Lincoln Academy of Learning & Teaching

There are two tiers of bursaries available for students undertaking a UROS Project. These are dependent on the project scope and time commitment involved in the research project.

Tier 1 UROS Project

• Project Scope should be 30 – 55 over a 4 – 10-week period.
• Should be an achievable workload to undertake alongside studies and/ or other commitments
• Can be conducted during term-time and/or over the summer-period
• £500 student bursary to contribute to cost of living while students undertake the research project.

Tier 2 UROS Project

• Project Scope should be 60+ hours over a 6 – 12-week period.
• Due to the time commitment required we encourage students to under-take a Tier 2 project over the summer-period so that the workload does not impact on studies.
• £1000 student bursary to contribute to cost of living while students undertake the research project.

The bursary awarded through UROS is intended for the student researcher/s. The awarded student bursary is a tax-free fixed amount paid directly to the student researcher(s) as a contribution to cost of living while undertaking the project.

To be eligible to receive a student bursary you must be a current undergraduate student while conducting your research project – therefore all first and second-year undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the scheme.
Final year students are eligible to apply if they will still be a current student when the UROS project starts. Final year students will only maintain their student status and be eligible to conduct a UROS project during the summer period if that are they are continuing into a higher degree when they graduate.

UROS research projects can be initiated by students or staff – or a collaborative idea developed together around a particular research interest.

The research project can be a stand-alone project or can contribute to part of an already existing research project.

Applications should be jointly written and submitted by the student researcher and academic supervisor/s.

There are two application windows to apply for UROS funding:

We recommend that those who wish to undertake a Tier 1 project alongside their studies apply during Window A as outcomes are announced in early February so that you can conduct your research during Semester B.

As a competitive programme, the number of bursaries available is limited, and therefore all applications are assessed against key criteria. Successful projects are awarded a student bursary of either £500 or £1000 (depending on the tier applied for). This bursary is intended for the student to contribute to cost of living while students undertake the research project.

Full Information on the application process can be found in the guidance documents.

UROS Student Guidance 2024
UROS Staff Guidance 2024

UROS is a unique opportunity for students and academics to collaborate and engage research.

As a student, UROS provides the opportunity to gain real research experience under the mentorship of an academic researcher at the university. By undertaking a research project, you can:

• Gain transferable skills that will benefit you in your studies and employability

• Insight into and experience of academic research and associated techniques

• Opportunities to contribute to the development of new knowledge

• Gain experience working alongside experienced University staff

• Develop knowledge and experience which will benefit future research funding applications

Taking part in UROS can make a significant contribution to your transferable skills and employability by developing research skills, highlighting initiative, enthusiasm, planning and development of unique ideas, collaboration, and many other transferable skills.

As a member of staff, UROS enables you to work with a student researcher to investigate specific interest areas, funded by LALT.  It is a great way for new staff to develop their skills in research supervision without a long-term commitment, as we provide a choice of different project lengths to fit around staff and student schedules. Becoming a UROS supervisor is a great away to provide students with the opportunity to develop their research skills and academic knowledge.

Applications are invited from any University of Lincoln undergraduate student wanting to pursue a research project in partnership with either an academic school or a professional service department.

There are some misconceptions about conducting research, such as research being viewed as a solely scientific process and less as a universal principle. However, this is not the case.

Research refers to the systematic investigation into and of sources that allow new conclusions to be drawn about the topic in question. This – simplified – means research is looking into an area of interest in a methodical way to develop and apply new knowledge into the topic of investigation.

Therefore there are many possibilities of areas of interest in which you can conduct research! For example, you can conduct applied research, where you find answers to a specific question you are interested in researching. Or you can conduct inductive research, where you collect data that may then help develop a new theory for your area of research.

