UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
July 2007
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/reinvention/ugresearch
Alan Jenkins (alanjenkins@brookes.ac.uk) Reinvention Fellow for the Reinvention Centre
for Undergraduate Research: University of Warwick and Oxford Brookes University
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/reinvention; Consultant for the Higher Education Academy; Visiting
Professor Staffordshire University
Mick Healey (mhealey@glos.ac.uk) Director of Centre for Active Learning in Geography,
Environment and Related Disciplines, University of Gloucestershire
http://www.glos.ac.uk/faculties/ehs/sciences/staff/mhealey.cfm
Acknowledgement: The production of this listing was supported by Alan Jenkins’
Fellowship for the Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research at Oxford Brookes and
Warwick Universities.
This listing describes known UK based “undergraduate research” programmes.
Comments and suggestions – particularly of other programmes not included here – are
welcome. The listing is organised as follows:
A. Definition and Scope
B. Selected References
C. Programmes at Institutional Level
D. Programmes at Department Level
E. Journals and Student Conferences
F. Organisations Funding and Supporting Undergraduate Research: The
Research Councils
G. Organisations Funding and Supporting Undergraduate Research: Other
National Organisations
A: DEFINITION AND SCOPE
“The research universities have often failed, and continue to fail, their undergraduate
populations, thousands of students graduate without seeing the world - famous professors
or tasting genuine research."
Boyer Commission (1998, 3)
“An Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) gives undergraduates
the opportunity to participate in the research activities of the institution’s academic staff
and postgraduates. The Imperial College scheme, which is modelled on that at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ... was started in 1980 following a visit from the late
Professor Margaret MacVicar at MIT.”
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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Collier (1998, 349)
“The message for the (UK Research) Councils is that vacation bursary schemes offer
added-value in the promotion and support of research careers, particularly through:
 Giving students a more realistic experience of a research position and research
employment.
 Helping students make more informed career choices – even when the decision is that
a research career does not suit them.
 Creating an excitement around research careers in the student body, when vacation
bursaries are seen as attractive and prestigious opportunities.
 Motivating research staff with renewed enthusiasm about research careers, and
providing them with opportunities to communicate this to a student audience.”
EPSRC Vacation Bursary Good Practice Event, 2nd November 2006
‘Undergraduate research’ is taken to be a form of curriculum/learning that is most strongly
based in US higher education. There are variations to its form. These include:
 undergraduate students learning through various forms of research or inquiry
based learning
 often strongly supported by academic staff and at times on faculty research
projects
 often in the summer vacation or in semester breaks
 at times rewarded by credit and at times by pay
 at times involved in a scholarly and research based way with local communities.
Often undergraduate research is for selected students and is outside the formal
institutional and departmental curriculum. However there is now an increasing emphasis
in some US institutions to credit it and/or link more firmly with the ‘mainstream’ curriculum.
As with ‘research’ by university staff (Brew, 2001) there are contested meanings of the
word ‘research’ at undergraduate level. In the US, the practice and thinking – particularly
in the sciences – sees undergraduate research as students having to produce ‘original’
perhaps ‘cutting edge’ knowledge. Others, however, focus on students learning through
courses which are designed to be as close as possible to the research processes in their
discipline. The focus then is on the student learning and being assessed in ways that
parallel/mimic how research is conducted in that discipline. In these cases, what is
produced/learned may not be new knowledge per se – but it’s new to the student and,
perhaps more significantly, transforms their understanding of knowledge/research.
To demonstrate this tension - the web site of the Council for Undergraduate Research
http://www.cur.org/about.html (mainly supporting undergraduate institutions outside the
U.S. research elite) both focuses on ‘learning through research’; but also offers this
definition of undergraduate research: “An inquiry or investigation conducted by an
undergraduate student that makes an original, intellectual, or creative contribution to the
discipline.”
In the USA major donors such as the National Science Foundation (Haggett, 2006) and
the Howard Hughes Medical Institute are important financial supporters of undergraduate
research; and the Council on Undergraduate Research, in Washington DC and its
affiliated institutions works with agencies and foundations to support undergraduate
research.
Our interest in US undergraduate research stems out of a wider interest in bringing
teaching and discipline based research together (e.g. Jenkins and Healey, 2005; Jenkins,
Healey and Zetter, 2007). We recognise that there are educational, philosophical and
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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organisational links (and differences) between undergraduate research and the UK
dissertation/honours thesis which is one broad approach to bringing teaching and
research together. We also recognise and value other forms of inquiry or active learning
such as problem based learning. We concur with Zamorski (2002, p.417) of the
importance of not “privileging a single approach to the integration of research, teaching
and learning.” The research evidence is as yet not clear as to the value of different forms
of ‘research based learning’ nor of the contexts in which they are most effective (Jenkins,
2004; Spronken-Smith et al., 2007).
Thus while recognising the various ways in which individual staff and institutions seek to
bring students into the worlds of research, our focus is here quite tightly drawn to UK
based programmes at department, institutional and national levels, which have all or most
of these properties:
 They term themselves ‘undergraduate research’, or use terms such as ‘community
based undergraduate research’ and so on
 The philosophy/values of the programme include explicitly bringing undergraduate
students (and possibly others e.g. librarians, community activists) into the worlds
of research
 The student learns in ways that parallel or replicate the way staff research/learn in
their discipline/professional area
 The outcomes of learning/the assessment both formative and summative
parallels/replicates the way faculty/staff develop and disseminate their
research/learning in their discipline/professional area e.g. through undergraduate
research journals, student research conferences and so on
 The programme is clearly visible and recognised as ‘undergraduate research’ by
the university communities (in particular students) and parents, the local
community; and possible external sponsors.
