Perspectives on the STEaPP internship: Understanding and transforming sensors for socio-technical energy research

Trupti Patel reviews six months as a STEaPP intern working on STEaPP’s Physics and Energy Social Research project:

I am coming to the end of my initial internship here at STEaPP on thermal comfort with Dr Adam Cooper. Fortunately however, through the process we have won a UCL Grand Challenges grant, so I will be continuing for an additional few months. I took the internship hoping to gain some experience within an interdisciplinary environment and to help me decide on next steps after my PhD on Quantum Sensors, which I am currently writing up.  At first, the intention was to read up on thermal comfort and look at physical measurement techniques used within the field. From this I was to help write a grant application and organise a workshop. After a period of reading the literature, I began a review and designed a future experiment. We applied for further funding through UCL Grand Challenges to conduct this experiment and won! I am currently writing a paper on the research I have conducted so far and am beginning to think about what needs to be done for the experiment.

I have enjoyed the philosophical view Adam, my advisor, has on the subject and all he has taught me; I have very engaging meetings with him in which we discuss our ideas. I had never before had the experience of writing a grant application and learnt a lot through the process. Coming from a physical science background, I have thoroughly enjoyed being exposed to ideas from social science and feel I have expanded my horizons. The work I have conducting in bringing the two strands of research in thermal comfort together –  both the social and the physical – could potentially have an impact within the field itself and has wider implications for building standards.

The project has helped me decide on my career goals, as I am currently applying for postdocs and fellowships in more interdisciplinary fields. I have been very impressed with STEaPP – the staff here are extremely friendly and supportive. There is a real community atmosphere and people are more than willing to help each other. The support staff are extremely professional and approachable – they really create such a warm atmosphere. I have made some great friends here who I am sure I will see again after finishing my internship.

STEaPP Research Internships 2018

To find out about details of our internship programme for 2018, visit the internship webpages.