Nuffield Bursary Scheme at the RVC
The Royal Veterinary College now supports the Nuffield Bursary Scheme which gives budding scientists a chance to work alongside research professionals and get a taste of a career in their chosen area of interest. Coming to the RVC on this scheme provides students with a unique opportunity to work with world experts in the bioveterinary and biomedical fields and experience both basic and clinical science research first-hand. For more information on the Nuffield Scheme please download the brochure below or visit the Nuffield Bursary website . For more information on the RVC's exciting research areas see Research at the RVC.
Nuffield Science Bursaries Brochure 08-09 (PDF file)
In August 2007, Emily Moxom (on the right in the picture below), a Year 12 student at Roundwood Park in Harpenden received a Nuffield Bursary for a four-week research placement at the RVC. Emily worked in the Structure and Motion lab under the supervision of Dr Rachel Payne (on the left in the picture below). Emily talks about her time at the RVC below.
"The placement given by Nuffield gave me the opportunity to work on a research project at the Royal Veterinary College. I received transport costs and the chance to work towards a BA Crest Award.
The placement lasted for four weeks which meant me working on a regular 9-5 basis each day.
My placement involved conducting research into the evolution of bipedalism. I had the job of tracking joints through one stride of the Bonobo Chimpanzee which was done through specialised software and sequences taken from a zoo in Belgium. This was so joint angles can be formulated to help work out the energetic costs of bipedal walking in comparison to quadrupedal walking.
I’ve worked mainly with my supervisor, Dr Rachel Payne however I received a large amount of help from other PhD students and their supervisors also working in the lab. I felt that this was a nice advantage to working in the lab as I greatly enjoyed meeting colleagues and benefited greatly from their help.
I have learnt reliable independent study skills which will apply to life at university, having the freedom to continue with my work was a new experience, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
My career aspiration is to be a veterinary surgeon, a job which I have a great understanding and enthusiasm for, especially after spending the summer at the Royal Veterinary College.
The most interesting fact about scientific research is that there will always be an aspect in need of investigating therefore a scientist’s work is never done. Topics of research are often fascinating and are fundamental towards enhancing our knowledge in order to benefit.
I was unaware of the fact that so much research is being conducted at any one time; even investigations that are not published contribute towards the obtaining of knowledge into particular subjects."