PIPS Paperwork

What paperwork do I need to complete for PIPS?  

It is expected that students will plan their PIPS with their academic supervisor and University PIPS Contact, and key contact at their chosen host organisation.

We advise you to read all the following information before you go on your PIPS, so that you are fully aware of what is required and what information you need to collect whilst you are there in order to complete the reports when you come back.

The following paperwork is required:

Before PIPS

1) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

This needs to be completed before you start your PIPS.  It is a signed agreement between your host organisation, yourself and your university.  It ensures that you and your host are in agreement as to what you will be doing during your placement and what outputs and outcomes will be achieved.  Work together with your contact at the host organisation to complete all sections.

2) Health and Safety Checklist 

This document also needs to be completed before you start your PIPS.  It is your responsibility to ensure that your host has completed and returned it to your PIPS Contact.  In particular circumstances, such as, lone working, and placements outside the UK, you may need to complete additional health and safety paperwork.  If in doubt, consult your PIPS Contact in the first instance. 

During PIPS

3) Finance forms

Make sure you collect claim forms from your Finance Office or PIPS Contact before you go on your placement and keep all receipts and other proof of expenditure whilst you are on your placement.  See finance questions and answers for more information about your PIPS allowance and how to claim it.

4) Photographs 

Whilst you are on placement, collect as many photographs as you can.   We need ‘action pictures’ – of you and your host supervisor / other members of your team engaged in the work on PIPS.  Make sure the photographs are as high quality as possible – they may end up on this website or in other publicity material for the DTP!  You can use your mobile phone camera… or why not ask if your host company has a marketing department or a professional photographer who could come and take some pictures?

Always seek permission of anyone else who will be deliberately or inadvertently included in the photographs (don’t forget people in the background who may not realise the photograph is being taken).  Individuals must be given the chance to opt out of photographs.

5) Claim forms

You can claim travel and accommodation expenses during your PIPS placement, if you wish.  See the PIPS Funding page for more information.  

After PIPS

6) Claim forms

If you have not made any claims during your PIPS, make sure you submit your completed claim form(s) for travel and accommodation to your PIPS Contact or Finance Officer in your University, together with your receipts and other evidence of expenditure.

If you have been claiming travel and accommodation expenses during your PIPS, don’t forget to make a final claim for any outstanding amounts, if necessary.  

There are time limits within which claims can be processed at your university, so ensure that you submit your claims promptly.  

See PIPS Funding page for more information about submitting claims.  

Note: the following forms must be completed within one month of the end of your PIPS

7) Feedback from your host

You will need to gain feedback from your host organisation about how the placement went from their point of view.  Download the form below and send it to your host supervisor to complete.  They need to return the completed form to the PIPS Contact for your university.

Please ensure you complete the report on-line within one month of finishing your PIPS.

8) PIPS Case Study 

Case Studies are extremely useful to highlight the great experiences students have had on PIPS and to help students who are starting to plan their PIPS.  The best case studies will be published on this website.  You may be contacted by the DTP Co-ordinator or a member of the DTP Comms Group to facilitate this. Or get in touch with them directly! (see recent newsletters for the latest comms team contact).

See some great examples of PIPS case studies: click here.

Make sure you attach all the photographs you have taken during your PIPS and give a description of what they are about and who the people are.  Send the completed Case Study and photographs to the PIPS Contact for your University within one month of completing your PIPS.

9) BBSRC report 

You will need to complete an online report via the BBSRC website. The end of PIPS report is the way that BBSRC has decided to track the PIPS scheme and it is vital that you complete the report.  Non-submission of PIPS reports by students is taken very seriously by BBSRC and could impact on our future funding.

You need to request a unique link by sending an email with the text Please e-mail me a unique link to the BBSRC DTP PIPS Placement Report” in the subject field to: pips@bbsrc.ukri.org

Please ensure you complete the BBSRC report on-line within one month of completing your PIPS.