My first year in the NanoDTC has been intense but enriching. The ability to undertake research projects beyond your comfort zone helps to broaden one's perspective while the business-related courses offer you the foundation to becoming a 'scipreneur'. Most importantly, the NanoDTC community is what makes it unique, for independent research is generally considered to be a focused and solitary experience. There are numerous opportunities for collaboration and or even just to bounce ideas off. We are also encouraged to visit industrial and research facilities outside the university, which I feel helps in acquiring a much needed external perspective. Overall, I am very happy to have joined this programme and would recommend it to anyone seeking a truly interdisciplinary experience.

After a research focussed Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Materials Science, followed by time in industry, I was in search of a PhD program with flexibility in project selection and exposure to commercialising scientific research. The NanoDTC offered both. The DTC’s support throughout the PhD via travel bursaries, workshops, and autumn schools provided a wonderful built-in engagement network. Finally, its Translational Fellowship program that offers finishing PhD’s the chance to develop their research commercially is a great initiative. Three years and three academic translation funding grants on, my PI, a NanoDTC colleague, and I have just raised a first round of capital for our spin-out. The IP at its core was created during the Translational Fellowship. The NanoDTC has been instrumental to supporting my research career and beyond, and it’s a great program for anyone contemplating the PhD journey!

Whilst the NanoDTC delivered the exposure to broad and cutting-edge scientific research that I was looking for when I applied to the programme, it also revealed itself to be an incredibly welcoming and supportive community to help me navigate my PhD. The wide network of the programme, enriched by academic and social events, is remarkably helpful not only to share and discuss ideas but also to expedite research by facilitating access to many different lab techniques and equipment. After not really knowing what I wanted to focus on for my PhD when I arrived to Cambridge, the intensive training of the Mres year allowed me to discover new research fields and gave me the confidence to explore new areas of science. Whether I decide to stay in academia or go to industry, I am positive that the programme has equipped me with valuable skills to progress in my career and adapt to new working environments.

The first thing that struck me about the NanoDTC was how welcoming and easy to talk to everyone was! The community is incredibly supportive – not only in terms of collaborative research, but also for personal development as you grow as a researcher. The MRes year provides a solid foundation from which to choose a PhD topic, involving hands-on practicals, rotation projects, and taught courses, including a business module. After starting your PhD, you can still look forward to taking part in NanoDTC talks, conferences and events to exchange research progress and inspire new ideas. Additionally, the program encourages students at all stages of study to interact with industry, including visiting both established technology companies and start-ups. This has helped me decide to continue research after my PhD, with a view to commercialisation.

The outcome I most value about the NanoDTC so far is the ability it has given me to engage with so many different areas of science that before I knew nothing about. This scope is possible thanks to the range of interdisciplinary courses during the MRes year and then the continued exposure to new areas of research across through the university-wide, and now national, NanoDTC community. Whether I decide to stay in academic or industrial research, or move into consulting or business, having a broad understanding of state-of-the-art science, in addition to the niche expertise gained in my PhD research, will undoubtedly lead to lots of exciting opportunities.