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Dr Hugh Shercliff

Director of Undergraduate Education

CU Department of EngineeringTrumpington St, Cambridge

hrs@eng.cam.ac.uk

Higher Education Academy:Bringing Research and Teaching Together

Friday 24 November 2006

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY UROP

(Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme)

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UROP in Cambridge

Pilot project for four years, supported by Cambridge-MIT Institute:

• participating Departments: Engineering, Plant Science, Genetics, Computer Science

• currently limited to internal students

• over 50 students in summer 2006

• target of 100+ students next year, including Physics (with continuing support of the Isaac Newton Trust)

What is UROP?

• undergraduate summer placement in research group (usually 10 weeks)

• students can work in their own or a different discipline

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UROP: some key benefits

For the undergraduates:

• exposure to high-quality research – enter the “slipstream” of internationally-recognised academics

• set studies in stimulating, exciting context – innovation, entrepreneurship• become full participants in, and contributors to, the University – reduce demarcations between staff, RAs, students, technical staff

• paid work relevant to studies (instead of low casual work)

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UROP: some key benefits

For the academic, the wider research community, and industry:

• improved supply to post-graduate research degrees and careers

• direct contribution to research output – proof-of-concept, publications, input to funding bids, boost to post-graduate student/RA productivity

• excellent value for money (£2k + consumables for 10 weeks)

• low administrative overhead, and flexibility to combine funds from multiple sources

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A personal case history

Research in Friction Stir Welding

Key data for new alloy +conference

papers

2003 2004 2005 2006

CASE PhD

Industry-funded MSc

EU FW5 project

UROP

Post-doc RA (industry-funded)

Collaboration withManchester University

DTI + industrialfunding

The UROP student’s history:

• First Class Bachelors degree

• hadn’t considered research

• 10 week UROP, followed by MEng

• PhD in same group

• Possible academic career ?

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UROP: the way forward

Scale-up, and long-term sustainability:

• Local challenges: - greater number of participating staff (no shortage of student demand) - increased industrial support - widen to new subjects, including Humanities

• National challenges: - significant funding from Research Councils and other agencies - streamlined, flexible operation (EPSRC - DTA route not ideal?) - long-term commitment to support UROP

• Alternative models: - e.g. Science Foundation Ireland: significantly greater funding individual projects and “summer school” activities