Guidance for during a UROP

Your first day

Good (but proportional) preparation by both you and the supervisor should help increase the chances of a successful start to your research experience.

Needless to say, you should expect your supervisor to have arranged a time for you to arrive on Day 1 and for them (or an associate) to conduct your induction

  • All UROP participants should complete a Day 1 Safety Induction Checklist/Form (scroll down to "Induction Checklist"), including Imperial College undergraduate students of the department in which the UROP will take place.  A completed Safety Induction Form is normally also required by the College ID Office before a new ID card is produced or an existing ID card is extended or renewed. 
    • If you are new to the College then you will need to obtain your ID Card (refer to your UROP registration email).
    • If you are an Imperial College undergraduate who is new to the department, or perhaps the building in which your UROP will take place, to have your ID card updated with the correct buildings access.
    • If you are an Imperial College undergraduate whose degree programme is about to conclude, then you will need to have your ID card extended on or after the end of the academic year depending on when you commenced your UROP.
  • The Day 1 Induction should include (but is not limited to):
    • general health and safety awareness;
    • reference to upcoming training for any materials and equipment you would be required to handle/use;
    • emergency routines;
    • local access to rooms/corridors/facilities;
    • names of designated first aid officers and fire wardens;
    • any allocation of desk space;

Some research groups will require the UROP participant to complete Occupational Health procedures before the UROP can commence. This may have been actionned (with you) before your first day.

Some further points:

  • Your UROP should, of course, have been registered with the College in advance.
  • If your UROP is to include periods away from the College Estate then the Imperial College's Off-site working procedures must be followed by the host department at Imperial. Local research group administrators can advise. If a UROP includes a period abroad (yes, it does occasionally happen) then the College's Overseas Travel Insurance can be presumed to apply, subject to policy wording. Local research group administrators can advise.
  • If you have been promised a bursary and the source is the host department then you will at some stage be asked to complete some paperwork. Please read the Funding: Frequently Asked Questions.
  • Don’t forget the UROP Participant's Declaration that you signed up to when registering your research experience with UROP.

Ensure that you address any problems on the first day, and as they arise during the research experience.

All students should take a moment to make yourself familiar with both the building you are located in and the campus.

It is possible, if you are Imperial undergraduate, that you may already know quite well the environment you will be working in from your undergraduate study but equally you may not.  Of course, if you are a student in another department at Imperial College or you are a student from another university then it will all be new to you and you will need some time to adapt, although the short nature of many UROPs means that you need to be someone who adapts quickly to new environments.

If you are new to the College, perhaps a student from another UK university you might wish to make acquaintances with other UROP students by contacting the UROP Manager (urop@imperial.ac.uk) who will be pleased to assist.

Orientation information for UROP students who are new to the College can be found on the UROP Registration page.