Staff

The projects should have clear outcomes (ie what will be disseminated to colleagues in the subject area/Faculty/University/sector), and should be mutually beneficial for both the supervisor and the successful student. Each project should have a named academic leader who will act as supervisor.

URB@N students will need to be demonstrably supported in gaining research skills (ie not be regarded as ‘free photocopiers’) and provided with opportunities to gain new skills. Staff will therefore need to explain how they plan to support the student during the research, and how any required skills or techniques will be developed. Remember that the principle behind URB@N is the notion of staff-student partnerships, with staff and students working together on learning and teaching projects. Therefore it is important for staff to outline how they will work with the student on the research, as a collaborative partnership. The role that students will be expected to take during the research will need to be outlined, along with what the anticipated benefits will be for students in terms of their skills and career development. Projects should be of a suitable scale (ie around 50 hours of student work) and be appropriately paced to fit in with students’ academic studies. Dissemination of results will be encouraged, and staff will need to outline how they anticipate using and sharing the findings from the project.

All of this information needs to be included on the application form (click on the link to preview the file. You can download it using the 'download' arrow at the top). NB: Applications for 2022 close on 1st November.

Please note the following regarding the URB@N application process:

1. There is always an 'open call' for project themes (meaning staff can propose a project relevant to any area of the student experience), but we also invite applications aligning to particular institutional priorities.

2. As well as applying for new projects, we are also inviting staff to apply to continue a previous URB@N project. This will enable projects to be further developed - broadening the scale and likely impact of the work. Supervisors who wish to apply for this project extension can do so through the usual process, ensuring they also complete 'Section C' of the application form to explain the rationale for the project continuation. Supervisors can choose to re-employ their previous URB@N student, or appoint a new one - giving reasons for their decision on the application form.

3. We encourage staff to select their URB@N student researcher prior to submitting an application (where possible). On the application form, there is now space for staff to identify who their student researcher will be should the bid be successful, and why they are deemed suitable for the role. Staff members who are not able to identify a student at this stage will need to briefly explain how they intend to recruit a suitable URB@N researcher if their application is successful.

On receipt of applications, there is a review process involving a small team of staff involved with coordinating the URB@N scheme. Applications are blind reviewed in terms of the suitability of the project; support that will be provided to students; the quality of involvements students will have in the project and the potential benefits to students and the institution. As far as possible, attempts are made to ensure fair representation across schools and departments in the university.

Once successful projects have been identified, details of these are publicised on the URB@N website. This usually happens towards the end of November. At this stage, supervisors who do not yet have an URB@N researcher in place will need to recruit a suitable student. URB@N projects can only run if there are suitable students to take up the allocated bursary place, and all URB@N students need to be in place by the end of the Autumn term. We encourage staff to interview potential bursary students to assess their suitability for the project before making a final decision.