notes or consultation responses
audience, user, or community research
preparing internal or public‑facing reports
analysing survey data or public records
evaluating programmes or projects
mapping the landscape of a sector or region
supporting digital access, cataloguing, or archival work

What matters most is that your placement helps you deepen your research practice and understand where your skills can make a real‑world difference.

When should I do a placement?

Most students complete their three‑month placement sometime between the middle of Year 1 and the end of Year 3, depending on how their project develops.

DTP2 Students

The placement can be completed in one block or split across phases of the PhD
Part‑time or flexible scheduling is permitted
Multiple hosts can be involved if that supports development
The placement should be approved and scheduled at least nine months before the funding end date and completed before the final three months of the studentship
Work with your supervisors to identify an appropriate time in your PhD project to pause and focus on your Research in Practice placement
A dedicated Research in Practice Lead is available for advice

DTP1 Students

Part‑time or flexible arrangements can be agreed with the host
The placement must be completed before the final three months of the studentship
Students require an approved extension request to access the additional three months of funding
Planning should start early to allow time for approvals and funding requests

These requirements are in place to make sure your placement supports (rather than disrupts) your doctoral timeline, while still allowing plenty of flexibility in when and how you undertake it.

Sourcing a Placement

There’s no single route into a placement, but most students follow one of these three approaches.

Self‑sourced placements

You take the lead in approaching a host organisation to develop a placement tailored to your interests, skills, and longer‑term ambitions. Supervisors may offer advice or connections from their own professional network.

Matched placements

NINE DTP brokers regular placement opportunities aligned with DNA themes across the cohort. There are always a number of opportunities open for application in the NINE DTP2 Placement Opportunities sharepoint area, which all NINE DTP2 have access to, and you will receive email highlights of relevant options. NINE provides one‑to‑one support to prepare applications or make introductions to hosts.

Alternatively, students who come with early or emerging ideas can also work with us to refine their aims, explore possible hosts, and develop a proposal before approaching an organisation.

Open calls

External organisations sometimes advertise placement opportunities nationally. These calls may be shared by NINE DTP, circulated by partners, or recommended through peers and supervisors.

Placement Process

Placements can be developed in several ways, depending on your interests, networks, and the opportunities available. However your placement begins, NINE DTP will support you throughout the process.

Identify

Hosts may advertise opportunities and run an application and interview process, NINE may publicise a proposal outlining the aims of a placement for you to follow up on, or a placement may emerge organically through networking.

Placement development

You and the host work together to refine the placement’s focus, activities, and expected outcomes, ensuring it matches the host’s needs and your expertise. National placement schemes (e.g. UKRI) are often more formal - you will receive a placement description and agreement from the host.

Funding application

A placement funding application is submitted to NINE DTP for approval. This includes any requests for additional support such as travel or other essential costs.

Placement agreement

An adaptable agreement is created outlining mutual expectations - This may be provided by the host, or you may use the NINE DTP agreement below. The agreement should outline, for example:

Health and safety
Risk management
Intellectual property
Mode of work (e.g., on‑site, hybrid, remote)

Evaluation and reflection

After the placement, you’ll contribute to evaluation activity through:

A student case study
A student feedback survey
A host organisation survey

This helps improve future placement experiences for the whole cohort.

What do I need to submit to NINE DTP for placement approval?

Before your placement can be approved, you will need to submit the following documents to NINE DTP:

A completed NINE DTP placement application form
A signed placement agreement with your host organisation. Sometimes this may take the form of a letter.
A letter of support from your academic supervisor
Any budget requests included in the application form must be supported by evidence such as quotes or screenshots of expected costs