The majority of programmes and initiatives listed below are relatively small scale and
highly selective. For us the challenge is how to mainstream these opportunities and make
them potentially available for many or indeed all students in higher education (Jenkins and
Healey in press). Others may wish for a more selective expansion.
Such expansion is likely to be driven by these factors:
A) Research Councils and other national funders seeking to support the next
generation of researchers; such expansion will clearly be selective, but meeting a
strong national agenda.
B) Research elite institutions seeking to demonstrate to government, students, and
other stakeholders the particular benefits of undergraduates studying in researchintensive institutions; perhaps particularly in the context of increased fees.
C) Teaching focussed institutions seeking to ensure research like learning for all
students and to support staff in having a research career. In this context this will
require new type of programmes and perhaps a broader definition of what counts
as ‘undergraduate research’ (see entries in Section C for University of
Gloucestershire and Oxford Brookes University).
D) Governments providing targeted support to support undergraduate research for all
or many students (Jenkins 2007)
E) Strong research evidence as to the effectiveness of such programmes
References
Boyer Commission (1998) Reinventing undergraduate education: a blueprint for America's
research universities. Stony Brook, New York: Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching
Brew, A. (2001) The nature of research inquiry in academic contexts. London: Routledge
Falmer
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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Collier K (1998) Research opportunities for undergraduates, Studies in Higher Education,
23(3), 349-356
Haggett, R (2006) The US National Science Foundation, the undergraduate curriculum
and undergraduate research
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/Rosemary_Haggett_UK_talk.ppt
Jenkins, A (2004) A guide to the research evidence on teaching research relations. York:
Higher Education Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.asp?process=full_record&section=generic&id=3
83
Jenkins, A (2007) Inquiring minds need more than just teaching: Undergraduate research
can transform the sector, Times Higher Education Supplement, June 13,14
Jenkins, A and Healey, M (2005) Institutional strategies to link teaching and research.
York: Higher Education Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.asp?process=full_record&section=generic&id=5
85
Jenkins, A, Healey, M and Zetter, R (2007) Linking teaching and research in disciplines
and departments. York: Higher Education Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/LinkingTeachingAndResearch_April07.pdf
Jenkins, A and Healey, M (in press) Critiquing excellence: undergraduate research for all
students, in Skelton, A (ed) International perspectives on teaching excellence in higher
education, London: Routledge
Spronken-Smith, R, Angelo, T, Matthews, H, O’Steen, B and Robertson, J (2007) How
effective is inquiry-based learning in linking teaching and research? International
policies and practices for academic enquiry: An international colloquium held at Marwell
conference centre, Winchester, UK, 19–21 April http://portallive.solent.ac.uk/university/rtconference/2007/resources/Rachel%20Spronken-Smith.pdf
Zamorski, B (2002). Research-led teaching and learning in higher education: a case.
Teaching in Higher Education 7(4), 411-427
B: SELECTED REFERENCES
Articles on UK programmes
Blackmore, P and Cousin, G (2003) Linking teaching and research through research based learning, Educational Developments 4(4): 24–27 (re University of Warwick
scheme)
Collier, K (1998) Research opportunities for undergraduates, Studies in Higher Education,
23(3), 349-356 (re Imperial College scheme)
Chang, H (2005) Turning an undergraduate class into a professional research community
Teaching in Higher Education, 10(3), 387–394. See also http://www.ucl.ac.uk/newsarchive/feature/newsitem.shtml?hasok (re UCL Chemistry)
Jenkins, A (2004) Supporting undergraduate research (in the UK): an outline proposal,
paper presented to Research and Teaching: Closing the divide? An international
colloquia, Marwell, Winchester, February 13-14
http://www.solent.ac.uk/ExternalUP/318/alan_jenkin_s_paper__2_.doc
Selected US References
Hakim T F (2000) How to develop and administer institutional undergraduate research
programs. Washington DC: Council on Undergraduate Research
Huggins R, Jenkins A and Scurry D (2007) Undergraduate research in selected US
universities, http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/research/cetl/ugresearch/
Karukstis, K, and Elgren, T (2007) How to design, implement, and sustain a researchsupportive undergraduate curriculum. Washington DC: Council for Undergraduate
Research, available at: http://www.cur.org/publications/compendium.html
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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Kinkead, J (ed) (2003) Valuing and supporting undergraduate research, New Directions in
Teaching and Learning 93, San Francisco: Jossey Bass
Peer Review (Winter 2006) Theme issue: Undergraduate research: a path to
engagement, achievement, and integration, http://www.aacu.org/peerreview/prwi06/index.cfm
Reinvention Center (2004) Integrating research into undergraduate education: the value
added. University of Stony Brook, The Reinvention Center. Web version of selected
papers at: http://www.sunysb.edu/Reinventioncenter/Conference_04/proceedings.htm
Reinvention Center, University of Miami, Selected US web sites on undergraduate
research http://www.sunysb.edu/Reinventioncenter/resundergrad.html
C: PROGRAMMES AT INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL
Cambridge University
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/teaching/urops/index.html
Begun in 2002 as a summer exchange programme with MIT and funded by the
Cambridge MIT Institute (http://www.cambridge-mit.org/) with 28 Cambridge students
going to MIT and an equal number of MIT students going to Cambridge across a variety of
subjects. The scheme was localised in Cambridge in 2003, and is now (2007) established
in Engineering, Plant Science, Genetics, Computer Science, Physics with the intention of
extending it across the University. It is open to first and second year students at
Cambridge. The focus is on the selected students having a summer placement in a
research group (generally 10 weeks). Students can work in their own or a different
discipline. In 2006 50 students participated, some with support from the EPSRC scheme,
and in 2007 with the support of the Isaac Newton Trust the target is 100 students.
