From bioimaging research to sustainable textile techniques, hydrogen labs and robotics research; the breadth and depth of technical expertise in higher education and research is huge.
World-leading research and innovation moves quickly, whilst remote learning plays a part in professional development, it has its limits.
Some advanced technical skills require hands-on, in-person training to master.
The Knowledge Exchange Placement Programme delivered by the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy ran from January 2024 to 2026, providing valuable face-to-face professional development opportunities for technical professionals.
It offered flexible funding for UK technicians who wanted to expand their skills and knowledge in a specialist area.
Funded placements created a unique opportunity to learn specialist skills from leading experts, share and consolidate best practice across institutes, and network with fellow technicians.
Around 200 technical professionals have taken part in the programme, ranging from short visits between universities and research institutions locally, to international placements at world-leading research centres in Australia, China, Canada and Sweden.
Delivering impact for the sector
£165,000 of funding was awarded during 2024 and 2026 which led to long-term research partnerships, development of specialist skills and better use of valuable research time.
Participants described the formation of new collaborations and long term institutional relationships as a direct result of the placements. One participate explained:
“Expert knowledge, technical prowess, and collaborative atmosphere allowed for a very productive partnership. This work has developed a new analytical protocol with prospects for application to a range of other biological or biomaterial systems and will form the basis for future grant activity.”
Whilst 85% reported knowledge benefits for their teams, 80% identified wider institutional benefits and almost all participants reported positive impacts on their professional development and career progression.
Transforming careers & strengthening global collaborations
Morgan Shaw, a Research Technician at the University of Dundee, used the programme to visit the Alberta Diabetes Institute in Canada.
She said:
“I observed techniques in human pancreatic islet isolation, islet handling, QC and culture, and functional assays. I also had the chance to visit the Clinical Islet Laboratory at the University of Alberta where I saw preparation and delivery of a human pancreatic islet transplant.
My group at the University of Dundee specialise in diabetes research, so developing highly specialised skills in human islet research is invaluable for ensuring our work is translational and meets best practice standards.
Being able to collaborate in person is essential to fully understand complex techniques and learn the small details that make a huge impact in reproducibility and standardisation.
The Alberta Diabetes Institute had a very open research culture that allowed me to spend time with different research groups with complementary skillsets.
Being introduced to world-leading technicians and other scientists has opened up new collaborations and allowed me to observe a wide range of specialist techniques in human, rodent and stem cell models that can all be utilised within our lab.”
The skills Morgan learnt can now be embedded at the University of Dundee, professional networks have expanded globally as a result of the placement, benefiting not just Morgan, but the wider team.
She added:
“The initiative has opened the door to visit and collaborate with a group on the other side of the globe – something I could never have done with our project grant funding alone.”