Still not convinced? Find out why your peers have chosen UROPS.

I was curious about science research all along, even before my university education. When I knew that UROPS would allow me to do research under a professor's supervision, I was certain that I would give it a try. I did a few pharmacology modules and I found the field particularly intriguing. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, I signed up for a project in the department of Pharmacology, under the supervision of Dr Gavin Dawe.

The UROPS research experience was a rocky but enriching journey. Being a novice scientist, I faced errors, mistakes and numerous obstacles along the way. There were failures, late nights and even sleepless nights in the laboratory. My curiosity and passion for the research questions were the only things that kept me going. In research, one answer to the research question almost always give rise to more questions. Therefore, from a 4MC UROPS project, we extended it to a year-long quest for knowledge. It was a tough year, juggling research and modular work. However, looking back, I think it was all worth it. I have emerged being more analytical and critical. Furthermore, the experience taught me what real research was all about. UROPS has prepared me well for my honours year and beyond.

I was also fortunate to have a supportive supervisor and a group of patient mentors to guide me through the ups and downs of the UROPS journey. They taught me to be more open-minded and to see a question from various perspectives. I also learnt from them that failures were as important as getting positive results in the world of research.

I am glad that I participated in UROPS. It was an enormously beneficial experience, both in terms of academic and personal development. I believe that UROPS was the first and most important step in my career as a researcher.

In the course of my studies in Science, I sought to understand complex theories regarding the world. Some theories are abstract and are not easily grasped such as quantum phenomenon. However, we may make observations that pave the way for the development of such theories through ingeniously designed research experiments. UROPS provides the opportunities to develop greater and deeper scientific insights. It endowed me with the luxury of being immersed in a semester of progressive learning environment of the research world and the chance to apply theories and concepts of what I had learned into physical applications.

Graduated in 2005, I am deeply reminiscent of all the time that I had spent in NUS, in student activities, hostel activities and particularly academic activities. Contrary to popular opinions, academic life in the sciences need not purely be about abstract reasoning and mathematical manipulations of astronomical figures. I had a deeply enjoyable time while studying, especially after being admitted into UROPS. It was delightful applying what I have learned to real research. I began to truly appreciate what I was learning as their relevance became more pronounced as useful knowledge in my research. It had also helped in my preparation for the Honours Year Project, as I was given sufficient exposure to research methodologies and procedures.

All in all, UROPS had empowered me to be more than a student studying physics but a student physicist contributing to scientific research and truly relishing the experience. I had benefited greatly from it and am grateful to NUS for having this programme. I am sure that many fellow students will benefit from this in future years to come.

June did a 4MC UROPS under the supervision of Dr Loh Kian Ping in semester 2 of AY2001/2002. June has recently graduated and found a career with ST Microelectronics as Failure Analysis Engineer. She commented that her experience in analysis during UROPS was taken into account when she was offered the job by her present company. June felt that her hand-on experience in UROPS is useful and applicable to the industry. She would like to urged students who are interested in UROPS to participate in the programme as she has benefitted much from it.

I count it as a privilege to be able to participate in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program in Science (UROPS). Classroom learning involves amassing tools for problem-solving, but research is about putting the knowledge acquired to practice. Nevertheless, undertaking a research project also involves stretching one's curiosity, independent thinking, discipline, patience, perseverance, self-motivation and passion to the limit. A very large part of the work in research goes into the mundane routine of gathering and analyzing data. It did not go unrewarded as these were often followed by unexpected new discoveries. Truly, these are the most exciting and exhilarating moments in research.

I am very fortunate to have Assoc. Prof. Feng Yuan Ping as my supervisor, who had the initiative and patience to encourage me to greater heights. I am grateful for the invaluable lessons I learnt and the rich experiences I encountered while doing research under his personal supervision and guidance.

Undertaking real research has endowed me with a greater appreciation of knowledge gleaned in the classroom. My participation in the UROPS has definitely left me with an enriching and memorable experience.

In recent years, radionuclide-labelled peptides have been used in nuclear medicine to treat malignant tumours. We are interested in synthesising chelating ligands that can form a basis for the labelling of a monoclonal antibody with radioactive 186Re and 188Re (Fig. 1).

The antibody targets tumour cell antigens while the attached radioactive Re atom delivers the therapeutic dose of radiation. Here, the linker serves to distance the Re core from the antibody. This reduces the possibility of the antibody losing its specific protein conformation and the subsequent loss of its biological functions. And we have successfully synthesised stable Re (I) bipyridine complexes.

I've never regretted signing up for UROPS, 'cos this is a very enriching and rewarding course, which I strongly recommend my peers to take up. It has led me to the insights of real research at professional level. This is when you work alongside research students and live the life of a scientist. Through this program, I've picked up invaluable research skills that you won't learn through books. Having spent a year's time in the lab, I've made many new friends and it has left me with many lasting fun memories so don't say scientists lead boring lives!

A last note, I want to give special thanks to Sze Wei, who has been a patient and caring partner. She has made many outstanding contributions to our project. Besides, I am very grateful of my supervisors: Jianyong and Yaw Kai for their support and encouragement. And most importantly to Andy for his trust and confidence in us. Thanks to all.

Having felt a close affinity to physics and mathematics all my life, it was only natural to do research on either genre. The chance to write a paper blending elements from the two subjects was a boon. Under the careful guidance of Professor Aslaksen, I had the opportunity to explore different ways of examining a given situation and selecting the appropriate mathematics for it. We investigated the principles upon which astrology was built and tried to offer constructive criticism based on the formalism adopted by the astrologers. The most satisfying moment in the project was when we succeeded in deriving a formula for house division, based on spherical trigonometry. Specifically, it describes the speed of the ecliptic when it crosses the horizon at any latitude.

I wish to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Professor Aslaksen, for spending countless hours clearing my doubts and moulding my trains of thought into coherent arguments. He is a meticulous and extremely committed professor, and can truly be described as "one of a kind". Generally, I must say that UROPS is an excellent program for self-motivated undergraduates with a burning curiosity and an insatiable hunger for knowledge.

In all, I saw tremendous improvement in many aspects of my academic ability. For one, I further developed an existing penchant for gathering and organizing information, and integrating it into a thesis. And I deepened my appreciation for mathematical elegance - sometimes, it is not enough to just obtain the "right answer".

The experience garnered in the short time I was on my UROPS project, was a turning point in my education to science and research. Under the mentorship and guidance of my supervisor, lab officer and the postgraduate students, the road to discovery was never dull.

The decision to undertake such a project was easy, it was the only opportunity for an undergraduate to have a taste of research at a higher level, apart from the weekly practicals scheduled in our modules. Yet, I was still very nervous about my ability to handle a project on my own. Indeed, there were numerous challenges thrown onto my path. The fears and agony experienced were rewarded with joy and relief when the results turned out well at the end.

My participation in UROPS gave me the confidence to take up more challenges and I came out of it with new friendships, research skills and the fulfillment of a personal challenge.

In the course of my two UROPS projects, I gained valuable insights into the nature of academic research. Careful guidance and expert instruction from my supervisors enabled me to gain in-depth knowledge of my area of study as well as to cultivate qualities of character such as patience and persistence which are essential to all researchers.

I participated in the National Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (NUROP) 2000 in which I embarked upon a project entitled "The Pontederiaceae of Singapore". The supervisor of my project is A/P Hugh Tan from the Department of Biological Sciences. Participating in this program allows myself to be exposed to the different facets of scientific research. The best part of this program is to be able to participate in the Oral Session of the 6th NUROP Congress 2000. During the congress, I was able to present my project to other participants and this was indeed an enriching experience.