Several of the University’s Colleges have their own schemes. For example, St Johns
College (http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/teaching_and_research/grants_prizes/research/)
makes available a number of grants from college funds to the maximum value of £500 to
support undergraduate academic research projects or academic Summer Schools related
to their courses, to be undertaken in the Long Vacation 2007 at a University, including
Cambridge, or other approved academic institutions. Current undergraduates who will be
returning to Cambridge for a course of study in October 2007 are eligible.
Reference
Shercliff, H (2006) Cambridge University’s undergraduate research opportunities
programme, RCUK/Higher Education Academy Conference, Bringing research and
teaching together, London 24 November
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/Hugh_Shercliff.ppt
University of Chester (UK)
http://www.chester.ac.uk/origin/
Origin is an in-house undergraduate journal which gives students the opportunity to
publish results from successful research projects undertaken in the Department of
Biological Sciences. The student experience of standard research process is enhanced,
equipping them with additional skills required for publication of research, whilst
disseminating knowledge and understanding of wide-ranging biological issues gained
through their research efforts to a wider audience. Chester is involvemed in the national
biology undergraduate research journal – Bioscience Horizons – see entry in Section E.
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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Imperial College London (UK)
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/urop
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) gives students the
chance to take part in the activities of College research groups. Founded in 1980, this is
the earliest example of such a programme in the UK and was directly based on the MIT
scheme. The scheme focuses on students in year two and is often used to develop ideas
for their final year dissertation or project. While most projects are undertaken in the
summer they can also take place in term time. Students are awarded bursaries for their
work from a variety of sources but most commonly from supervisors’ research funds,
general departmental funds or external funds such as the Nuffield Foundation’s
Undergraduate Research Science Bursaries. The scheme is also open to students from
outside Imperial. 3300 students have participated since 1980. In 2005-6, 320 students
participated of whom 185 were from Imperial (mainly summer 2006).
References
Collier, K (1998) Research opportunities for undergraduates, Studies in higher Education,
23(3), 349-356
Hawksworth, A and Kingsbury, M (2006) Undergraduate research opportunity programme,
RCUK/Higher Education Academy Conference, Bringing research and teaching together
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/Martyn_Kingsbury.ppt
University of Gloucestershire
www.glos.ac.uk/ceal/resources/casestudiesactivelearning/index.cfm
The University has recently begun work with the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning (CASTL) Leadership Programme on Undergraduate Research
(www.carnegiefoundation.org/programs/sub.asp?key=21&subkey=2025&topkey=21) to
develop and embed undergraduate research within the university. The University’s
definition of undergraduate research includes Boyer’s (1990) scholarships of discovery,
integration and application (engagement) and is characterised by breadth: “undergraduate
research describes student engagement from induction to graduation, individually and in
groups, in research/inquiry into disciplinary, professional and community-based problems
and issues, including involvement in knowledge transfer/exchange activities.” The work
complements the emphasis on active learning in the university, which is being coordinated
through the Centre for Active Learning (www.glos.ac.uk/ceal). They are in the process of
collecting international case studies of undergraduate research at course and
department/institutional levels.
References
Boyer, E L (1990) Scholarship reconsidered: priorities for the professoriate. Princeton
University NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Childs, P, Healey, M, Lynch, K, McEwen, L, Mason O’Connor, K, Roberts, C, and Short, C
(2007) Leading, promoting and supporting undergraduate research in the new
university sector, National Teaching Fellowship Project
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/documents/NTFS_Projects_2006-07_Funded_ProjectsExec_summaries_V5.doc
Oxford Brookes University
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/research/cetl/projectfunding/urssbrookes/
Launched in 2007 by the Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research at the
Universities of Warwick and Oxford Brookes www.warwick.ac.uk/go/reinvention. Sixteen
students (15 projects) were funded in the first year. The Brookes scheme operates
through staff submitting proposals for student projects or research activities supporting
research currently being undertaken within the University. Successful bids are awarded
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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funding to provide bursaries for nominated students (up to £1,700 each) to take part in the
Scheme and, in some cases, may be awarded funding to contribute to the costs of any
materials required (up to £300). Student projects may last for between 4 and 10 weeks'
full time, or 8 and 20 weeks' part-time. Projects may be undertaken by students either fulltime in vacation, part-time in semester alongside their studies or part-time in vacation.
