Students excel on CRN Greater Manchester research placement

Twelve ambitious A-level students excelled during a jam-packed placement with NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester and North West Coast. 

The Nuffield Research Placement is a two-week research-focused, work experience placement that runs in the summer school holidays for students going into Year 13.

The programme is designed to support students applying to university to help enhance their experience and personal statements. Students need five GCSEs at L6/B or above and are studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related subjects.

CRN Greater Manchester arranged work placements for 12 Nuffield students this summer along with CRN North West Coast. The students completed research projects analysing how representative our Participants in Research Experience Survey (PRES) was, as well as exploring the trends between Primary Care resourcing and Primary Care recruitment across both regions. Two of the students were tasked with identifying possible locations for the new CRN North West Coast research van, called ‘Kitty’, to visit to help widen engagement across the community. 

As well as working on the projects themselves, they created research reports and posters which were presented to members of the CRN teams and were able to provide staff with tangible ideas about areas for the CRN to continue working on throughout the year.

Martin Occleston, CRN Learning Technologist and Nuffield Supervisor, said: “It was a privilege to be able to collaborate with colleagues across both CRN Greater Manchester and CRN North West Coast to invite 12 talented students, aspiring towards STEM based degrees to take part in the Nuffield Research Placement programme again this year."

The students provided excellent feedback on their experience at the CRN. Examples included: 

“Thank you to everyone at the Clinical Research Network, it was an amazing experience that will be very valuable for my applications/the working world."

“I really enjoyed the tours of research facilities, career talks with members of staff and team working with people who we hadn't met before."