Medical Sciences undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh
By Kyla Mundie
Author biography:
I am an honours year Medical Sciences undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh and completed an SRF summer vacation scholarship in the summer of 2024, which was the summer preceding my honours year. In previous summers, I worked as a carer which was something I enjoyed but before going into the final year of my degree I wanted to gain experience related to my field of study. When I attended a summer school just before my 3rd year of study started, I found out that it was possible to contact research groups and ask if they had the capacity to take on a student for a summer project. I decided that getting lab experience was something that would be useful in preparation for my honours year and would give me valuable insight into what working in a research lab is like. I knew at this point that I was interested in immunology and reproductive biology, but I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to take following my degree. I thought an internship would be useful in not only getting lab-based experience but also in talking to researchers at various stages of their career to hear about their experiences.
What is the SRF vacation scholarship?
The SRF vacation scholarship scheme offers funding which covers living costs at a rate of £250 per week for the duration of a summer project. Projects can be up to 8-weeks long and the vacation scholarship also provides funding for lab consumables.
The application form for the SRF vacation scholarship required the following information:
- Undergraduate course results to date
- Project background, aims and methods
- A Gantt chart summarising the project timeline
- Reasons for applying for this specific scholarship
- Letter of support from your potential supervisor
- Details of 2 referees – one of which was my supervisor and the other was my personal tutor
How did you go about finding a lab to join for a summer project?
I began looking for internships by researching lab groups within my university who were interested in immunology and/or reproductive biology – as those were my main research interests. Once I identified some groups that I would like to work with I sent an email detailing the reasons why I wanted to work with that group, details about some of the skills that I had, and attached a copy of my CV. I reached out in January 2024 which allowed for plenty of time to investigate funding opportunities to support my summer project. I was fortunate to find a lab group who were able to take on a summer student and had a research focus which covered both of my main interests. From there I met with my potential supervisor to discuss what the project might involve, what techniques I wanted to gain experience in and the prospect of applying for funding.
How did you find the process of applying for the SRF vacation scholarship?
During the initial project planning stages, it was clear that obtaining funding for the project was something that I was going to require to be able to participate in a summer project as I would usually work throughout the summer. I was aware of some sources of funding through speaking to my personal tutor, but my supervisor pointed me in the direction of the SRF vacation scholarship as they were already a member of the society.
I was able to complete my application with the support of my supervisor, and the project plan arose from meetings where we discussed what the project may involve and what I wanted to achieve through completing the project.
I applied for the vacation scholarship in early April and was notified of the outcome of my application in May. The application process was straightforward as all the information about what was required to apply was available on the SRF website.
What did you get up to during your summer project?
The project involved both wet lab work and data analysis. My project primarily involved immunohistochemistry, and I found that focussing on one technique was useful in building my confidence in the lab. I also gained experience in digital image analysis using QuPath. Additionally, being in the lab allowed me to shadow techniques outside the scope of my project, such as flow cytometry, and I had the opportunity to attend seminars, which gave me insight into a wider scope of what a career in research may entail.
Through developing my core lab skills, I learned that many of the techniques used within a research lab are applicable to so many areas of biology. Additionally, having the opportunity to present and discuss data at lab meetings as well as generating a report of the project findings was invaluable in developing my scientific writing and communication skills.
How did your summer project effect your mindset going into 4th year and your future career path?
The project gave me confidence going into the final year of my degree, as I was going to be carrying out a lab-based honours project – which I am currently completing. Additionally, speaking to members of the lab group has made me realise that postgraduate study is a more feasible option for me than I had previously thought. I originally thought that postgraduate studies were something that I wouldn’t have access to both in terms of being a competitive applicant and in having sufficient financial support for my studies. I am now much more aware of the options for postgraduate study and the funding opportunities available.
The experience of completing my SRF vacation scholarship project allowed me to gain not only practical skills but also confidence in my abilities as a scientist. Taking part in the project has shaped my career path as I am now applying for a Masters to continue to develop my skills as I aim to build a career working in scientific research.
What additional opportunities have you had through the SRF vacation scholarship?
I was very grateful to have the opportunity to present at the Early Careers symposium at the Fertility 2025 conference. This was initially advertised both on the SRF vacation scholarship website and in the email that I received which confirmed my place on the SRF vacation scholarship programme. I made sure to bring up my interest in submitting an abstract for the Early Careers Symposium to my supervisor and was able to receive support from members of the lab group on how to write and submit an abstract as this was something I had no prior experience in. I wanted to take part in the Early Careers Symposium as I recognised that having the opportunity to present at a conference whilst still being an undergraduate was a very rare opportunity and a great way to develop my presentation skills.
The Early Careers Symposium was a very supportive environment and an excellent opportunity to present my research to a large audience and answer questions based on my presentation. Additionally, the opportunity to attend the Fertility 2025 conference with the financial support of a bursary was a great experience and gave me a taste of the different types of reproductive biology research that is happening UK wide.
Would you recommend the summer vacation scholarship to other undergraduate students considering a career in reproductive research?
I would highly recommend the SRF vacation scholarship to anyone interested in developing their lab skills and finding out more about what scientific research in the field of reproductive biology might involve.