A new development in 2007 is Reinvention: A Journal of Undergraduate Research (see
University of Warwick entry). In addition policies to embed or mainstream undergraduate
research in Oxford Brookes Modular Course are beginning implementation (Huggins et
al., 2007).
Reference
Huggins R, Jenkins A and Scurry D, Rust C and Smith P (2007) Developing
undergraduate research at Oxford Brookes University: recommendations and models for
future development
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/research/cetl/ugresearch/
University of Reading
ftp://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/events/napier07/gfraser.pdf
http://www.rdg.ac.uk/urop
At Reading, there has been a long tradition in some subject-areas of students engaging
with academics in their research, sometimes through the use of Nuffield and Welcome
Trust vacation scholarships, sometimes using other funding sources. In 2005, the
University’s achievements in linking teaching and research were recognised in the funding
and creation of a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, specialising in
Undergraduate Research skills (CETL-AURS: http://www.rdg.ac.uk/cetl-aurs/). One
output is an online guide to biology students on the research process
http://www.engageinresearch.ac.uk/. Funds from the CETL helped establish an
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme.
The programme offers vacation research scholarships of six weeks duration, enabling
undergraduates at the end of their second year to work on a research project with a
research team or individual academic over the summer. The scheme had the backing of
both the University Boards for Teaching and Learning, and for Research and was piloted
in 2006 with 17 placements across Agriculture, Archaeology, Zoology, Typography and in
various locations amongst the University’s Museums, archives and collections. In 2007 it
is planned to offer c30 placements on a competitive basis across the whole university, and
discussions are underway to secure funding the scheme when CETL funding ends in
2010.
Royal Veterinary College, London
http://www.rvc.ac.uk/Education/Undergraduate/Documents/UG05_Sci.pdf
Students from a range of disciplines form a research team to conduct research in a
developing country.
University of Warwick (UK)
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/reinvention
The Undergraduate Research Scholarship Scheme (URSS) gives students the chance to
become directly involved in the research work of the university, share in the experience of
being a member of a research team and take part in cutting-edge research. Departments
and research centres are invited to nominate potential projects which offer good
opportunities for students to gain insight into research work and develop valuable skills.
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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Bursaries of up to £1000 are available for students to carry these out either full time during
vacation or part time during term or vacation.
Since the 2005/06 academic year, the URSS has been supported and part-funded by the
Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research (a HEFCE-funded CETL established
jointly at the University of Warwick and Oxford Brookes University), and during that time
the number of applications per year has risen from 12 to 80. A list of the projects awarded
funded in 2006/07 is available at http://www.warwick.ac.uk/go/urss/projects_06.
The Reinvention Centre also provides funding for research projects devised by
undergraduate students themselves, in the form of its Small Grants Fund: further details
are available at www.warwick.ac.uk/go/reinvention/fundingopps/students.
A new development in 2007 is Reinvention: A Journal of Undergraduate Research. This
journal will be both multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional, and will be produced, edited
and managed primarily by students at Oxford Brookes and Warwick universities, with
strong support, particularly in the early stages, from Reinvention Centre staff. The journal
will be electronic and will be interactive to include links to film clips, other websites,
photographs and any other resources linked to the published paper. The first issue of the
journal is due to be launched at the Reinvention Centre’s Student as Producer conference
in September 2007.
Reference
Blackmore, P and Cousin, G (2003) Linking teaching and research through researchbased learning, Educational Developments 4 (4), 24–27
SECTION D: PROGRAMMES AT DEPARTMENT LEVEL
Edinburgh: Veterinary School
http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/vtri/opportunities/opportunities_scholarships.stm
Summer Vacation Scholarships exist for 2nd, 3rd and 4th year undergraduates. These run
for an eight-week period in the summer vacation for which a stipend of £200 per week is
available. The student will be integrated into a research group within the VTRI Partners
as a team member and produce a well-defined project which may result in publication in
scientific journals. A supervisor will be assigned to the student who will write a short
report on the outcome of the project.
Glasgow Dental School
http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/dental/undergraduate/research/
Research in the Dental School is currently arranged under three main themes: Oral
Infection, Periodontology and Oral Immunology and Oral Health Sciences. Within these
themes, a wide variety of individual and collaborative research projects is being
undertaken. Students have the opportunity of becoming involved in research during their
period of elective study in fourth year. During vacations, there are opportunities for
students to work on externally-funded projects.
Leeds: Biology
http://www.biolog-e.leeds.ac.uk; http://www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/students/ejournal/index.htm
Leeds' first undergraduate research eJournal, Biolog-E. This journal is published on the
Internet. Its primary purpose is to publicise undergraduate research to a wide audience,
but it is also a medium for students to get more from the academic environment. Summer
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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2006 marked the fifth issue of Biolog-E and it has been produced with increased input
from current students, including an undergraduate editor. It is now being extended with
biology departments at Dublin, Nottingham Reading to a national journal –Bioscience
Horizons (see entry under Section E).