Prior UROS research projects have been undertaken in a wide variety of areas. Here are some examples:

• “Avatars for Mobility Impaired Players in Games and Virtual Reality – Samuel Stubbings (UROS, 2019)
• “Fantastical bodies and how to wear them” – Kai Speed (UROS, 2020)
• “Using Sport to Reduce Stigma Towards Health Illness” – Janine Blades (UROS, 2021)
• “Can being attractive get you out of jail time?” – Janie-Lea Jarvis (UROS, 2022)

Students participating in the scheme will be expected to disseminate their projects and research findings in a variety of ways, including a published report 2000-word report and through a poster presentation at the annual UROS Showcase Exhibition (held in October/November).

Decide how much time you can commit to the project and when you are intending to conduct the research (during term-time or over the summer period). This will help you decide which tier of UROS Project to apply for.

All projects require an academic member of staff in the role of research project supervisor, who will act as a mentor to the student through the research project.

Finding an Academic Supervisor – If there is an area that interests you, you are welcome to approach an appropriate academic member of staff about the possibility of developing a project. If you have a broad range of interests and would like to undertake a UROS project but are not sure exactly what you would like to research, discuss with your tutors, and know that you are interested in participating a UROS project. They will be able to discuss your options, and if they can’t support the project, they may be able to put you in touch if a colleague who can.

Finding a Student Researcher – You may be approached by a student who already has an idea of a research project they may wish to develop or is enthusiastic about taking part in UROS and would like your guidance. Alternatively if you have an idea for a research project that you think would suit the scope of UROS (either a stand-alone or an element of a wider research project) you can approach students. This could be through your own networks, or by advertising somewhere like on blackboard.

UROS Projects can be undertaken in collaboration with other students however, there can only be one student bursary awarded per project, so this would need to be split between the students.

See the UROS Quick Application Guide for an overview of how the application process works.

The application form must be completed jointly by both the supervising academic and the participating student researcher(s) and have the approval of the Head of School. 

Before you start your application, you should have had an initial meeting to discuss the proposed research project and have the following prepared:

• Names and emails of all student researchers involved with the project
• Name and emails of all the Academic Supervisors involved with the project
• Project Title
• Project Statement (outline of the proposed research project)
• Impact Statement (impact of the research and dissemination plans)
• Student Statement (why you want to take part and what you will bring to the project)
• Academic Supervisor Statement (why you want to take part and what support you will give to the student)
• Which Project Tier you are applying for
• Project Plan (outline of the plan including a Gannt chart timeline)
• Project costs (if applicable)
• Ethics Reference

Please ensure that you read the UROS Application Guidance 2024 before making your application. This document guides applications though each section on the application form.

A requirement of taking part in the UROS scheme is that you adhere to the University’s ethical guidelines and procedures, therefore all UROS application form must be accompanied with a Lincoln Ethics Application System (LEAS) ethics application reference number. 

As part of your application an ethics application should be initiated as a draft but NOT SUBMITTED. By doing this the LEAS system will generate a reference number which can be provided in the application.

If the project is to be part of a larger project which already has ethics approval, please use the approved project ethics reference.

If your UROS application is successful, you will then need to submit your LEAS application. Ethical approval is needed before the research starts, and the student bursary can be paid. Delays with ethical approval may result in the withdrawal of the bursary funding for the research project.

More information can be found in the UROS Application Guidance 2024

How to submit your application

The completed application form should be submitted using the online application form by the stated application deadline. Please ensure that you read the full UROS Application Guidance 2024 before making your application.

The completed application form should be submitted using the online application form by the stated application deadline.

Please ensure that you read the full UROS Application Guidance 2024 before making your application.

UROS Application Form

If you are unable to access the online form a downloadable form can be requested by emailing uros@lincoln.ac.uk 

We understand that taking part in a UROS project may be an undergraduate students first experience of undertaking research and therefore provide a range of support to student researchers.

This support includes mentorship from your academic supervisor and is supplemented by dedicated workshops to help you with writing your paper, designing your research poster, and building your confidence to attend the poster presentation at the UROS Showcase.

Full Information on the support and workshops available can be found in the UROS Support Guide

If you have any questions or would like any further guidance about UROS contact uros@lincoln.ac.uk