CDE2605R Undergraduate Research Experience (UREx), offered by College of Design and Engineering (CDE), aims to deepen students' research experiences in STEM, create more opportunities for students to work on projects of their choice and promote partnerships between students and CDE faculty. To help students take a leap into research, grant monies of up to $2,500 for individual projects and $5,000 for group projects will be provided for the UREx project.

1. Learning Outcomes

On completion of UREx, students will be able to:

  • Conduct independent research;
  • Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills; and
  • Communicate research findings in a clear and concise manner.

2. Course Credits

Graded on a 'CS/CU' basis, successfully completing UREx will earn you 4 units which is counted towards the Unrestricted Elective (UE) requirement of your Bachelor’s degree.

Notes:

  • Students from AY2021/22 intake can take UREx to fulfil 4 units (out of 10) of the major internship requirement.
  • Students are allowed to take both UROP (EG2605) and UREx (CDE2605R), but not concurrently.
  • A maximum of 4 units from UROP/UREx can count towards the major internship requirement for Bachelor of Engineering students. If students take both UROP and UREx, the other 4 units will count towards unrestricted electives.

3. What is Involved?

UREx Flowchart

3.1. Eligibility Criteria

Pre-requisites
  • Should be a registered student of CDE. Non-CDE and exchange students are not allowed to register for CDE2605R.
  • Have at least Stage 2 standing (typically achieved after completing 36 units of courses). Polytechnic diploma holders are, however, exempted from this pre-requisite and are eligible to enrol for UREx as early as Stage 1 standing.  
  • Have at least two regular semesters of study remaining prior to graduation.
Other Conditions
  • Can only be taken once.
  • Not to be undertaken concurrently with UROP (EG2605), Student Exchange Program (SEP), NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) and Industrial Attachment (IA). Students must ensure they have completed their UREx deliverables before they commence UROP, SEP, NOC and IA. Failure to comply with this condition will result in a possible 'CU' grade being awarded to the student [Note: Students registering for UREx are eligible to participate in Vacation Industrial Attachment (VIA). Please refer to the Internships website for details on IA and VIA].
  • For students taking both UROP and UREx (Note: cannot be taken concurrently), the scope of the project for UROP should be different from that of UREx.
  • FYP can be taken concurrently with UREx, however the FYP project should be significantly different from the UREx project.
  • Main supervisor for UREx must be a full-time academic staff from CDE (includes staff with joint appointments with CDE). Co-supervisor, however, can be a non-CDE personal.

3.2. UREx Project and Supervisor

UREx projects are student-proposed and students are required to source for their own supervisor(s). Students have the option to carry out the UREx project individually or in a group (with no more than 4 members). Students are welcome to work on any project of their choice as long as it serves to advance their technical knowledge, improves critical and creative thinking ability and trains them to work independently and interdependently.

If you have identified the project you wish to conduct, review CDE faculty members’ profiles to find a potential supervisor with research interests similar to you. Enquire directly with the faculty member on his/her willingness to supervise you or your team (as the case may be) for UREx.

If you are unsure of your interests and need motivation, visit the webpage of the faculty members to explore their research work. Another option is to check out the research projects being offered by faculty members for UROP. To view the UROP projects, visit the Enhancement Programmes portal. Enquire directly with the faculty member(s) whose project(s) you find interesting. Discuss with the faculty member the scope of research work that you or your team (as the case may be) wishes to delve further into.

3.3. Grant Application Form and Registration

Once decided on the project and supervisor, prepare the REx Fellow Grant Application Form. The form can be found at the bottom of this webpage under ‘Useful Links for Students’. Ensure that the details input in the form for the various sections (abstract, background literature & research hypothesis and methods & approaches) are accurate and well thought through.

To register your interest in UREx, submit the duly completed REx Fellow Grant Application Form in PDF format (file size ≤ 10 MB) via the CDE Enhancement Programmes portal [Go to Undergraduate Research Experience (UREx) >> Registration] during the registration period (see registration timeline below). For group projects (maximum number of members per group = 4), only one application form needs to be submitted per group. The form should be submitted via the CDE Enhancement Programmes portal by the group leader.