Reference
Knight, C (2006) Biolog-E and other undergraduate research E-Journals, available at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/celia_knight.ppt
Leeds: Medicine
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/medicine/lure/index.html
LURE is Leeds Undergraduate Research Enterprise. LURE is an enterprise scheme to
nurture undergraduate medical students with research ambitions and aspirations to
become clinical academics. The award of a LURE scholarship is by application and
presentation of a talk to a selection panel. The next round of recruitment is scheduled for
April 2008. Most LURE scholars start at the end of the second year of the medical
curriculum conducting research in one of the Research Institutes of the Faculty of
Medicine and Health. They continue this research interest in Year 3 and then intercalate in
a topic relevant to their research interests. In Years 4 and 5, LURE scholars mentor more
junior LURE students. LURE scholars take part in activities organised by Leeds Widening
Access to Medical School (WAMS) programme and by the School of Medicine Widening
Participation office. They interact with school students by making presentations at schools
and by mentoring pupils. LURE scholars develop leadership and enterprise skills by
meeting entrepreneurs, both within and outside Medicine.
Nottingham: Bioscience
BURN http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~sbzml/
Bioscience Undergraduate Research (BURN) at the University of Nottingham is an
electronic journal (first issue October 2006) which showcases high level undergraduate
research by students across the Bioscience divisions. Now being extended with biology
departments at Dublin, Leeds and Reading to a national journal (see entry under national
level).
Leicester: SURE at Department of Physics and Astronomy
http://www.le.ac.uk/physics/sure.shtml
http://www.le.ac.uk/physics/SURE_application.pdf
SURE is a six week summer programme which supports undergraduate students to
undertake research within the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Space
Research Centre at the University of Leicester. A range of projects are available in
astrophysics, plasma physics, space science, and condensed matter physics. The
programme runs throughout July and August, although there is some flexibility with
individual starting and finishing dates. Individual students are assigned a research
supervisor. Regular seminars are held on current research topics, involving students and
staff. At the end of the summer, all participating students produce a written report and
give a brief presentation about their work. Students receive a cost of living allowance.
Help with finding accommodation is provided as required.
Loughborough Engineering
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/eng/ensure/
Engineering Student Undergraduate Research Experience (ENSURE 2007) is for UK and
EU students with first class or upper second performance. Students take up this
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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competitive award in the summer vacation before final year. They are paid a tax free
stipend of £1800 over 10-week period. Students do individual research projects under
supervision and have a structured research training programme.
Oxford Brookes Geography
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/social/geoversity/
Founded in 2007 with initial support from the Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate
Research at Brookes and Warwick Universities (see institutional entry): an online journal
for undergraduate research work at Oxford Brookes University in Geography. Journal
articles are written in rapid communication style (up to 2,000 words) or as extended
articles (up to 4,000 words).( See also entry for national geography journal in section E)
Sheffield: Medicine and Biosciences: Undergraduate Research Journal:
Sheffield Enterprise Covering Undergraduate Research & Education (SECURE)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/research/undergraduate and
http://www.shef.ac.uk/content/1/c6/01/94/57/secure%202005%20final%20publication%20
edited%20on%20july%2027%202005%20%28Read-Only%29.pdf
This undergraduate research journal was published in 2004 and 2005 and was linked to
an undergraduate placement based research course that does not now run. The journal
is thus temporarily suspended. SECURE was open to all undergraduate medical students
within the Universities School of Medicine who felt that they have produced an
accomplished piece of research/educational material.
University College London, History of Science, at the Department of Science and
Technology Studies
From 2000 to 2005 Hasok Chang (inspired by his experience of undergraduate research
as a US undergraduate) directed a collaborative research project with undergraduate
students, through the final-year BSc module "Topics in History of the Physical Sciences"
(http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/chang/chlorine/C313.htm), in which students passed on their
works (including all research notes) from year to year for cumulative improvement. The
main findings from this collective project will be published in 2007 as an edited volume in
the monograph series of the British Society for the History of Science (Chang and
Jackson, forthcoming). For a news article describing this project see:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news-archive/feature/newsitem.shtml?hasok.
Following the successful completion of the pilot project on chlorine, Chang is now
planning a second run of the scheme starting in 2007-08 on an improved plan, this time
on the theme of electricity. The special course will now be given to second-year students,
allowing interested students to carry on with their projects in their third-year dissertations.
Meanwhile the same mechanism of inheritance will be in operation in the course, with the
added advantage that the previous year's students are still enrolled so that there can be
direct interaction between two successive cohorts. Aside from the particular project they
choose to work on, students in the course will be given the highlights of previous research
as required course readings (on which they will be examined), so that the entire group can
acquire a good sense of the growing body of work.
Hasok Chang has also developed a scheme aimed at giving students a simulated
research experience of past scientists. In this re-creation of an 18th-century periodical,
several issues of the web-based Virtual Nicholson's Journal, modelled after William
Nicholson's Journal of Chemistry, Natural Philosophy and the Arts are published each
year. Students are first introduced to a real debate from the history of science, and asked
to continue the debate as if they were "gentlemen scientists" from the late 18th century.
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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For further details and sample issues, see:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/chang/nicholson_v4/hpsc2007_essay1.htm.
