Doing an Overseas Institutional Visit during your PhD

Emma Blakey

Department of Psychology

University of Sheffield

Why did I decide to go on a lab visit?

As soon as I heard about the scheme at the ESRC welcome event I knew I wanted to do it.

I love travelling and I wanted to try working somewhere else for a bit (I did my BSc and MSc at Sheffield… and I’m from Sheffield)! I just needed to decide where to go and who to work with. I took time to think about this (your opinions of researchers will change throughout your PhD).

Because my research involves testing children, for me, it had to be a country that spoke English as I don’t speak another language.

But I wanted to try working in a different kind of lab environment to the UK. I also wanted to learn a new research technique, and of course, work with a world class researcher in my field.

What I did

Where did I go?

My ProjectThe neural correlates of cognitive control in 2- to 4-year-olds

Because I was learning a new technique, I decided to go for three months

What did I get out of it?

The single best thing was that I got to learn (from scratch) a new research technique

I got so much feedback from my work: I did two departmental talks, presented a poster, and did a one day lab visit at the University of Calgary where I gave a talk there too. One bonus of going towards the end is you have all your data.

I worked as an RA on other projects so I learned other skills e.g., administering different tests, analysing data using new software

I now have a collaboration with an eminent researcher in my field

Drafting grant bids for postdoctoral work

Working in a different “lab” environment

Experience living abroad

Added BonusesI made some lovely friends and was able to do some travelling. I stayed an extra week after finishing the project, and the visit was also well timed with some bank holidays so I tried to travel around Alberta and British Columbia as much as I could. It was amazing.

If you’re interested, what schemes can you apply to?

ESRC Overseas Institutional Visit Scheme

Only ESRC funded students can apply

Administered by the White Rose Team

Three calls a year

Decision within two months of applying

Up to £4000 and no more than 3 months

You get a full paid extension to your PhD

Guidance notes on the website

Psychology

Most disciplines have a society with a helpful website on different funding schemes e.g.,

Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence (AI*IA) issues the Association Incoming Mobility Grant

Also, make sure to research subject specific schemes

Hints and Tips

Does it build on your PhD work? Are you learning a new skill or running a project that you

couldn’t at your home institution? Justification for the host institution – Is it the best place in

the world to do this research? Value for money Will there be opportunities to present work or attend

workshops (if you can tie it in with a local conference even better)

How will you build on the work/maintain the collaboration afterwards?

What will you bring to their department? Be specific on what the outputs will be (e.g., conference

presentations, publications, departmental skills training)

What are committees looking for in a good proposal?

Who is a key researcher in your field who you can learn from/would want to do post-doctoral research with? You could pre-empt your application by approaching them at a conference/emailing them some time beforehand

If your supervisor knows them – great! If not, don’t be shy. But remember it’s you that has to do the work. Have an idea before emailing them

Think carefully about when is the best time to go. I went in the middle of final year when I had finished my data collection. Also consider that some schemes work on a rolling basis, some quarterly, some only once a year

Allow plenty of time (visas, paperwork, ethics, HoD signatures take time)

Try to propose a study you can go and complete from start to finish that will result either in very helpful pilot work or a publication. If you can learn a new skill in the process even better

Things to think about