UROP

Welcome to the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme

UROP placements provide exciting opportunities for undergraduates to work with academic staff on research projects across the University, contributing directly to the creation of knowledge and strengthening the link between teaching and research. Placements last six weeks over the summer break, or can be part-time into the autumn term. The scheme is only open to University of Reading students in their middle years of study (ie not first of final year students).

As a student, a UROP placement makes a significant contribution to your transferable skills, employability and understanding of the research environment and you will also receive a bursary of £1,200. UROPs may encourage you to pursue a research career, but also provide skills and experience for other employment. Placements are undertaken in the summer before final year projects, boosting research skills and subject knowledge prior to dissertation writing.

As a member of academic staff, a UROP placement could make a significant contribution to your research and help develop your undergraduate students. 

After initial funding and development by the Centre for Applied Undergraduate Research Skills, UROP was then management by the Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning (CDoTL. It is now being managed by CDOTL jointly with the Student Employment, Experience and Careers Centre (SEECC). From summer 2012 onwards UROP will be managed by SEECC.

Photo: Placement student Charlotte Williams found that collecting behavioural data on ring-tailed lemurs in their new Madagascar enclosure at CotswoldWildlifePark gave her a new level of respect for the animals and an appreciation of their endangered status."I have always wanted to study animal behaviour but never fully appreciated how beneficial it can be to the animals."