Undergraduate research projects

SCIE30001 Science Research Project

The Science Research Project is an individual program of supervised research in which the student, in consultation with a supervisor, contributes to the design, execution and presentation of a research project.

The project may be ‘stand-alone’ or part of a larger research program being undertaken by the supervisor. The specific details of the project, including its scope and the compilation, analysis and presentation of the results, are negotiated with the supervisor and, as appropriate, the Science Research Project Coordinator(s).

You can undertake a project in most disciplines within the Faculty of Science, and should approach a potential supervisor within a discipline area that is aligned to your research interest. You will receive feedback on progress through ongoing consultation with your supervisor.

This subject provides an opportunity for students to gain first-hand experience of scientific research, and is intended for undergraduate students who have achieved excellent results in the discipline related to the project. Undertaking the Science Research Project provides invaluable insights for students considering a career in scientific research.

Application process

1. Discuss potential projects with the supervisor

To enrol in this subject, you will need to find an academic willing to act as your supervisor. This requires initiative on your part because we cannot predict who has the resources or capacity to offer a project at any particular time. So the first step is to identify some potential supervisors whose expertise aligns with your interests.

There are several avenues for discovering who is doing what research at Melbourne: for example, you can search ‘Find an expert’; you can read the research pages of the relevant School; and you can recall which classes you found really interesting and identify the lecturer that gave those classes.

Once you've gathered a list of potential supervisors, you should reach out to them to inquire about their availability for supervising a research project. It’s a good idea to describe the areas of research that interest you, and perhaps mention which of their research questions (or published papers) you find especially interesting.  It’s also helpful to attach a copy of your academic record, since this reveals your discipline expertise. If they are available, you can then arrange a suitable time for a meeting. While the meeting is an important way of discovering what projects might be available, it's also an important opportunity to work out whether you can work well with this person (and they are probably doing the same thing).

When you have found someone willing to be your supervisor, you can initiate your enrolment application, by following Step 2.

If you are unable to find a suitable supervisor, despite following the steps outlined above, then feel free to contact the relevant local coordinator for discipline-specific issues, or the coordinator for more general concerns.