UREKA Summer Students 2010 @ APC

Twelve science students are taking part in this year’s UREKA Summer research programme, funded by Science Foundation Ireland at the APC and Departments of Microbiology and Biochemistry, UCC.

The 12 students, chosen from a group of 160 applicants, are from universities in the US and Poland as well as from Irish third level institutions including Maynooth, DIT, CIT and UCC. The students are undertaking a 12 week challenging research project in infectious diseases and microbe-host interactions that introduces them to all aspects of laboratory based research from the inception of the project to the design and implementation of experiments. Students also have workshops on entrepreneurship, ethics, core technologies, scientific writing and presentation skills, as well as a site visit to a local pharmaceutical company.

This is the 5th year of the UREKA (Undergraduate Research Experience and Knowledge Award) summer research programme in UCC. The programme aims to increase undergraduate students' interest in biological science by providing them with excellent research experiences, broadening their scientific horizons and helping them make more informed career decisions. It also aims to encourage them to consider following a course of PhD study and to help Ireland’s researchers attract high calibre PhD students through showcasing Irish science abroad. To date the programme has been very successful with 40% of students from the first three years of the programme going on to start PhDs and 52% doing some form of postgraduate degree (Masters or PhD) at UCC and other Irish, UK and US universities and research institutes

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