“Look for Internship or Placement Roles in Areas That Support Research”

In our interview with Donna Palmer, she shares her journey from a chemistry PhD to managing doctoral training programmes. Initially planning for a postdoctoral position, Donna realised through conversations with peers that conducting her own research was not her passion. She became a project manager in industry, continuing to collaborate with her previous research team. Missing academia but not research, Donna moved to coordinate a network of energy research centres. She now oversees all aspects of funded PhD programs, managing doctoral training programmes. Donna values the variety of tasks and people she interacts with. She applies research mindsets like problem solving and communication skills. Though lacking industry connections currently, Donna engages her passion for supporting researchers. Donna advises talking to people in roles of interest and identifying transferable skills from PhD experiences.