Getting started (how to get involved)

If you are new to the idea of undertaking undergraduate research then you are welcome to read our student perpectives (case studies) from students who undertook UROP in the summer of 2024 and other recent summers (new ones for 2025 will be added by the end of November 2025). There are some terrific perspectives to read and gain inspiration from.

UPDATED (October 2025) - provision of a "bursary": A UROP is considered to be an extra-curricular educational activity at Imperial, and it is not work nor employment. For any UROP undertaken from 1 January 2026, a supervisor (and therefore the host dept) must provide or facilitate a bursary (financial support) for the student. Proposed supervisors who are unable to provide a bursary from funds they have access to ought to be willing to support a bursary application to a third party, including Imperial’s scheme, any dept-level scheme or an external scheme where they exist. Please note that family and personal resources are not valid sources of a bursary. The host dept must identify the bursary when completing the registration procedure (form). Further guidance will be published on 1 January 2026.

Our information sheet can help eligible undergraduates understand some key aspects as to how the scheme runs at Imperial: UROP information sheet (2026).

In addition, our short UROP presentation (to support the 2026 UROP information sheet) can assist in understanding the relevance of the scheme to those (staff and stduents) who participate.

...and students are also encouraged to read the 2026 UROP update (on our What is UROP page), and to revisit this website in January 2026 for further updates.

-----------------------------

Thinking of 2026?

OK, so you have read "What is UROP" (especially, the eligibility criteria), and reviewed some "perspectives". You have presumably taken a moment to read the information sheet and the presentation.

It is truly amazing what you can forge in the world of UROP with good networking, timely preparation and, perhaps, a bit of good luck along the way.

Students consider the potential of UROP at different stages in their educational lifecycle and therefore the motivations behind undertaking a UROP can differ. Equally the timetable for planning a UROP and the detail behind that plan can differ. On the one hand you may have been planning your every last move from before you commenced your degree, while on the other hand you might be in the latter stages of your degree and have just realised that your future is just around the corner and you urgently need to consider your options!

A good person to speak to if you wish to discuss your motivations further is your academic advisor at your current university, which for undergraduates at Imperial is your ‘personal tutor’.

This section provides further information and guidance on how to develop a UROP.

....and, to remind everyone, that our information sheet can help eligible undergraduates understand some key aspects of how the scheme runs at Imperial: UROP information sheet (2026).

The continued use of remote (i.e. non campus) options, as determined by a supervisor, to structure and deliver a UROP remain valid.

Good Luck!