Once submitted, the registration request would be system routed to your supervisor for review. If approved, it will be sent to the Office of the Provost (PVO) for final approval. An e-mail will be sent to you on the outcome of your registration request within two weeks of your submission. Upon successful registration, students will be referred to as REx Fellows.

Registration Timeline
Activity Semester 1 Semester 2
Submission of REx Fellow Grant Application Form via the CDE Enhancement Programmes portal Week -1 to Week 2

(29 July 2024 to 23 Aug 2024)

 Week -3 to Week 1

(23 Dec 2024 to 17 Jan 2025)
Enrolment of CDE2605R in EduRec by Dean’s Office

Onboarding to REx CANVAS page (REX100)

 Week 4 Week 4

Notes:

  • Students can only register one project at a time in the Enhancement Programmes portal.
  • Students should ensure that the total course workload (including UREx) for that semester falls within the permissible limit.
  • UREx is only offered in regular semesters. Students are not allowed to register for UREx during Special Terms 1 and 2.

3.4. Funding and Project Timeline

Funding

Grant monies of up to $2,500 for individual projects and $5,000 for group projects will be provided. The grant money can be used to reimburse the costs of the following items for the associated UREx project:

  • Consumables, lab supplies, use of research facilities and equipment.
  • License fees of software.
  • Registration fees for conferences, seminars or workshops.
  • Project deliverables such as costs of printing posters, travel and transportation costs
  • Books, journal articles, subscription to journals which are NOT available in the university’s libraries.
  • Fees associated with publication of manuscripts in journals.

The following items are not allowed to be claimed from the research grant:

  • Entertainment and refreshment.
  • Personal expenses not related to the UREx project.
  • Equipment or devices not related to the UREx project.
Project Timeline

REx Fellows have up to two regular semesters to complete UREx. A minimum commitment of 130 workload hours per UREx project is expected from REx Fellows (includes time spent on research, consultations with supervisor and participation in workshops).

For UREx starting Semester 1, AY2024/25

Note: REx Fellows can choose to complete UREx by end of Semester 1, AY2024/25 or end of Semester 2, AY2024/25. 

Commencement Completion by Deadline to complete UREx deliverables Grading
12 Aug 2024 End of Semester 1, AY2024/25 22 Nov 2024 You will receive ‘CS/CU’ grade at the end of Semester 1 of AY2024/25
End of Semester 2, AY2024/25 25 Apr 2025 You will receive:

· ‘IP’ grade at the end of Semester 1 of AY2024/25

· ‘CS/CU’ grade at the end of Semester 2 of AY2024/25

For UREx starting Semester 2, AY2024/25

Note: REx Fellows can choose to complete UREx by end of Semester 2, AY2024/25 or end of Semester 1, AY2025/26. 

Commencement Completion by Deadline to complete UREx deliverables Grading
13 Jan 2025 End of Semester 2, AY2024/25 25 Apr 2025 You will receive ‘CS/CU’ grade at the end of Semester 2 of AY2024/25
End of Semester 1, AY2025/26 21 Nov 2025 You will receive:

· ‘IP’ grade at the end of Semester 2 of AY2024/25

· ‘CS/CU’ grade at the end of Semester 1 of AY2025/26

3.5. Deliverables

The following need to be satisfactorily completed to receive a CS grade for UREx:  

  • REx Workshops
  • Executive Summary
  • UREx Report

The REx Fellows have up to two regular semesters to complete these requirements.

REx Workshops

REx Fellows need to attend a minimum of five REx workshops (two core and three elective). The two core REx workshops are Ethics in Research and Research Methodologies. In a given semester, the workshops will be conducted between Week 6 and Week 13. Workshop schedule and details can be found at the bottom of this webpage under ‘Useful Links for Students’. More specifics will be made known during the semester via Canvas.

