Science Plans & Claims Intern Review

Supported the generation, evaluation and communication of scientific evidence to build Modern Oral product knowledge and substantiate product claims. Responsibilities included leading multiple projects, conducting literature reviews, preparing study plans and project proposals, analysing and interpreting complex scientific datasets, and communicating findings through executive summaries, presentations and contributions to external publications and posters. The role required close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including analytical, toxicology, product development, legal teams and external laboratories.

From early on I was given a high level of responsibility and ownership for multiple projects with real business impact. I was trusted to manage these independently and develop my own proposals to help shape the project direction. At the same time, the team provided a very supportive environment where help was always available when needed, making it easy to ask questions and seek guidance.
As the placement progressed, I was given increasing responsibility - including multiple opportunities to present to senior stakeholders and leading a cross-functional project team.

I've significantly improved my scientific communication skills, through producing literature reviews, technical reports, summaries and presentations for a range of audiences. The aspect I found most valuable was contributing to the preparation of scientific publications, giving me insight to the publication process. I've also strengthened my data analysis skills through processing large datasets, conducting statistical analyses and adapting to new softwares.
The area in which I've developed the most in is confidence in a corporate setting. Through both my role and activities organised by the placement team, I've become much more comfortable presenting ideas, contributing to discussions and challenging assumptions where appropriate.

There was much more support than I expected. The placement team are all very approachable - each intern is assigned a 'buddy' as a personal point of contact. Within my team, my line manager was particularly supportive, available whenever I needed help and a great sounding board for ideas. Beyond day-to-day work, I always felt colleagues genuinely cared about my development and well-being. The culture was friendly, approachable and full of humour (with an excellent selection of Teams GIFs), making it an enjoyable place to work.

Very good. There were lots of events organised throughout the year, often with free catering, ranging from sports days to BBQs, which helped create a fun and inclusive culture.
My team's culture was also great. I attended team drinks, dinners, teambuilding days, badminton, and even a book club.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement and it very much exceeded my expectations. The supportive culture, friendly team and opportunities available throughout made it a genuinely rewarding experience that I'd highly recommend to future students. Being part of a large intern cohort especially added to the year, helping build strong connections and providing a valuable support network. It's been a very fun and highly valuable year from a development perspective.

Yes