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Developing your CAKE placement or visit idea

Thinking about a placement or visit? This guide will help you explore what you could do, identify potential collaborators and start shaping your idea into an application. Whether you're looking to develop an existing relationship or make a new connection in the UK or internationally, there are lots of possibilities.

When is a placement or visit useful?

You don't need an established collaboration, a fully developed project or a specific research question to get started. Sometimes, a shared interest or simply wanting to learn how another team works is enough.

For example, a placement or visit might be useful if you want to:

  • Learn a new technique, skill or approach from another researcher or team.
  • Share your own expertise, methods or experience with others.
  • Explore a shared research interest or discuss an emerging idea.
  • Develop an existing collaboration by spending dedicated time together.
  • Explore a potential collaboration before committing to a larger project.
  • Experience a different research environment or way of working.
  • Connect with international researchers or research groups.
  • Take part in a workshop, event or training opportunity that offers meaningful opportunities for knowledge exchange.

These are just examples. The scheme is intentionally flexible, and you don't need to tick every box.

Think beyond the UK!

CAKE Placements & Visits explicitly support international knowledge exchange and collaboration. You don't need to limit your ideas to the UK DRI network or UK-based institutions.

For example, you could:

  • Visit an international research group to learn about their approaches, techniques or facilities.
  • Invite an international collaborator to spend time with your team in the UK.
  • Develop an existing international collaboration through dedicated time together.
  • Attend an international workshop, meeting or training event to exchange knowledge and build connections.

In-person or virtual?

This is a crucial part of the preliminary planning.

In-person visits make it easier to step away from your usual routine, get to know a team and have those unscheduled conversations that can lead somewhere interesting.

However, travel isn't practical or accessible for everyone. Caring responsibilities, disability, health, finances and other circumstances can all affect whether an in-person visit is possible. Virtual placements offer a more flexible alternative, but they need a bit of extra thought and planning to make sure they are given the same priority as an in-person visit. See our guidance on virtual placements for more information.

Applying for a virtual visit

You don't always need to request funding to support a virtual visit, but the application process can still be useful to plan out the idea, get feedback from reviewers and gain support from the CAKE team.

Both options can work well. Think about what you're hoping to achieve and which format suits you and your collaborators best.

Need inspiration?

Explore previous CAKE placements & visits to see the range of activities and collaborations we've supported.

Preparing an application

Beginning your collaboration:

Once you've identified an opportunity, approach the candidate who fits your reason for wanting a placement or visit. Have a discussion to think about what you hope to learn, share or explore together:

  • Discuss your interests and what you'd each like to get out of the experience.
  • Identify any particular skills, knowledge or expertise you'd like to exchange.
  • Consider what you can share with your host or visitor in return.
  • Talk about what a useful or successful experience might look like for everyone involved.
  • Agree a rough plan, while leaving room for new ideas and opportunities.

You don't need to have everything worked out in advance. The opportunity to explore ideas together is often part of the value.

Not sure who to approach? The CAKE team can help you identify potential collaborators and explore ideas. You can also get in touch to discuss whether your plans might be suitable.

What makes a strong application?

It can be helpful to look at the assessment criteria when shaping your plans. Reviewers will consider:

  1. Benefits and wider relevance (40%): What will the placement or visit enable you to learn, share or develop? Think about the benefits for everyone involved, and how the knowledge exchange could contribute to the wider UK DRI community or research landscape.
  2. Potential for longer-term collaboration (20%): Could the visit help establish a new connection or strengthen an existing relationship? You don't need to promise a long-term collaboration, but consider what opportunities it might open up.
  3. Expertise of the partners (10%): Why have you chosen this particular host or collaborator? Explain how their expertise, experience or facilities relate to what you hope to achieve.
  4. Planning and value for money (10%): Is your proposed activity realistic and well planned? Explain why the proposed duration, activities and requested costs are appropriate for what you want to achieve.
  5. Environmental impact (10%): Have you considered the environmental impact of your plans? Where possible, think about opportunities to reduce unnecessary travel or make practical, lower-impact choices.
  6. Relevance to UK DRI (10%): How does the proposed activity connect with UK DRI's research, people, projects or wider activities?

Need a hand?

The CAKE team can offer application mentoring and help you develop your idea before submitting.