By Namood E Sahar, electrical engineering student.
As someone who had interest within the field of research, I decided to join the Research Discovery module of the Nottingham Advantage Award. Through The Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA), you can develop work-related skills by completing extracurricular modules.
My experience on this module was quite fruitful, and I deeply enjoyed it.
My experience
During the Research Discovery module, I was introduced to various researchers from a multitude of academic backgrounds like psychology, art, and English literature.
The talks delivered by the professionals not only broadened my mindset with regards to a career in research but allowed me to explore the diversity in research. These talks also put a research career into perspective, as before this was something quite alien to me.
Alongside listening to talks, we were also assigned small pieces of written work, which strengthened our essay writing and research skills.
Overall, I found the experience enjoyable and will definitely participate in the following academic year. The Nottingham Advantage Award has different modules to complete each year, and students must apply to a different one each time. This not only widens participation but also allows students to broaden their experiences with a multitude of options.
My final presentation
As part of the modules grading system, we were required to deliver a presentation on our research interests, with a focus on the diversity in the field while also exploring the impact of our chosen field.
I decided to cover the concept of electric trains and the electrification of transport, while providing examples of the different individuals from various countries who contributed to the railway system we have today.
This piece allowed me to bring together all my ideas into one place and granted me a plethora of research-based skills. Although I had taken part in presentations before, this particular one allowed me to know what it is like to share research with like-minded professionals.
I was able to create a presentation which was simple enough for people outside of the field of engineering to understand, and this is a skill I learnt through the Research Discovery module. I also learnt the skill of collating multiple pieces of research from various pieces of my own work across a specific span of time, another skill which was introduced to me via the module.
My final thoughts
My advice to current students would be to find a module within the Nottingham Advantage Award that best suits their interests and take part in it.
The Nottingham Advantage Award is a rewarding experience that provides learning in a context not available elsewhere. It fits into the term’s schedule therefore is very doable, and a lot of information is provided in the module catalogue.
If you’re interested in using your degree to progress into research, take a look at the use my subject pages or career path pages to see the different options available to you. Still not sure? Why not book an appointment with a careers adviser to explore your options.
Posted on Tuesday 3rd February 2026