At the heart of PCL’s mission is a commitment to ensure the psychometrics we develop and distribute continue to be vigorously researched and validated. This is an ongoing responsibility, and PCL seek to achieve it by pursuing several strategies.
One of these strategies is the PCL ‘Student Sponsorship Programme’ (SSP). Launched in 2016, the SSP was founded on the principle of academic collaboration. It achieves this by providing MSc students with access to our cutting-edge psychometrics. These have formed the basis of numerous exciting and innovative research projects.
The result of the SSP has been a range of high-level research outputs that further evidence the reliability and validity of PCL assessments through a range of applications. A significant factor in this success has been the involvement PCL has had with a range of UK-based universities.
University Engagement
After four successful cohorts of the SSP, PCL have established fruitful research-focussed relationships with some of the best universities in the country, including:
- University of Edinburgh
- University College London
- Northumbria University
- University of Nottingham
- City, University of London
- University of Hertfordshire
- University of East London
- University of West England
By working with students and leading academics from these institutions, PCL have developed a thriving network of talented researchers and academics. Engaging with these stakeholders has proved mutually beneficial for all involved, not least the students who have taken part in the programme.
Student Success
A key goal of SSP research is to ensure that projects generate outputs beyond the dissertation hand-in dates. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
The first is our support of SSP conference presentations. We have helped students from previous cohorts present their research in various national and international events including the Division of Occupational Psychology (DOP), the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP), the International Psychology Conference (ICP), the Institute of Work Psychology (IWP), and the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP).
The second is our support of additional outputs explaining the findings of the research. These can take the form of short blog pieces (like this!) or longer and more in-depth white papers.
Publishing these outputs on our website and across social media not only serves to publicly display the student’s research. They keep PCL’s internationally based psychometric users up to date on the latest research findings. This also leads to another important student benefit of the SSP – the proximity to professional practice.
Research to Practice
Involvement in the SSP strongly encourages MSc students to consider the implications of their research in the context of professional practice. Working with a test publisher requires recognition of additional stakeholders outside of the university setting, including the consultancy and practitioners who use the psychometric with their clients.
This becomes evident in the subsequent research outputs created by the graduates, as they will often seek to communicate their findings in ways that consultants can actively incorporate into their client-facing work.
Whilst this may initially prove challenging, developing this mindset provides newly graduated students with an improved understanding of the field they are seeking to join. The result is an increase in students’ employability in what has always been a competitive industry.
If you or someone you know is completing an MSc dissertation during the 2020/2021 academic year, further details, including how to apply, can be found by clicking the link below.
Applying for the SSP involves a short 500-word statement of interest. The deadline for applicants is Wednesday 11th November 2020.