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Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA) is a university wide programme initiated to stimulate a culture of research for undergraduates.
Under the URECA programme, outstanding NTU undergraduates (2nd and 3rd Years in 4-year Bachelors degree programmes and 2nd Year in 3-year Bachelors degree programmes) are invited to undertake research from over 800 research projects ranging from engineering, biosciences, communications, business management, accountancy and humanity. |
Successful undergraduates taking up research under the URECA programme are called
NTU President Research Scholars (NTU PRSs).
The URECA programme is flexible and as an NTU PRS you are encouraged to pursue research in an area of your choice and in a school different from your own.
Who is eligible?
- The opportunity to undertake URECA is strictly by invitation. If eligible, your school will invite you in late August.
- It is open to only the most academically able undergraduates (2nd and 3rd Years in 4-year Bachelors degree programmes and 2nd Year in 3-year Bachelors degree programmes).
What are the areas of research?
- You can choose to work with any professor (assuming he/she agrees to supervise you) from any school in NTU on any research topic you’d like to pursue (subject to the agreement of a professor)
- You can choose a topic from the compiled list of research projects. They can even change projects and/or professors (if the new professor agrees to it).
What is expected?
As an NTU PRS, you are required to take up the undergraduate research general elective (see below) which will require you to take up a research project (from any school) for an average of 10 hours/week for 8 months in an academic year.
What are the benefits?
- Stipend: An NTU PRS will receive is $400/month for 10 hours/week of research work for a minimum of 8 months. The student can opt for more time if he/she chooses to spend more time in research.
- Credits towards degree programme: The undergraduate research general elective is worth 3 AUs (for all schools with the exception of 4 AUs for NBS and SCI) and will be counted towards the number of credits required for the degree programme.
- Opportunities: NTU PRS can experience research first-hand and your URECA professor can be a great referee and mentor for your future endeavours, possibly even become your partner in a new start-up venture(s).
The undergraduate research general elective
At the end of the undergraduate research general elective, the undergraduate should have a good appreciation of research, including the need for rigour and independence, appreciation of the open-endedness of research and the formulation of and approach to research problems.
It is desired that the undergraduate, upon graduation, would seriously consider pursuing a higher degree by research and thereafter, research as a career.
URECA Student Assessment Guidelines for AY2006-2007