Reference
Chang, H (2005) Turning an undergraduate class into a professional research community,
Teaching in Higher Education, 10(3), 387-394
Chang, H and Jackson, C (Eds) (forthcoming) An element of controversy: the life of
chlorine in science, medicine, technology and war. London: British Society for the
History of Science
York: Psychology: Undergraduate Research Experience Scheme (URES)
http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/psych/www/research/ures/
The programme was initiated in 2005 and built on previous informal arrangements. The
scheme enables students who wish to gain research experience to volunteer to assist with
current department staff projects. Any first- or second-year student can take part in the
scheme, though preference is normally given to second-year students (third-year students
are typically busy with their own projects and tend not to participate). Staff enter details of
their projects on PsychWeb (www.york.ac.uk/depts/psych/www/research/ures/), together
with an outline of the research questions, what research assistance is needed and the
rate of pay. Generally the payments to students come from research grants.
Reference
Goebel, S. and Gennari, S. (2006) Involving students in the research of faculty members
through the development of a departmental undergraduate research scheme, available
at:
http://www.psychology.heacademy.ac.uk/docs/doc/p20070124_YorkPsychDept_CaseSt
udyV2.doc
E: NATIONAL JOURNALS AND STUDENT CONFERENCES
Bioscience Horizons
http://biohorizons.oxfordjournals.org/
The National Undergraduate Research Journal. A consortium of Universities, including
Leeds, Nottingham, Chester and Reading with experience or interest in publishing
undergraduate research are working with Oxford University Press to produce an on-line
journal to showcase the best of UK undergraduate research. Two issues will be published
in March and May 2008 as a pilot study.
Internet Journal of Criminology
http://www.internetjournalofcriminology.com/
All undergraduate and Masters dissertations that received a 70+ mark are eligible for
submission to the journal (at the moment, the IJC website only states ‘Undergraduate
Dissertations’, but Masters work is also now accepted, though NOT PhDs). Supervisors
should therefore be encouraged to facilitate this with their most able students, which will
help them with their career progression.
Geoverse – the undergraduate research journal for geography
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/social/geoverse/
Geoverse is a collaboration between Oxford Brookes University, University of Reading,
University of Gloucestershire and Queen Mary, University of London with initial funding
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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support from the Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Subject Centre (GEES
http://www.gees.ac.uk). Geoverse publishes the very best of original undergraduate
research and scholarship in physical and human geography. The aims of Geoverse are to:
allow students to pilot research writing skills in a supportive but rigorous environment of
review and to enable high quality undergraduate research to be accessed in the public
domain. Articles are reviewed by a trained panel of postgraduate students.
Student Conference on Conservation Science
http://www.sccs-cam.org/
The Student Conference on Conservation Science is one of very few conservation
conferences aimed entirely at students. It helps young conservation scientists gain
experience, learn new ideas and make contacts that will be valuable for their future
careers. Over the past 7 years, we have hosted delegates from over 80 countries
worldwide. Each day the programme starts with a plenary lecture from a leading
conservation scientist, and is followed by around 10 student talks. About 70 students also
present their work at the two poster sessions. As well as attending presentations,
conference delegates can take part in workshops, which cover skills such as paperwriting, fund-raising, working with the media, and much more. Other events include
evening sessions where delegates can meet conservation professionals from leading UK
and international conservation bodies. This year (2007) we are also introducing a new
internship scheme, enabling students to extend their visit to the UK for up to four weeks
after the conference to carry out mutually beneficial work with conservation organisations
or academic institutions. We expect the internship scheme to help develop the careers of
promising conservation scientists and to strengthen and catalyse north-south
collaborations.
F: ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING AND FUNDING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH:
THE RESEARCH COUNCILS
Research Councils UK
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/default.htm
RCUK is the organisation which is the strategic partnership between 7 Research Councils
which support research in the UK higher education sector “The role of the Research
Councils has evolved beyond its traditional place on one side of the Dual Support system,
and the Councils are taking a more pro-active role in promoting and supporting the
broader context for research and research careers. Vacation Bursary schemes and the
RCUK Academic Fellowships are two examples of the way in which Councils are seeking
to strengthen this broader context as one in which research, and the innovative thinking of
the next generation of researchers, can develop” (Lyne 2007).
“Vacation Bursary schemes operated by the Research Councils (currently BBSRC and
EPSRC) are a way of supporting the recruitment of the best undergraduate students into
research degrees – and therefore ultimately about improving the supply of researchers”
(ESPRC 2006, 3).
References
Diamond, I (2006) The Relationship between research and training, RCUK/Higher
Education Academy Conference, Bringing research and teaching together
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/Ian_Diamond_hea.ppt
EPSRC (2006) Vacation Bursary Good Practice Event, 2nd November, Aston University
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/training/06_vacation_bursary_good_practice_event_rep
ort.pdf
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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Lyne, I (2006) RCUK Vacation Bursaries, RCUK/Higher Education Academy Conference,
Bringing research and teaching together
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/Ian_Lyne.ppt
Lyne, I (2007) Bringing research and teaching together: a Research Council perspective,
International policies and practices for academic enquiry: An international colloquium
held at Marwell conference centre, Winchester, UK, 19–21 April, http://portallive.solent.ac.uk/university/rtconference/2007/resources/ian_lyne.pdf
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/training/vacation_bursaries.html
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in 2004
established a pilot scheme to offer Vacation Bursaries to give promising undergraduates
an opportunity to experience first hand a period of time during the summer vacation in a
research laboratory in a UK university or a BBSRC-sponsored research institute to
encourage them to consider a career in scientific research. The pilot in 2004 proved to be
so successful that in 2006 it was expanded to 80 bursaries per year, and also in 2006
'Vacation Bursaries in Mathematical Biology' were introduced. In 2007 BBSRC awarded
100 Vacation Bursaries to 65 different departments. The bursaries are primarily allocated
pro rata with the award of our Quota PhD studentships. Studentship quotas are allocated
through a competition process which looks at the broad training environment offered by a
department. In November 2006, BBSRC and EPSRC held a joint good practice event to
discuss the use and objectives of Vacation Bursaries.
