Home / Our Programmes / National Technical Platform for Materials Innovation / NTPMI Short Visit and Secondment Scheme

Overview

The National Technical Platform for Materials Innovation’s Short Visit and Secondment Scheme offers Research Technical Professionals working in materials science with the opportunity to take part in short visits or secondments with UK and international Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), or to undertake short Knowledge Exchange visits with other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

The purpose of this scheme is to enable materials innovation based RTPs to develop closer working relationships with OEMs and other HEI materials groups allowing RTPs to engage in activities outside “business-as-usual” work, delivering mutually beneficial outcomes for RTPs and their host institution.

NTPMI will cover travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs for RTPs during these placements. Support for consumable and small equipment item costs might also be considered depending on the nature of the visit or secondment.

Where possible we encourage applicants to work with a relevant OEM or HEI group with whom they already have a relationship or contact to scope out and plan a visit.

If you are interested in taking part in this scheme, but do not have an identified partner, please see the list of companies supporting the NTPMI short visit and secondment scheme who may be of interest.

Application Guidance

Eligibility: This call is open to Research Technical Professionals in materials science only – academic staff and PhD students are not eligible for NTPMI funding.
Costs: Overall estimated travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for short visits should not exceed £500 (Increased costs for London-based visits may be negotiated).
Line Manager Approval: Please ensure that you have discussed this visit with your line manager and received their approval beforehand. You will be asked to upload a declaration of their approval when submitting your application.
Host Institution Approval: Where applying to visit a HEI or company not included in the below list, please ensure that you have discussed the visit beforehand. You will be asked to upload a declaration from the host institution confirming their agreement for the visit with a brief outline of the plan for your visit.
Visit Dates: We will expect successful applicants to undertake their visit within 3-4 months of application approval, unless there is a specific reason why this is not possible.

If you have any questions regarding eligibility or the application process for the NTPMI Short Visit and Secondment Scheme, please contact the NTPMI team using the following email address: NTPMI@royce.ac.uk

How to Apply

To apply to the NTPMI Short Visit and Secondment Scheme you’ll need to complete this web form. If you’d like to see the form questions in full before starting your application, you can download a .pdf copy of the form here.

Start an application

Secondment Scheme Testimonial

“The NTMPI short visit call presented a fantastic opportunity for my professional development, and I was lucky to have such a warm welcome from Labman. To see the cutting edge of custom robotics, particularly for the application of materials analysis and formulation, was incredibly interesting and valuable to myself and my organisation as a whole. My behind-the-scenes look at Labman gave me a new appreciation of the potential of lab automation and robotics, and enabled me to network with highly skilled and interesting, who I have been able to reach out to for advice / guidance since the visit. A massive thankyou to NTPMI and to Labman for facilitating this opportunity, I’m very grateful for their support!”

– Oliver Prowse | RTP who visited Labman Automation through the Scheme