About the initiative
To maintain Australia’s position as leaders in science and innovation on a global playing field, we need to sustain a reliable pipeline of talented STEM professionals who enter and stay in careers in research. Creating a thriving ecosystem for cutting-edge research and skilled, curious researchers to flourish is key to attracting new people to the Australian biomedical research sector.
CSIRO’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) is a work integrated learning program. It is designed to harness the wisdom and expertise of our best biomedical researchers, and to connect them with highly capable undergraduate students interested in research, for a mutual learning opportunity. Students gain important, paid experience working in research teams, while their supervisors develop mentoring skills to enhance their leadership and management performance. There is an application process for both undergraduate students and prospective supervisors to participate in the program.
Hi, I'm Tristy Falkenberg. I'm the Deputy Director of CSIRO Science Connect. CSIRO is Australia's National Science Agency. Our mission is to solve Australia's greatest challenges with science and technology. Did you know that we invented Wi-Fi? And the bank notes you use every day are an Australian invention and they're now used in 45 countries around the world. What we do impacts Australians positively every day in lots of different ways.
UROP (or the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program) has a proud history in the Victorian biomedical research industry, UROP differs significantly from other programs.
Firstly, it's not just a placement for a couple of weeks over a summer, it's for a minimum of six months up to 12 months, really giving the student an immersive experience of what it's like to be in a lab in biomedical research. The program enables labs and lab personnel and the students to connect broadly across the biomedical network in Victoria, building networks, building connections for their career now and into the future.
Secondly, the placement program enables early career researchers and PhD students an opportunity to supervise a student building their supervision skills and their line management skills for their future employment. And then thirdly, the placement program is individually tailored to place students with the right lab and the right supervisor to ensure the right fit and the most successful outcomes of the program.
And finally, the program enables broad connections to be made by people working in the lab and also the students right across the biomedical sector in Victoria to really build those connections for their careers now and into the future.
A very warm welcome to all the students of UROP. Congratulations on getting into the program. It's very competitive. We're delighted to have you. This program has the capacity to change your life. Not only will it provide you a hands-on long-term experience of what it's like to work in a biomedical lab, it will also open your eyes about what other opportunities are available for you and for your career. So I urge you to make the most of the opportunity and hope you really enjoy the experience over the time you are with the program.
The best advice I can give is to grab the year off opportunity with both hands, ask questions, learn new skills, make connections. Most importantly, think about what drives you. This will help you decide what you want to do with your career going forward, no matter what you decide. Congratulations again to all the students who are participating in UROP and thank you to all the supervisors in labs that are enabling this to happen.
I can't wait to hear what you're achieving and what you've succeeded in learning over the last year.
Work with us
Encouraging students to pursue further education and careers in biomedical research is critical to a thriving STEM research ecosystem in Australia. Find out more about UROP and how you might get involved.
The solution
Investing in, and training the next generation of scientists by providing early, positive experiences of research lab work to students, is key to cultivating an interest in pursuing biomedical research as a career. It also helps build Australia’s STEM talent pipeline and bridge the gap between university education and real-world research.
UROP provides the platform to connect STEM professionals with undergraduate students in their penultimate year of study to create opportunities for students to experience working in a research team. The program also facilitates cross organisational and cross-disciplinary networking and interactions. This enables university students based in Victoria to incorporate practical research into their undergraduate study years, bringing the real-world application of STEM study to life.
UROP is the platform that gives undergraduate students in STEM the chance to immerse themselves in the day-to-day workings of a wet or dry research lab, and to motivate them to continue further biomedical research or work, while earning an income.
The program is made possible through the willingness of researchers from leading institutions to supervise and monitor the progress of bright and curious students throughout the work placement, mentoring and guiding them through their own research journeys.
Our partners
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program has been funded by CSL since 2010. CSL’s generous support contributes to the successful management and delivery of the program. This includes ongoing monitoring and evaluation, to determine the success of the program, apply learnings for future improvements, and report on outcomes and impact. Delivering this program enables CSIRO to make important development opportunities available to biomedical research students and supervisors, helping to build the skilled STEM workforce Australia needs.
Patron's statement
UROP Newsletter
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program newsletter. Sign up to the UROP newsletter to learn more about the program and upcoming opportunities.