This page contains information about UROP for staff. Student facing information is available here.

Overview

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) enables University of Cambridge undergraduate students to undertake a research project over the summer vacation. UROP students gain experience of working in an academic research environment, acquire a deeper understanding of a specific subject area, and broaden their future career opportunities.

This page details information specifically for the Department of Engineering UROP. A list of available UROP projects can be viewed here.

UROP is open to University of Cambridge undergraduates of any nationality. Some oppourtunities, such as those funded by EPSRC, are also open to undergraduates at other UK Universities, who are not in their final year. Projects can run at any time during the summer vacation, but not during term.

UROP projects must be funded. These are often covered by the supervisors' own research grants or external collaborators to cover the student's allowances and associated costs, any research costs and consumables.

The use of EPSRC research grants for UROP is not usually permitted - staff wishing to do this must contact the relevant programme manager well in advance, and provide written confirmation that this expenditure on the grant will be accepted by EPSRC.

UROP students should be paid the National Living Wage plus the appropriate holiday pay, as a mimumum. Payments will be made to students subject to appropriate deductions for PAYE (Income tax and National Insurance contributions), although individual departments or funding sources may set a different rate. The normal duration of a UROP placement is 10 weeks, though shorter or longer projects may be supported at the discretion of the supervisor.

EPSRC annually provide Vacation Internships (formerly called Vacation Bursaries) from the DTP to fund science and engineering projects, shared among various Departments. NERC also fund UROP projects.

EPSRC / NERC awards impose selection criteria on the students. All students should be undertaking an undergraduate degree, which must be within EPSRC's remit, and should be able to fulfil EPSRC's doctoral training grant eligibility requirements at the end of their undergraduate degree. An internship should generally take place in the summer vacation before the student's final year of study and last an average of ten weeks. The scheme may not be used as a bridge between the undergraduate degree and PhD or other work, therefore students who are currently in their final year and who will have completed their degree by the summer are not eligible. Research Council funded projects must be widely advertised via this web site.

Projects may be submitted at any time from October onwards, and preferably by the middle of the Lent Term. UROP projects may be proposed at any time but early posting increases the chances of obtaining a student with the skills you may require.

How to offer a UROP project

1. Advertising your project

The latest UROP project proposal template is downloadable below. Once complete, please submit to the Industrial Placements Coordinator, who manages the posting of UROP projects

2. Recruiting Students

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme is available to undergraduate students only. Final year students due to graduate in the summer are NOT eligible.

• Note that the selection process should be fair and comply with normal expectations of equal opportunities.
• Project start and end dates are negotiable and should be agreed in advance by student and supervisor. 10 weeks is standard, but does not have to be continuous. It is possible to allow time for holiday breaks.
• The projects should be planned on the basis of a 37.5 hour working week.

Once a student has been selected, you must inform the Industrial Placements Coordinator, who will make the project as filled and can advise on next steps.

3. Project administration

Administrative responsibility is organised by Joe Goddard, Industrial Placements Coordinator. The academic co-ordinator is Professor John Durrell.

Once you have selected a student you will need to complete the UROP Appointment Form, downloadable here. This has to be done alongside the selected student and submitted to the Industrial Placements Coordinator for review and authorisation.

UROP Appointement Forms must be submitted at least one week before the project is due. This is to allow time for students to be processed on the Cambridge Casual Worker System and for the Safety Office to sign off.

The Finance Office will need a GL code or a Grant Project code on the CCWS checklist to proceed. The administrators are not able to deal with contracts or donation discussions with funders, nor are they able to advance funds for a project on the basis of promised funding. The supervisor will need to ensure that these are in place.

The Industrial Placements office is able to advise on estimated costs of CCWS payment but, as a number of variables apply, the final cost can vary. No responsibility can be accepted for overspends.

The student MUST regiser with the Cambridge Casual Worker System have their Right to Work checked and complete the Workers Agreement prior to the start of the project. No student is permitted to start work until their Right to Work has been confirmed as to do so would be working illegally and the university will not accept such risks.

Students with college funding can participate in a UROP but a college letter confirming the student is receiving at least the national living wage will need to be supplied in lieu of a completed CCWS form.

• For students from outside of the Department of Engineering: in addition to the Right to Work checks, these students must also register with the Research Office Visitor Administrator before the UROP begins.

4. Running the project

Running a UROP carries the usual responsibility associated with supervising any undergraduate work in the lab.

Students MUST NOT start a project until they have been legally cleared to do so by the Finance Office.

There should be no problems with overseas students taking part in this, providing their visa allows them to legally work full time during official vacation periods. (For example, Student visa).

The standard working week is 37.5 hours.

CCWS timesheets must be submitted in a timely manner to the finance office for payments to be processed. Payments are made on a regular basis using the CCWS System.

Students are advised they must work to an acceptable technical standard and devote an agreed amount of time to the project. Supervisors should warn students in writing if their performance gives cause for concern, and they may terminate the UROP if performance remains unsatisfactory.

5. Final report

Students are expected to write up a report at the end of their UROP project. This is for the benefit of both staff (for their records) and student (as an essential part of their research training). It is the supervisor's responsibility to give clear guidance on what is required in the final report.