Reference
EPSRC (2006) Vacation Bursary Good Practice Event, 2nd November, Aston University
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/training/06_vacation_bursary_good_practice_event_rep
ort.pdf
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PostgraduateTraining/VacationBursaries/default.htm
The Vacation Bursary Programme provides funding for undergraduate students to gain
first-hand experience of research in a UK university to help them consider a research
career. A pilot programme was carried out in the summer of 2006. An evaluation of that
programme concluded that “the pilot was shown to have been very successful for all those
involved. Students said that it was a positive experience and that they would recommend
to others. Based on this evaluation, we will now consider continuing the programme in the
future and what improvements can be made” (EPSRC, 2007, 4). Students carry out a
research project lasting around 10 weeks during the summer vacation. Students were in
the middle years of a first degree within EPSRC’s remit, and could fulfil EPSRC doctoral
training grant eligibility requirements by the end of their undergraduate degree.
Projects have a clearly defined objective within EPSRC’s remit, but are not to be part of a
normal degree course. In 2007, 15 universities have been selected to take part the
activity, based on their EPSRC research income. Projects will take place during the 2007
summer vacation. Each university is awarded £20,000 to support up to 10 students
(based on a suggested stipend of £180 per week plus research consumables of £200).
Reference
EPSRC (2007) Evaluation of the 2006 Vacation Bursary Programme,
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PostgraduateTraining/VacationBursaries/Evaluation2006.htm
UK BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES: Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
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_______________________________________________________________________
G ORGANISATIONS FUNDING AND SUPPORTING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH:
OTHER NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
British Society for Animal Science (BSAS) Summer Placement Scheme
http://www.bsas.org.uk/funds,_awards_&_jobs/summer_placement_scheme/
Since 1995, BSAS, commercial companies and research institutes have been cooperating
together with motivated college and university students on the Summer Placement
Scheme. The scheme enables companies and institutes to have access to students to
help complete specific projects and tasks at a busy time of year. For students it means
practical work experience in an environment that will match their area of study or interests.
Long term it will help career prospects for young people. Depending upon the individual
companies and institutes involved, the work available ranges from practical field work or
laboratory studies to computerised data handling of literature reviews and report writing.
BSAS helps match appropriate companies and students and put them in touch with each
other. Placements last for a minimum of 6 weeks. BSAS has £500 for each project. This
sum is expected to be matched by an institute or company.
Cancer Research UK Bursaries
http://science.cancerresearchuk.org/gapp/personalfund/otherbursaries/long_vacation_sch
olarships?version=2
These bursaries are used to encourage exceptional undergraduates to consider a career
in cancer research, by providing research experience during the long summer vacation.
The bursary provides a subsistence allowance for the student in the region of £180 per
week. No location allowances are provided. A contribution of £500 is made towards
laboratory expenses. The duration of the project is 6-10 weeks. Applicants must be longterm Cancer Research UK grantees (ie in receipt of core Institute, Programme grant,
Senior Fellowship or Career Development Fellowship funding). Applications should
include the name of a nominated student who will take up the award. Students should
normally be completing the penultimate year of their degree in the summer in which the
award is taken up. Cancer Research UK does not anticipate funding more than one
student in a particular laboratory in any one year.
Carnegie Trust (Scotland) Vacation Scholarships and Undergraduate University
Expeditions
http://www.carnegie-trust.org/our_schemes.htm
Undergraduates who were born in Scotland or who have a parent born in Scotland or who
have at least two years of secondary education in Scotland, may be considered for the
award of a Vacation Scholarship for the pursuit of a full-time research project, usually in
the vacation between their second and third years. Vacation Scholarships cannot be used
for attendance at conferences. Candidates can only be considered on the nomination of
Deans, who are asked to rank in order of merit all applicants from their Faculty.
Scholarships are for maintenance of up to a maximum of eight weeks, whether based at
home, elsewhere in the United Kingdom, or abroad. Nominees can come from any Faculty
and nominations by Deans be must be received by April 1st. Applications can only be
accepted via University Faculties.
The Trust will consider applications for a grant towards the cost of expeditions which are
approved and supported by a Scottish University. The expedition, which must bear the
name of the University and comprise at least five undergraduates from that University; it
must have as its purpose the training of undergraduates in research techniques through
the discovery of new knowledge. The expedition must have a coherent research
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programme and must be accompanied throughout by a member of staff or someone of
equal standing acceptable to the Trust.
