Wales DTP student Michael Scott Evans is director of the Nuffield Research Placement programme for the School of Psychology at Cardiff University, which aims to engage with the local community by inspiring and supporting sixth form students aged 16-17 from relatively disadvantaged communities with hands-on experience of a professional research environment.

This experience involves a 4-6 week programme that runs during the summer holidays. This year has been the most successful year for the programme, with an intake that has increased by 89%.

This year 19 students came from 13 sixth forms/colleges across South Wales.  In addition, the programme offered 12 individual projects from 9 project providers across three Cardiff University schools: The School of Psychology, The School of Social Sciences and The School of Healthcare Sciences.

Students produced a 10-page written scientific report, which meets the criteria for the Gold CREST Award, the British Science Association’s flagship programme for young people.

Michael secured funds from the School of Psychology to commission a team to produce a promotional video:

In recognition of Michael’s outstanding contribution as an educator of the Nuffield Research Placement programme, he will receive the award for Excellence in Teaching of Psychology from the BPS Division for Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology (DART-P), in association with the Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group (PsyPAG) at their conference in July.

Professor David James, director of the Wales DTP, said “This is another impressive example of a Doctoral student managing to do something in parallel with their core study.  My congratulations to Michael on a successful programme which sounds like it makes a real difference to the young people involved”.