Student Research Experience

The University of Sheffield prides itself on being a research-led institution. The Sheffield Graduate is said to be a "skilled and ethical researcher" and the 2011-2016 Learning & Teaching Strategy articulates that "all students on all programmes" should have "a significant research experience". This means that this University strives to offer opportunities for students to experience research either through their course or through extra-curricular activities. 

Research enhances and develops skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, analysis, time and project management, and dissemination. These skills, along with the opportunity to deepen your knowledge around a subject, make research an invaluable part of everyone's academic development.

What is Research?

Many students may not know what research involves, or feel nervous about their ability to undertake a piece of research. This information from The Academic Skills Hub (TASH) goes into more detail about what is involved in research and the skills needed.

Research and the methods used to solve problems or prove a theory differ in each discipline. It's not just about working in a science lab and doing experiments; research can involve focus groups, questionnaires, reading literature, observing behaviour or even watching films!

It is highly likely that your tutors and lecturers have carried out research in the past (and are probably doing some now), so ask them or look up their staff profiles to get an idea of how research happens in your discipline.

Opportunities for Research

The SURE (Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience)scheme offers The University of Sheffield's undergraduate students funded research opportunities to become directly involved in the research activity of the University, take part in "real life" research projects in subject areas that are of special interest, and experience what it's like to work in partnership with academic staff or collaboratively in a research group.

There are 3 strands to the scheme - one specifically for students in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health, one specifically for Biomedical Science students, and one run centrally by LeTS which is open to students from all departments and disciplines.

Discover & Understand is a new and exciting new project to be launched in September 2012, and will encourage students to engage with world leading research to enrich their understanding of their own subject. The project will have three components:

• The Sheffield Lecture Series
• The 'Made in Sheffield' Series (run by the Students’ Union)
• A themed research week (Building Sustainable Communities)

Keep an eye out for publicity in the Autumn semester.