Experimental Psychology Society: Undergraduate Research Bursaries
http://www.eps.ac.uk/grants/bursaries.html
http://www.eps.ac.uk/grants/UGbursary2.home.pdf
This scheme finances a limited number of bursaries (5) to support undergraduates in the
summer vacation immediately prior to their final year. Awards are made to members of the
Society and provides up to 10 weeks’ support (£200 per week) for their nominated
undergraduate. It is intended that the bursaries be targeted at undergraduates who are
considering a research career in experimental psychology (as defined by the content of
the Society’s journals). The bursary is administered, and the research project carried out,
at the applicant’s institution, although this need not be the institution at which the student
is currently registered for a degree. The purpose of these bursaries is to allow the student
to learn at first hand about experimental procedures and analyses employed in the host
laboratory. Awards will not be granted for work that is a central part of an already-funded
project. The award is for a maximum of £2,000, and any additional expenses must be
borne by the host institution.
Genetics Society Summer Scholarships
http://www.genetics.org.uk/genetics_society_summer_studentships
The Summer Scholarships provide financial support for undergraduate students in any
area of genetics, to gain research experience by carrying out a research project in the
long vacation, usually prior to their final year. Studentships will only be awarded for
students who have yet to complete their first degree. A maximum of 40 studentships will
be awarded. They will consist of an award of £150 per week for up to 10 weeks to the
student plus an expenses grant of £500 to the host laboratory. The award will be made to
the host institution. Applications are invited from members of the Genetics Society who
run a research group within a University or Research Institute or an industrial research
facility. Applications for a named student, with CV and reference from their tutor (or
equivalent) will be an advantage. Undergraduate students are encouraged to seek a
sponsor and develop a project application with the sponsor.
Institute of Structural Engineers (URGS)
http://www.istructe.org.uk/technical/db/index.asp?page=227&bhcp=1
The Undergraduate Research Grants scheme sponsors undergraduate research projects
carried out during term-time as part of a degree programme. The scheme is funded by
the Institution’s Research Fund and aims to support challenging and satisfying research at
undergraduate level. Up to ten grants of up to £500 each will be available in 2006.
Supervisors submit applications during March and April for a particular project idea to be
carried out in the next academic year. If the application is successful the supervisor then
selects a suitable student to undertake the project. The timing of the project is decided by
the supervisor and is intended to coincide with the university’s usual arrangements for
term time undergraduate projects that are assessed for a degree.
Nuffield Foundation: Undergraduate Research Bursaries in Science
http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/go/grants/nsbur/page_412.html
These bursaries provide support to enable undergraduates who are considering research
as a career to work in a research laboratory during the summer vacation before their final
year. The bursaries provide student support normally for a period between 6 and 8 weeks,
plus a sum for research expenses. Established in 1990 with a linked scheme at secondary
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school level, 4000 undergraduate bursaries have been awarded since then. A 2006
review of both schemes concluded they were “strikingly effective … seen as crucial
encounters at a critical stage in career choice.” In 2007-2012 the scheme is to be
expanded with £1 million committed to 1500 bursaries in 2007.
Reference
Hughes V (2006) The Nuffield Foundation’s Undergraduate Research Bursaries in
Science, RCUK/Higher Education Academy Conference, Bringing research and
teaching together http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/Vicki_Hughes2.ppt
Paul Kelly: Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Software Performance
Optimisation
http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~phjk/phjk-UROP.html
Undergraduate Research Opportunities are provided for up to three students to spend the
summer working in the Software Performance Optimisation research group. The objective
is to involve them in the Group research work. A successful UROP project should lead to
them being co-authors on a published paper, and/or being responsible for an open-source
software release. The criterion for selection is that the students need to be able to get
stuck into very complex software, and make it work.
Royal Meteorological Society Undergraduate Scholarships
http://www.rmets.org/education/scholarships/index.php
The Royal Meteorological Society is offering up to eight undergraduate vacation support
scholarships in meteorology and its related disciplines. The undergraduate scholarships
are to support vacation research placements of eight weeks duration for students due to
enter their final year of first degree studies.
Society for General Microbiology Vacation Scholarships
http://www.sgm.org.uk/grants/vs.cfm
Vacation Studentships are small awards to enable undergraduates in the UK and
Republic of Ireland to work on microbiological research projects for 6-8 weeks in the
summer vacation before their final year. There are elective grants for medical, dental and
veterinary science students. These are small awards to enable medical, dental and
veterinary science undergraduates to work on microbiological research projects during
their elective periods.
Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Vacation Scholarships
http://www.ufaw.org.uk/Home.htm
UFAW established the vacation scholarship award scheme in 1983 to encourage students
to develop an interest in animal welfare and to provide them with the opportunity to
conduct relevant research. Applications are welcome from undergraduates (or equivalent)
in agricultural, biological, medical, veterinary or zoological sciences. Students must be
registered at a university or college in the British Isles. Preference is given to
undergraduates.
Welcome Trust Vacation Scholarships
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/node2124.html
The Vacation Scholarship is intended to provide promising undergraduates with 'handson' experience of research during the summer vacation and to encourage them to
consider a career in research. Applicants should be university undergraduates in the
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middle years of their first degree studies (i.e. not the first or last year) and registered for a
basic science or veterinary degree, or medical students between the end of their second
year and the end of their penultimate year. Scholarships are not available for the
completion of student projects that are part of the normal degree course. Preference will
be given to undergraduates without previous research experience. Students are
encouraged to arrange their scholarship away from their usual place of study.
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