Executive Summary

Executive summary is a 1-2 page non-technical report that summarizes the conducted project in clear and concise layperson terms. The executive summary should be uploaded in PDF format (file size ≤ 1 MB) at the CDE Enhancement Programmes portal on completion of the project [Go to Undergraduate Research Experience (UREx) >> Upload Report >> Upload Executive Summary].

UREx Report

UREx report is a 10-20 page technical report that summarizes the conducted research. The satisfactory grading of the UREx report is based on students: (i) having defined the problem clearly and proposing a hypothesis or a model for the problem, (ii) designing a solution procedure/experiment to study the hypothesis or analyse the problem, (iii) obtaining the data and evidences to support the hypothesis, (iv) drawing conclusions and making suggestions for future studies, (v) communicating the project objectives, methodology and outcomes clearly and concisely in written form and (vi) displaying competencies including independence, commitment, and ability to handle and troubleshoot problems.

Guidelines on preparing the UREx report can be found at the bottom of this webpage under ‘Useful Links for Students’. The UREx report should be uploaded in PDF format (file size ≤ 5 MB) at the CDE Enhancement Programmes portal on completion of the project [Go to Undergraduate Research Experience (UREx) >> Upload Report >> Upload UREx Report]. 

Note: For group projects, each team member is required to submit an individual UREx report and executive summary as well as attend a minimum of five REx workshops.

3.6. Purchases, Service/Job Requests and Claims

Kindly read the Guidelines for Accessing REx Grant prior to making purchases, placing service/job requests to internal NUS workshops/labs, and submitting claims. 

Note:

4. Dropping of UREx

Request for dropping the course should be placed via the Enhancement Programmes portal. To place the request, follow the steps below:

  • Log in to Enhancement Programmes portal
  • Go to Undergraduate Research Experience (UREx) > Withdrawal of Interest > Indicate the reason(s) for withdrawal > Submit

Prior to submitting the withdrawal request, please take note of the following:

For students registering for UREx in Notes
Semester 1 Students will receive a ‘W’ grade if they drop the course between Week 3 and end of the Recess Week of Semester 1. Students who drop UREx after the end of the Recess Week of Semester 1 or in Semester 2 will receive a ‘CU’ grade.
Semester 2 Students will receive a ‘W’ grade if they drop the course between Week 3 and end of the Recess Week of Semester 2. Students who drop UREx after the end of the Recess Week of Semester 2 or in Semester 1 of the next Academic Year will receive a ‘CU’ grade.

Queries?

Please email pvobox66@nus.edu.sg for enquiries related to UREx workshops and claims.

Please email ugep@nus.edu.sg or contact your Programme’s UREx coordinator for general and administrative enquiries.

Programme UREx Coordinator Email
Architecture A/Prof Francois Blanciak f.blanciak@nus.edu.sg
Biomedical Engineering A/Prof Chen Nanguang biecng@nus.edu.sg
Chemical Engineering A/Prof Chiu Min-Sen checms@nus.edu.sg
Civil Engineering Dr Cui Yue cuiyue@nus.edu.sg
Computer Engineering A/Prof Xiang Cheng elexc@nus.edu.sg
Electrical Engineering A/Prof Xiang Cheng elexc@nus.edu.sg
Engineering Science A/Prof Karl Erik Birgersson mpebke@nus.edu.sg
Environmental Engineering A/Prof Yu Liya ceeley@nus.edu.sg
Industrial Design Dr Zheng Zhihan Clement clement.zheng@nus.edu.sg
Industrial & Systems Engineering Dr Wang Zhiguo zhiguo.w@nus.edu.sg
Infrastructure and Project Management A/Prof Tay En Rong, Stephen stephen.tay@nus.edu.sg
Landscape Architecture A/Prof Francois Blanciak f.blanciak@nus.edu.sg
Materials Science & Engineering A/Prof Tan Swee Ching msetansc@nus.edu.sg
Mechanical Engineering A/Prof MD Raisul Islam mpemdri@nus.edu.sg
Project & Facilities Management A/Prof Tay En Rong, Stephen stephen.tay@nus.edu.sg

Useful Links for Students

Useful Links for Staff

Enhancement Programmes Portal (Staff)